Tynemouth, Francis Molison

A small wooden 146 ton British coastal steamer registered in Dundee, 27.58m long, 6.55m beam, 3.53m draught. She was built in 1881 by C. Gent at Plymouth and owned at the time of loss by J.M Allison. Her twin bronze propellers were powered by a diesel/oil engine, built by W. Beardmore & Co. Ltd. At Glasgow. On 3 February 1920, this little coastal steam was on passage from Grangemouth for Dieppe, under the command of Captain J.O. Taylor, when it is believed she foundered and was lost after developing a serous leak in heavy weather, five and a half miles eat of the River Tyne.

The wreck lies orientated in a north-east to south-west direction on a dirty sand seabed in a general depth of 50m. She has now totally collapsed and is well broken up, with the highest section of her structure around the boiler/engine standing only 2m. Her anchor and a pile of chain lie towards the bows, but most of her wooden hull and twin propellers now lie buried in the sand, with just the tip of one of the blades showing above it.
Built: 1881
Propulsion: 2 x screw, oil eng.
Builder: C Gent
Where Built: Plymouth
Owner: J M Allison
Master: J Taylor

Grid reference conversion made 23.11.2010 with http://gps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/etrs89geo_natgrid.asp with Lat/Long referenced as N 55 00 453 W 001 15 002