The son of George and Jane Palmer Charles was born November 1822 in South Shields a town only a few miles to the east of Jarrow. Charles was born into a family of seven sons and one daughter. His father George apart from being a shipowner had previously been captain of a whaler. His teen …
Born on November 3rd, 1822, Sir Charles Mark Palmer a successful shipyard/steel company owner not only gave Jarrow much-needed employment he was also responsible for the building of a much-needed hospital. He was married three times. His first wife Jane was the daughter of Ebenezer Robson who hailed out of Newcastle Upon Tyne, Jane gave …
Come the 1900’s Palmer workforce would be in excess of 9,000 men and boys. Charles Palmer also held major interests in the local Coal Mining industry. With this in mind, Charles wanted to ferry coal to London, from the Durham coalfields, using his own steam collier ships. This is the John Bowes, named after the …
The ‘John Bowes’ had a long lifespan. Some 81 years in which she served as a stores vessel in the Crimean War, underwent several name changes, survived many collisions and carried general cargo instead of coal. While under one of her many name changes ‘Villa Selgas’ sadly the ‘John Bowes’ sank after developing a leak …
1860 was the year ‘Port Mulgrave’ was launched. This was to be the first vessel, off the assembly lines so to speak, launched from the Howdon yard, which had been acquired by Palmers the year before, (1859) on the north bank of the Tyne. This yard went on to build many more ships. The picture …
There were more than 100 ships commissioned by the Royal Navy, but this in no way diminished his shipbuilding for other sources. One such ship was the launch of H.M.S. Cruiser “York” for the Royal Navy christened and launched by the Duchess of York from Palmers Shipbuilding Yard in 1928. A short video of the …