On the Tower Hill Memorial is the name of Apprentice Edgar Atheling Haste serving in the Mercantile Marine on the S.S. Taplow (London) who died 05/06/1917.

In South Shields (Harton) Cemetery is a family headstone which reads:

George N. Hastie
(Master Mariner)
lost at sea
Nov. 9th 1917 aged 66 years

also Emma, wife of the above
who fell asleep
Dec. 11th 1929, aged 76 years.

Also Edgar Atheling
dearly loved son of the above
lost at sea
June 1917, in his 17th year.

He was the son of Emma Hastie (nee Pike), of 131, Marlborough Street, South Shields, and the late George Nelson Hastie.

Edgar Atheling Hastie was born on the 1st November 1900, at South Shields the youngest son of six children to father George Nelson Hastie, born Sunderland 1851, died 9th November 1917, and his wife Emma nee Pike, Hastie, born 1853, died 11th December 1929. They were married in 1876 in Sunderland.

The other children were: –

• Alice Maud Hastie, born at 11 Winchester Terrace, Sunderland, 6th November 1876, of 36 Blagdon Avenue, South Shields, died on 13th September 1958, at Milford Nursing Home, Durham. She married a William Barrow, born 9th February 1875, died 12th April 1954 at 36 Blagdon Avenue, South Shields, in 1906 in South Shields. In 1911, Alice and William were residing with their son, Wilfrid Barrow, born 12th April 1906, at 129, Marlborough Street, South Shields. William was a Joiner (ship repairing). In 1939 they were residing at 127 Marlborough Street, South Shields. They had a son, Wilfrid Malcolm Burrow who was a sales representative and in 1939 he was married and residing at Winifred House, Marsden Road, Cleadon South Shields, now a Credit Draper. His wife Elsie L. Barrow was born on the 3rd February 1907 and they had two children residing with them in 1939.
• George Henry Hastie, born Sunderland 12th August 1883 at 11 Winchester Terrace, Sunderland, died 12th September 1936 at 51, Farnham Terrace, Sunderland, George had been initiated into the Londonderry Lodge of the Freemasons on the 6th January 1913, and was a Marine Engineer. He married Jessie nee Ridley, [born 9th April 1883, died on 10th April 1963 of 4 Heatherlea Gardens, Sunderland, at The General Hospital, Sunderland], in 1914, at Sunderland.  In 1921, Jessie Hastie was residing with their two children, Edna Hastie, born 9th November 1915 [married  a George Mordey Chambers in 1941, in Sunderland, died 1968], and George Ridley Hastie, born 15th April 1917 [died April 1993]. on the 24th May 1921, George departed from Rotterdam and arrived in New York on Dungeness, ship number 136214, he was the  Chief Engineer and had been engaged at Cardiff on the 8th February 1921. 31st December 1923, George departed from Cardiff, Wales, arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana, on the Bradavon, ship number 142443, he was the First Engineer and had been engaged on the 10th December 1923. 1st December 1934, George departed from Vladivostok via Muroran, arriving in Seattle, Washington on the Ovington Court, ship number 145740, engaged as a First Engineer from the 3rd August 1934, in Sunderland.  George was buried in Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, Sunderland.   Probate to her daughter Edna Chambers [nee Hastie].
• William Charles Stanley Hastie, born 18th December 1884, at 11 Winchester Terrace, Sunderland, died 1925 at  Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia. He married an Annie Blackburn Hall, born 1893 in Co. Durham, on the 28th August 1920, at the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. William was a Bricklayer. Annie died on the 24th August 1938, in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia, she is buried at Woronora Memorial Park, Sutherland, New South Wales, Australia.
• Florence Hastie, born Sunderland 25th January 1887, died 2nd April 1977, she married Richard Newton Ellis, born 1887, in 1912, in South Shields. In 1921, Florence and Richard were residing at 251, Stanhope Road, South Shields, with their two daughters, Jean Kathleen Ellis, born 1915, and Muriel Joan Ellis, born 9th June 1920. Richard was a Credit Draper Travelling in Clothing. in 1939, Florence and Richard were residing at 8, Mayfair Gardens, South Shields, with their daughter, Muriel Joan Ellis, a Bank Clerk, [who would later marry Guy G. Harford towards the end of 1948, in South Shields]. Richard died, aged 68, on the 5th January 1955.  Both are buried at Harton Cemetery.
• Edgar Atheling Hastie, born January 1894, died by drowning on Wednesday 12th June 1895.

There was an inquest into Edgar’s death which was held at the South Shields Police Station on the 14th June 1895.

The family resided at Sunderland until 1892 at 11 Winchester Terrace, then they moved to South Shields to 36 Marlborough Street, then 135 Marlborough Street. They also resided at 30 Hendon Valley Road at Bishopwearmouth,Sunderland in 1891. Emma in 1881 was residing with her parents at 84 Hendon Road, Sunderland.

Edgar Atheling Hastie was educated at the Westoe  Secondary School. And was an apprentice in the Mercantile Navy in WW1.

They resided at 135 Marlborough Road, South Shields in 1901, but by 1911 the address was now 131 Marlborough Street.

On the 5th June 1917, the SS Taplow, ship number 118650, a steamer sailed from Huelva, in southern Spain, bound for Port Talbot. In July, she was reported as “very much overdue”, and on the 1st August 1917 was formally listed with Lloyds as missing. Edgar, aged only 16, and the rest of the crew were presumed drowned.

SS Taplow was built as Talavera for the Scholefield Steam Shipping Co., Ltd., Newcastle, H. Scholefield & Son manager. Sold and renamed in 1916. SS Taplow was  torpedoed on the 14th June 1917, about 100 miles WSW of Bishop Rock by a German U Boat U 82 commanded by Kapitänleutnant Hans Adam, sunk with no survivors; vessel posted as missing. The sinking, which is not listed in Spindler’s official history, was attributed to U 82 by Michael Lowrey in 2020. The attack had been previously thought to have sunk the British steamer Highbury but the location presented difficulties upon closer examination. Highbury was instead sunk by U 66 west of Ireland on June 10th. The Taplow was carrying copper, copper ore, etc.

His father George Nelson Hastie also died in WW1.

Sources: The James Hoy Archive; The British Newspaper Archive; The National Archives; U Boat Net; Jennifer Stephenson;

Edgar Atheling Hastie is remembered at Harton on H104.03,  in our List of Ships’ Crews  and at Sunderland in S140.08,  part 8, page 171