Readheads had their own fleet of ships for a while under the name of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T Readhead and Co., managers)

ss 'Highcliffe'
(Photo by kind permission of Ivor Rooke)

The following article is from SHIPS IN FOCUS, Record 19 March 2002, Pages 149 – 153, Readhead's Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. by David Burrell and is reproduced here with the kind permission of the Magazine and the author. Copies of the article which, has photographs of the ships, can be ordered from Ships In Focus Publications, 18 Franklands, Longton, Preston PR4 5PD, UK. e-mail: sales@shipsinfocus.co.uk

READHEAD’S CLIFFE STEAMSHIP CO.LTD.
David Burrell
John Readhead (1818 – 1894) was born at Earsdon, inland from Whitley Bay. After working at Backworth Colliery he moved to Tyneside and rose to be Engineering Manager for shipbuilders T. D. Marshall and Son at Willington Quay. In 1864 he left their employ and with John Softley, Marshall’s General Manager, commenced a shipbuilding partnership at the Lawe Yard, South Shields. They built the barque Lizzie Leslie, the first ship classed 100A1 by Lloyd’s Register.
In 1872 the partnership was dissolved. John Readhead and Co. owned the premises until they were sold in 1896, having moved to West Docks in 1881. John Readhead’s five sons joined the partnership, which became John Readhead and Sons in 1888 (Ltd. from 1909). The sons headed different departments: Robert (1843 – 1922), assisted by John (2) (1848 – 1926), directed the engineering; James (1852 – 1930) the shipbuilding and William Bell (1861 – 1911) the drawing office. Thomas (1847 – 1893) predeceased his father. James formed a friendship with Edward Hain when Readhead built their first steamer for Hains in 1878. This led to the building of 87 Hain ships from 1878 to 1922. Other major customers were Frank C. Strick and Co. (44 ships) and Walter Runciman and Co. (32).
The formation of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. On 1st June 1904 gave employment to one of the numerous third generation of Readhead’s, John’s son George Tindle Readhead (1880 – 1936), and provided work for the yard which was, like others, feeling the pinch of the post-Boer War shipping recession. At a cost of £32, 700 yard number 379 was launched as Rockcliffe in July 1904. A single-deck, three-island design, she was intended for bulk trades, such as coal from Britain to the Mediterranean, South America and elsewhere, with grain home from the Black Sea or the Plate. The Argentine wheat trade was still new, but in the decade from 1884 it had grown from only 200,000 tons to over a million tons annually.
The company had a capital of £32,700 in £100 shares, all except eight shares being issued to family members. The few non-family shareholders included Edward Hain with five. John Readhead held the majority, 207, and George Tindle Readhead had ten.

Cliffe’s ships and men
Rockcliffe’s maiden voyage was from the Tyne (sailed 5.9.1904) to Genoa (arrived 18.9.1904, sailed 1.10.1904), Taganrog (arrived 10.10.1904), Novorossisk (arrived 4.11.1904) and Emden (arrived 28.11.1904). She was taken to sea by Captain Stableforth (1866 – 1917), a South Shields man who retained command until coming ashore in 1906. Second mate was William Morgan from Carmarthen, whose first command was to be Rockcliffe in 1909, and who was to remain with the company until the end of 1931 when Highcliffe was laid up.
Rockcliffe remained the sole ship in the fleet until a near sister was added in September 1909. Yard number 409 entered service as Highcliffe, spending her first two months on a voyage from the Tyne (sailed 28.9.1909) to Porto Vecchio, Piombino (sailed 17.10.1909), Theodosia (arrived 25.10.1909), Novorossisk and London (arrived 28.11.1909). To finance her cost of £32,500, the capital of the company was increased to £65,200. The trade of the fleet can be noted from ‘Lloyd’s Weekly Shipping Index’ in May 1912. Rockcliffe sailed from San Lorenzo on 21st May for London (arrived 26.6.1912), and Highcliffe had arrived at Taganrog on 28th May from Syra, and sailed on 12th June for Rotterdam (arrived 1.7.1912).

Cliffe’s at war
The outbreak of the First World War in August 1914 found Rockcliffe in the Black Sea, having passed the Dardanelles on 27th July. Highcliffe was in the Tyne where she had arrived on 18th June after discharging at Bremerhaven – she sailed on 26th September for Italy with coal. Rockcliffe sailed from Theodosia on 23rd September for Malta, but Turkey had closed the Dardanelles and she put back to Odessa. Late in February 1915 she was taken over by the Russians as a transport. In July 1916 she was torpedoed and damaged by U 38, and two days later was sunk by gunfire from a German cruiser.
A third ship was delivered in June 1915 as Headcliffe and given to Captain William Swinbanks, who had been with the company since 1905 in command of Rockcliffe and Highcliffe. A sister to Rockcliffe, completed by Readheads in October 1903 for Irish owners as Ulidia, was bought in December 1916, but lasted less than a year before going ashore in September 1917 whilst loading timber in the White Sea. Considered a total loss, she was salved in 1919 and became the Norwegian Skaraas. She was destined to be the last Cliffe ship to survive, passing to Shanghai owners in 1935, surviving a grounding and condemnation once again as a constructive total loss when the American Coventry in May 1945, before being wrecked on passage from Keelung to Shanghai with coal as Hwah Jang in 1948.
All four Cliffe ships were taken up for war service. Rockcliffe has been mentioned, Highcliffe became Collier No. 755 until torpedoed off the Tuskar Rock. Ulidia was Collier No. 948 and Headcliffe Collier No. 275 from May 1916 until after the war. Despite this designation, Headcliffe carried grain from the Plate, South Africa and India, also phosphates, and was a store ship for the forces in East Africa for part of 1918. Both Highcliffe and Headcliffe had gun actions and escaped from U-boats, Highcliffe on 14th September 1916 in the Mediterranean and 16th April 1917 in the Channel. Headcliffe fought off a submarine on 27th April 1917 off the Irish coast and again on 6th April 1918 off the Gambia. For these actions their masters, James Henderson of Highcliffe and William Morgan on Headcliffe, were awarded Lloyd’s Silver Medal for Meritorious Services in 1918, with Apprentice James Walton of Headcliffe receiving the Bronze Medal. Morgan was also awarded the DSC in 1919 for ‘zeal and devotion to duty during the war.’

Post war
At the Armistice in November 1918 only Headcliffe remained in the company’s service, joined by the new Homecliffe in July 1920. Changed conditions in Russia following the Communist Revolution saw the Black Sea grain trade fade to a memory. But the Plate trade thrived and May 1922 found both ships in that employ. Headcliffe was bound south from the Tyne (sailed 13.5.1922) for Buenos Ayres (arrived 18.6.1922), passing Madeira on 22nd May. She arrived back at Hull on 13th September. Homecliffe sailed from Rosario on 22nd February and arrived in Hull on 6th April. Her next trip saw her leave Hull on the 5th June for the Plate, arriving back at Newport on 22nd September.
Two further additions were made to the fleet, a second Rockcliffe was commissioned in 1925, and a second Highcliffe followed two years later. Whilst a modest profit was possible during the 1920’s the main financial strength came from profits during the war. The financial crash of 1929 found a fleet of four, valued in the accounts for 1929 at £206,000. This was probably an optimistic figure, offset on the other side by reserves of £113,000, whilst the profit and loss account showed a figure of £23,000. The Depression which followed hit the company hard, and soon all the fleet was laid up on the Tyne.
Headcliffe At Shields, arrived 2.12.1931, until sold 8.1932.
Homecliffe At Shields, arrived 28.2.1930, sailed 22.9.1930
At Shields, arrived 1.5.1932, until sold 8.1934.
Rockcliffe At Shields, arrived 20.10.1930, until sold 7.1935.
Highcliffe At Shields, arrived 28.5.1930, sailed 8.5.1931.
At Shields, arrived 11.12.1931, sailed 21.12.1935.
In the six years from 1930 to 1935 the ships were laid up for some 67% of the time, about 159 months out of a possible 237. Lack of work was reflected in payments from the Treasury under the Tramp Shipping Subsidy. In 1935 it was £107.4s, Highcliffe coming back into service in December after a lay up of nearly four years. The following year she earned the more respectable sum of £2,043.2s.
The profit and loss account remained in the black, but fell to £3,000 in 1930 and £1,000 for succeeding years. Fleet value was written down to £123,000 in 1932, reserves reflected this as they fell to £31,000. When Headcliffe was sold to Greek owners in August 1932 the state of the market was such that she realised only £4,000, but two years later changed hands again for £11,500. Homecliffe went to British owners in the summer of 1934, for £15,000, and Rockcliffe was taken by Russia in 1935. This left only Highcliffe of 1927 wearing Readhead’s flag.
Fates of the Cliffe ships will be found in the accompanying fleet list, but that of the former Headcliffe is particularly interesting. Renamed Mount Parnassus after her sale by Cliffe, she became the Latvian Tautmila in 1936. On 29th January 1940 whilst on passage from Rotterdam for Hartlepool in ballast, she was attacked by He111 aircraft of KG26 during a sweep along the British East Coast. In this action, Stanburn (2,881/ 1924) was sunk, Gripfast (1,109/1910), Tautmila and Imperial Monarch (5,831/1926) damaged. With seven dead and one missing Tautmila was beached at Walcott. Refloated and taken into Great Yarmouth, she then went to Rotterdam for repair, were she was found by German forces on 14th May 1940. Under arrest for payment of repair bills, she was claimed by the USSR following the occupation of Latvia, but the invasion of Russia by German forces in June 1941 saw her before the Hamburg prize court. As the Freimans were a German-Balt family the court returned Tautmila and three other ships to George Freymann, the son of Captain Freimans (who had died in Gydnia during August 1941). Renamed Baltenland she was sunk in the Baltic by a Russian submarine in October 1941. Homecliffe was renamed Avon Valley, and, in 1937, Panos, being expended in June 1944 as a blockship for the Normandy landings. Finally the Russian Kolkhosnik was wrecked with the loss of two lives on Sambro Shoal on 16th January 1942, on passage from Boston for Archangel.
After lay up at Penarth from October 1938 to January 1939, the outbreak of war in 1939 found Highcliffe nearing Madeira (where she was from 5 to 9.9.1939) on passage from River Parana ports, having sailed from South Wales on 16th June 1939 for the Plate. She arrived at Sligo on 26th September, discharged and moved to Barry before sailing on the first of two trips to Narvik. The second was never completed. On passage with iron ore from Narvik for Methil and Immingham, she went ashore during February 1940 in the Shetlands. With her back broken she rapidly became a total loss.
Following the death of George Tindle Readhead in June 1936 and Sir James Halder Readhead in May 1940 the decision was taken to wind up, the Cliffe company being placed in voluntary liquidation in May 1941. Despite the Depression, and consequent losses made on the sale of the ships, payment of £115 5s 6d was made on each £100 share on winding up. Many companies at that time showed a loss on distribution of assets, but the Cliffe Steamship Company was able to show a small profit.

Fleet List
1. ROCKCLIFFE (1) 1904-1916
O.N. 119902 3,073g 1,986n 5,278d 323.0 x 47.1 x 23.8 feet.
T.3-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons, South Shields; 291 NHP. 1,200 IHP. 10 knots.
28.7.1904; Launched by John Readhead and Sons, South Shields (Yard No. 379).
8.1904; Completed.
1.9.1904; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T. Readhead and Co., managers). Newcastle-upon-Tyne as ROCKCLIFFE.
2.7.1916; Damaged by torpedo from the German submarine U 38 off Soci, Black Sea, whilst operating as the Russian Transport No. 55.
4.7.1916; Sunk by gunfire from the German cruiser SMS BRESLAU.
27.9.1916; Register closed.

2. HIGHCLIFFE (1) 1909-1918
O.N. 129811 3,238g 2,040n 5,546d 335.3 x 47.6 x 23.7 feet.
T. 3-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons, South Shields; 296 NHP, 1,500 IHP, 10 knots.
18.8.1909; Launched by John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard No. 409).
9.1909; Completed.
22.9.1909; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T. Readhead and Co., managers), Newcastle-upon-Tyne as HIGHCLIFFE.
3.9.1918; Torpedoed by the German submarine UB 87 in St. George’s Channel, 13 miles south east of the Tuskar Rock whilst on a voyage from the Clyde with coal. One member of the crew was lost.
16.9.1918; Register closed.

3. HEADCLIFFE 1915-1932
O.N. 134963 3,654g 2,323n 6,325d 347.4 x 49.2 x 25.2 feet.
T. 3-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields; 332 NHP, 1,800 IHP, 10 knots.
14.4.1915; Launched by John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard No. 448).
6.1915; Completed.
8.6.1915; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T Readhead and Co., managers). Newcastle-upon-Tyne as HEADCLIFFE.
8.1932; Sold to Kalukundis Shipping Co. S.A., Piraeus (Rethymnis and Kalukundis Ltd., London) renamed MOUNT PARNASSUS.
1936; Sold to Johann Freymann, Janis Salcmans and Karlis Jansons (Latvian Shipping Co.), Riga, Latvia and renamed TAUTMILA.
29.1.1940; Damaged by He111 aircraft of KG26, five miles north west of Smith’s Knoll whilst on a voyage from Rotterdam to Hartlepool in ballast and put ashore at Walcott. Seven of her crew were killed and one missing.
23.2.1940;
Refloated, and towed to Great Yarmouth, and then Rotterdam for repair.
14.5.1940; Still under repair when German forces occupied Rotterdam.
1941; Owner became G. Freymann, Memel and renamed BALTENLAND.
16.10.1941; Torpedoed by Russian submarine Shch-323 off Vestervik in position 57.31 north by 16.58 east whilst on a voyage from Haukipudas, Finland, to Germany with a cargo of timber.
17.10.1941; Drifted ashore, broke in two and became a total loss.

4. ULIDIA 1903 -1917
O.N. 115633 3,081g 1,988n 5,292d 323.0 x 47.1 x 23.8 feet.
T-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons, South Shields; 300 NHP, 1,200 IHP, 10 knots.
10.9.1903; Launched by John Readhead and Sons, South Shields (Yard No. 372).
10.1903; Completed.
15.10.1903; Registered in the ownership of the Mercantile Steam Ship Company of Ulster Ltd. (Joseph Fisher and Sons, managers), Newry as ULIDIA.
12.2.1916; Acquired by the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T. Readhead, manager). Newcastle-upon-Tyne).
6.9.1917; Ashore at Soroka in the White Sea whilst loading timber for the United Kingdom.
11.8.1919; Register closed, but subsequently refloated and repaired.
1920; Owners became D/S A/S Skaraas (C. K. Gran, manager). Bergen, Norway and renamed SKARAAS.
1924; Sold to A/S Phoenix, (J. Erland, manager), Bergen.
1927; Sold to Skibs, A/S Nanset (Iver Bugge, manager). Larvik, Norway.
1936; Sold to the Hwah Sung Steamship Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China and renamed HWAHJANG.
1938; Sold to the Java-China Trading Co., Shanghai and renamed WILHELMINA under the Dutch flag.
1943; Owners became the United States War Shipping Administration, Washington, U.S.A. and renamed COVENTRY.
5.1945; Stranded off Cuba and later declared a constructive total loss, but subsequently refloated.
1946; Sold to the Hwah Sung Steamship Co. Ltd., Shanghai, China and renamed HWAHJANG.
11.6.1948; Wrecked on Piting Rock in position 29.53 north by 122.31 east whilst on a voyage from Keelung to Shanghai with coal. Subsequently sank.

5. HOMECLIFFE. 1920-1934
O.N. 139910 4,914g 3,011n 8,050d 385.5 x 53.6 x 27.1 feet.
T-cyl. By John Readhead and Sond Ltd., South Shields; 433 NHP, 2,500 IHP, 11 knots.
19.4.1920; Launched by John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard No. 461).
7.1920; Completed.
12.7.1920; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T. Readhead, manager), Newcastle-upon-Tyne as HOMECLIFFE.
11.8.1934; Sold to the Avon Steamship Co. Ltd. (Mark Witwill and Sons Ltd., managers), Bristol.
6.11.1934; Renamed AVON VALLEY.
15.3.1937; Sold to the United Merchants Shipping Co. Ltd. (Petrinovic and Co. Ltd., managers), London.
18.3.1937; Renamed PANOS.
1940; Managers became Michalinos and Co. Ltd.
9.6.1944; Scuttled as a blockship in Gooseberry No. 4 harbour, Juno Beach, Coursculles, Normandy.
21.8.1944; Register closed.

6. ROCKCLIFFE (2) 1925 – 1934
O.N. 139915 3,880g 2,350n 6,346d 364.2 x 50.6 x 23.7 feet.
T-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields; 372 NHP, 2,000 IHP, 10½ knots.
26.3.1925; Launched by John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard No. 479).
5.1925;Completed.
6.5.1925; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd., (George T. Readhead, manager), Newcastle-upon-Tyne as ROCKCLIFFE.
5.1935; Sold to Sovtorgflot, Moscow, USSR and renamed KOLKHOSNIK.
16.1.1942; Wrecked on Sambro Shoal whilst on a voyage from Boston to Halifax and Archangel.
7.1951; Salvage tug Help reported landing metal from her cargo at Halifax.

7. HIGHCLIFFE (2) 1927 – 1940
O.N. 139916 3,847g 2,323n 6,350d 363.9 x 50.5 x 23.7 feet.
T-cyl. By John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields; 372 NHP, 2,050 IHP, 10½ knots.
10.9.1927; Launched by John Readhead and Sons Ltd., South Shields (Yard No. 486).
10.1927; Completed.
25.10.1927; Registered in the ownership of the Cliffe Steamship Co. Ltd. (George T. Readhead, manager), Newcastle-upon-Tyne as HIGHCLIFFE.
6.2.1940; Wrecked north of Fitful Head on Forewck Holm, Shetland Islands whilst on a voyage from Narvik to Methil and Immingham with a cargo of iron ore.
16.4.1940; Register closed.