Elizabeth's will

Photo : Cynthia Kent

Photo : Cynthia Kent

Two Family Headstones

James Stamp Douthwaite was born in July of 1870, to parents John Forster Douthwaite and Christiana (nee Stamp), both born in 1841. John and Christiana were married on 17th January 1864 at St Paul's Church in Jarrow and by 1871 they were living at 2 Johnson's Hill, South Shields.

James was their third son, his two brothers were John (born 18th October 1863, died 20th November 1912) and William Cuthbert (born 1866, who later married an Annie Wright in 1901, died 1950). He also had a younger sister Dorothy Jane born 1880.

In 1881 the family were residing at Marshall’s Quay in South Shields with their parents.

Not long after in 1883, his mother Christiana passed away at the young age of 42, followed by the death of his father John Forster in January 1888, at the age of 46.

After the death of their parents, James and his brother William were lodging with Edward and Sarah Simpson and their two children Annie and Ned. The family were living at 106 Bowman Street in South Shields, when the census is taken in April 1891 and James and William were both working as coal miners.

Their younger sister Dorothy was residing with her Great aunt and uncle and cousin at 172 Walton Village, Walton-on-The Hill in Lancashire. The elder brother John was staying at the house of one of his aunts in 57 Wilson Street, South Shields, working as a ship’s carpenter.

James married Elizabeth Ashman (born 1872), on the 4th July 1891 at St Mary's Church, Tyne Dock, South Shields and a few years later they had a daughter Sarah who was born in 1894.
Elizabeth's mother Ann Mary remarried a Robert Carr on the 29th May 1877 at St Stephen, South Shields.

In 1901 James was residing at 112 Campbell Street, South Shields with his wife Elizabeth and his elder brother John.

The family are then found living at 53 Green Street, South Shields in 1911, James along with his wife Elizabeth, their daughter Sarah (now 17 years of age), and his brother John. He is now working as a labourer in an Iron Foundry, his daughter is an assistant in a Grocer’s shop and his brother John is a carpenter. His brother John died the following year on 27th November age 48.

James was one of the crew members of the HMS Viknor, part of the (10th Cruiser) Squadron, which sunk with all of its crew on the 13th January 1915 by a mine which had been laid by the vessel Berlin.

His body was never recovered or identified like many of his fellow crew members.

Also on board the Viknor were eight Germans who had been taken prisoner when SS Bergensfjord was captured on January 11th 1915. These included Graf Hans Adam Wedell and Dr. Rasmus Bjornstad. Wedell was a high level German spy traveling from New York to Germany. It is unclear who Bjornstad was or if this was even his real name. The other (unnamed) six Germans were stowaways and suspected to be traveling to Germany to join the war effort.

Source: Maritime Quest with thanks.

The Viknor commenced signing on her mercantile marine crew on the 2nd December. She completed articles on the 22nd and left the Tyne on the evening of the 28th.

Naval History WW1. Official Account."VIKNOR, armed merchant cruiser, 13 January 1915, Atlantic off N Ireland - ex-Viking or The Viking, ex-cruise ship, 5,386grt, built 1888, Viking Cruise Co, 15kts, hired 19/11/14, Pendant No.M.82, 10th CS Grand Fleet, Cdr Ernest Ballantyne, most northerly ship on Northern Patrol line B north of the Shetlands. On the 11th, at around 62N, 02.24W, intercepted Norwegian SS Bergensfiord carrying an important German secret service agent and other nationals from New York, Viknor ordered to put prize crew on board, escort the Norwegian ship towards Lerwick, then continue on to Liverpool with a total of eight German prisoners. Last message from Viknor on 13th (He – off Malin Head; ss - at 1600 in 56.18N, 09W, course S21ºW), nothing more was heard of her. Probably 13th - Believed sunk off Northern Ireland by one of Berlin's mines broken free by heavy gales off Tory Island (Rn - foundered in heavy weather; C - Wrecked on north coast of Ireland), wreckage and bodies washed ashore at Portrush; 294 lives lost - 22 officers, 196 ratings, 74 MN and 1 canteen staff plus prisoners, no survivors (He – 259, ke - 295) (H/J/Rn/C/D/bi/dk/gf/ke/ss; ADM.137/185, ADM.116/1442)".

In 2006 the survey ship Celtic Explorer located the wreck of HMS Viknor, according to Dr Ian Lawler, the wreck is located on the outer edge of a minefield laid by SMS Berlin which lends some credibility to the theory that she could have hit a mine, but at this time there is still no definitive answer as to the cause of the loss.

There are two gravestones in Harton Cemetery with his name on; one is his and his wife’s grave and the other is the Douthwaite grave with his elder brother John, James himself and William’s wife Annie. On his war death there is also mention that Edward and Sarah Simpson were his adopted parents.

His wife Elizabeth died on 4th July 1921 age 49. She left effects of £125 8s 1d to Thomas Miles Holman. Master Baker.

Thomas Miles Holman was born at Frederick Street on the 4th August 1879, and married Maggie, born 26th August 1878 at South Shields.

Research : Cynthia Kent/James Pasby

James Stamp Douthwaite is listed on our List of Ships’ crews.

Official History of Naval Operations Vol II (NEW)
Complement list of HMS Viknor crew
H.M.S. Viknor Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Fireman Douthwaite