Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
James Feetham was born 1885 at Sunderland, the third and one of 5 sons and 3 daughters born to Robert Raine Feetham 1850 and Elizabeth Tonkinson 1852, both natives of Sunderland who were married there in 1870. After their marriage, they moved in with Elizabeth’s widowed mother and her siblings at 11, Willison Street, Bishopwearmouth, Robert was employed as a ship’s carpenter and joinery-man, by 1881 he was a shipwright and they were living for their own account at 71, Gosforth Street. They moved to High Lane, Heworth, near Gateshead between 1885 and 1889, Robert was now working as a ship plater, son John (20) was employed as a joiner, Elsie Ada worked as a dress maker. Aged 15 years James was a shipwright’s apprentice with F & W Ritson of the Nautilus Steam Shipping Company and went on to join the Mercantile Marine qualifying as Second Mate, May 4th 1906 and First Mate, April 4th 1908. During 1910 James Feetham married Sarah Ann Spoors born 1886 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and with whom he had a daughter Grace Elizabeth born in 1911. Whilst James was a sea his wife lived with her mother in law at 10, Newton Terrace, Hebburn.
James during his career in the Mercantile Marine rose to the rank of Lieutenant, during WW1 he was assigned to the Royal Navy Reserve, HM Trawler Worsley. Built by Cook Welton and Gemmell for E. C. Grant of Grimsby she was commissioned as an admiralty trawler in 1913 and hired in 1914 as a minesweeper. On patrol; with a second trawler along the Suffolk coast between Sizewell and Shipwash LV, at 18.00 hrs. August 14th 1915, she was mined under the bridge, broke in two and sank in under two minutes, one mile N of Aldeburgh, Napes buoy, Suffolk. The mine had been laid the previous day by UC,6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow).
Lieutenant James Feetham Royal Navy Reserve went down with the ship. His sacrifice is recorded as one of the names inscribed on the Chatham Naval Memorial, an obelisk which overlooks the town of Chatham, Kent, commemorating members of the Royal Navy who have no known grave, the majority of the deaths having occurred at sea where no permanent memorial could be raised.
His widow Sarah Ann living at 42 Wellington Street, Hebburn, County Durham, received all monies due to him from the Navy but it was not until February 22nd 1921, after probate, that she was awarded his effects in the sum of 322 pounds 8 chillings 10 pence. Awarded the Mercantile Marine Medal.
Lieutenant Feetham’s mother Elizabeth Feetham nee Spoors died during the 4th Qtr. of 1921. His father Robert Raine Feetham aged 71 of 3, Hylton Street, Pelaw departed alone from the port of London, May 5th 1922, aboard the SS “Barrabool”, P & O Branch Services bound for Australia arriving at Sydney, November 27th. Three years later he was joined by his son Charles (36), a shipwright, his wife Elizabeth (nee Gregg, 34) and their children, Charles Frederick (b.1913-d July 14th 1969, Little Bay, N.S.W), Robert (10), Winifred (8), Irene (6) and Gladys (4). They departed, in third class, February 12th 1925 aboard SS “Borda” of the P & O Australia via The Cape Service, from the port of London.
Robert Raine Feetham died in 1926 at Adamstown, New South Wales, Australia, aged 75 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.
Saturday 14 August
WORSLEY, Admiralty trawler, 309/1913, E C Grant, Grimsby-reg GY814, hired 1914 as minesweeper (D - 7/15 as auxiliary patrol vessel), 1-3pdr, believed Harwich-based, Lt James Feetham RNR. On patrol with a second trawler along the Suffolk coast between Sizewell and Shipwash LV, mined under the bridge at 1800, laid by UC.6 (Matthias Graf von Schmettow) the previous day, broke in two and sank in under two minutes, one mile N of Aldeburgh Napes buoy, off Suffolk (WI - in 52.09N, 01.36.30E); Lt Feetham lost (+L/Lr/C/D/He/dk/sc/un/wi; ADM.137/3123)
De Ruvigny Roll of Honour
He is remembered at Sunderland in S140.048 part 8, page 153, at Heworth on H92.03 and at Bill Quay on B119.01
