William Richard Pyner was born in December 1864, baptised 11th January 1865 at Barking, the fifth child of six children of William Pyner, baptised 18th September 1835, died 1915 and his wife Sarah nee Porter,  born 1835, died 1917, they were married on the 22nd July 1856. They had 6 children.

On the 13th February 1877, at Hull, William became indentured in the Merchant Navy and signed up for twenty-one years. In 1881, he was a lodger at 11 Theobald Street, Clee with Weelsby, Grimsby.

William Richard Pyner married in 1892  Isabella Watson, [born 22nd December 1868, died 12th May 1943 at 33 Grey Street].

They had six children.

• Joseph Watson Pyner, born North Shields, 1892, died North Shields, 15th January 1894.

The Newcastle Daily Chronicle Saturday 20/01/1894 reported:-
The deputy coroner held an inquest on Monday 15th January 1894 at the Police Court, North Shields. Concerning the death of Joseph Watson Pyner, aged one year and seven months, son of William Richard and Isabella Pyner, 24 Beacon Street, who died the same morning, from the effects of burns. [Cause was a Paraffin Lamp Accident]. Mrs Pyner said her husband was a fisherman and was at sea. The accident happened shortly after 9 o’clock on Sunday night. Witness went to her mother’s house, leaving the child in bed, but not asleep. Her mother lived at 2 Toll Street, only a few yards away. There was a paraffin lamp on the table, which was only a few feet from the bed. The child could not reach the lamp from the bed. Witness was only absent for about four minutes, when some neighbours came and informed her that the child had been burnt. She saw a young man carrying the child downstairs, and it was taken to her mother’s house, where sweet oil and lime water were applied to the burns, which extended from the knees upwards, until the arrival of the doctor. [Dr Rowland].

William Fothergill said his attention was called to Pyner’s house by a cry of ‘Fire’ shortly after 9 o’clock on Sunday night. He ran upstairs and shouted ‘Is any one in?’ The child began to cry. Witness opened the door, and entered the room. The whole of the table was in a blaze, and the child, who was enveloped in flames, ran into a corner screaming. He rushed to the child, and wrapped his jacket around it, thus putting out the flames. He carried the child downstairs at once, and a neighbour took him his grandmother’s. Witness afterwards assisted to put out the fire in the room. A broken lamp was lying on the table. He was of opinion that the lamp had exploded. 

 The Jury returned a verdict of ‘Accidental death and requested the Deputy Coroner to reprimand the mother. Mr Rutherford, in reprimanding the mother, said she had shown gross carelessness in leaving the child without any person to look after it. She said she had only been four minutes away, but he believed she had been much longer absent, and hoped this would be a lesson that she would never forget.

• William Richard Pyner, born 22nd August 1894, died 14th September 1962, at 109 Regent Terrace, North Shields. He married  Annie Bailey, born 24th May 1896, died 1984, in 1915.  [They had 4 children. Mary Hannah Pyner, born 1915, died 1982. William Richard Pyner, born 1917, died 1990, P/KX 92976, Thomas Albert Pyner, born 2nd August 1919, and died on the 31st July 1940 onboard HMS Whitshed, as a Stoker First Class which struck a mine off Harwich in WW2, and Ronald, born 31st October 1927].

In 1921, William Richard Pyner was a passenger onboard the Trawler ‘Sleet’ ship number 139892, SM.46. A fish measurer for the Board of Agricultural and Fisheries. William Richard Pyner in 1939 was residing at 38 Lindsey Road, Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire.

• Albert Pyner, born 1902, died 1947. He married Edith Florence Burke, born 10th June 1900, died 1961, in 1922. They had six children, Emily Florence Pyner, born 28th August 1922, died 1976, Albert Richard Pyner, born 1927 died 2007, Edith Pyner, born 1928, died 1929, William Stanley Pyner, born 3rd April 1931, died 2003, Margaret Joan Pyner, born 9th February 1936, died 1968, she married a Hart, and one other. In 1939, they were residing at 1 Woodlea Crescent, Tynemouth,
• Joseph Watson Pyner, born January 1904, died 13th July 1940. He was educated at the Eastern and Kettlewell’s Schools. He served his apprenticeship at a Boilermakers [Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company]. In 1921, he was residing at 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields with his mother and brother and sister.  In 1926 he joined the trawlers and worked his way up until he secured his skipper’s certificate. He also was a member of the harrier’s section at North Shields Polytechnic Club.  Joseph married Bertha Davies, born 20th March 1907 died 1990. They had three children, Hylton Pyner, born 1934, died 21st November 2013, and two others. [Hylton was married to Shirley E Vinson, born 1933, died 2000].  Joseph was called up on the 18th September 1939 as a member of the Royal Naval Reserve. He was mortally wounded on board HMS Saon, ship number 163140. HMS Saon, (FY 159) was an Anti-Submarine [AWS] Trawler launched 11th May 1933. Taken over by the Admiralty in August 1939. The ship was bombed on the 13th July 1940 and the Skipper, Joseph, died of his wounds in hospital. He was involved in the evacuation of troops from Norway, where he was wounded, and Dunkirk, where his vessel was damaged by enemy action.On the 14th August 1921, he was a hero of a thrilling rescue at North Shields Fish Quay and his gallantry in diving in to the river resulted in rescuing a boy from drowning resulted in his being awarded the Royal Humane Society’s certificate on Vellum.  Joseph was residing at 83 Salisbury Avenue, Preston.

[1939-45 War Diary entry Friday, 12th/Saturday, 13th July 1940.  N314. Coastal shipping continued to provide worthwhile targets for the Luftwaffe. Minelaying was often the cause of a number of air raid warnings inland].

• Henry Pyner, born 3rd January 1911, died 1997. He was educated at the Eastern Council School. In 1921, he was residing at 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields.
• Isabella Pyner, born 7th September 1913, died 24th March 1994. She was educated at the Eastern Council School. She married  Arthur Wales, [born 27th August 1909, died 26th August 1990], in 1934. They had 4 children.  In 1939, they were residing at 38 Gonville Crescent, Ealing, London, Middlesex with three children. Arthur was a Short Instrument Air Conditioning worker.

In 1901, Wiliam and his family were residing at 24 Beacon Street, North Shields. By 1911, they were now residing at 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields. He was still working for the Fisheries Board.

William Richard Pyner was promoted to a Temporary Captain on the 6th July 1917 in Seniority.

The Rambler, ship number 105224, was blown up by a Mine, she was a hired trawler/fishing boat. Built 1898, by Cook Wellington and Gammell Hull owned by J Duncan & Sons Liverpool. Reg SN 247 North Shields 105 feet 4 inches x 20 feet 7 inches x 11feet 92grt. Armament: 1.6 pdr AA. Boom defence vessel. Requisitioned by the Admiralty in 1917/18, commissioned and flew white ensign; continued commercial fishing under naval control. She struck a mine and sank in the North Sea 4 miles east of Blyth with the loss of nine of her crew. William’s body was washed up ashore at Blackhall (near Peterlee).

The Shields Daily News 08/03/1918:
DEATHS. PYNER – Lost at sea, 26th Feb., 1918. William, dearly beloved husband of Isabella Pyner, 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields – Deeply mourned by his wife and family.

The Shields Daily News 11/03/1918:
NEWS OF LOCAL MEN. Killed and Wounded in Action. NORTH SHIELDS CAPTAIN DROWNED. Inquests were held on Saturday on Captain W. R. Pyner (51), of 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields, and Charles B. Vyse (46), of North Shields, whose bodies were washed ashore at Blackhall and Horden respectively. A verdict of “found drowned” was returned in each case.

Shields Daily News 11/03/1918:
DEATHS. PYNER. – In the North Sea off the trawler Rambler, on the 26th Feb., aged 51 years, William Richard, beloved husband of Isabella Pyner. Interment at Preston on Tuesday, leaving residence, 66 Charlotte Street, at 3 p.m. All friends kindly invited.

In 1921, Isabella Pyner was residing at 66 Charlotte Street, North Shields with Joseph Watson Pyner, who was an Apprentice Bolier Maker for Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Co Ltd, Henry Pyner and Isabella Pyner.

Isabella Pyner still a widow, was residing at 34 Grey Street, Tynemouth, Northumberland in 1939.

Isabella died 12th May 1943 at 33 Grey Street.

Sources: British Newspaper Archive; Lloyds Register; National Maritime Museum; National Archives; Naval History.net

William Richard Pyner is remembered at North Shields on N34.77, at Tynemouth in T36.14, page 36 and in our List of Ships’ Crews.