John Gray (master mariner)
John Gray | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 8 December 1819  Unst |
| Died | 25 November 1872 (aged 52) Atlantic Ocean |
| Occupation | Master mariner |
John Gray (8 December 1819 – 25 November 1872) was a Scottish
Early life
Gray, was born on 8 December 1819 at Valand, Westing,
He went to sea at a young age, initially joining the Eagle Line.[6]
Career
Gray progressed to commanding ships for
In 1869 a passenger wrote that he was:[2]
the popular commander of a popular ship, deservedly esteemed for his tact and judgement. He knew how to handle his ship, his crew and his passengers
Death
On his two penultimate voyages to Australia and back, Gray, according to subsequent newspaper reports:[6]
suffered severely from liver and stomach complaint, brought on by pure anxiety to maintain the reputation of his ship in the strong competition with the London steam clippers
On 25 November 1872, thirty days into another return voyage from Melbourne to Liverpool,[12] Gray complained of pain in his bowels and returned to his cabin. Near midnight he was seen walking towards the ship's deck. The next morning, he could not be found, and one of the transom windows at the ship's stern was open, having been locked the night before.[2] The letter he had been seen writing that night could not be found.[2]
Since there was no way to send a message ashore, his wife Mary Ann (née Jamieson) only found out that she was a widow when she and one of their daughters met the ship upon its arrival in Liverpool in January 1873.[2][6] His death was reported on the front pages of newspapers in the United Kingdom and in Australia.[2]
In fiction
The novel Revenge My Death by Bill Jackman tells an invented story of Gray's disappearance being due to him being kidnapped by a passenger.[13]
References
- ^ Reid, Alexander (1862). The Cabinet, or a Repository of Facts, Figures and Fancies relating to the Voyage of the "Great Britain" SS. Melbourne: J. Reid.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Captain Gray's Disappearance". SS Great Britain Trust. Archived from the original on 4 December 2017. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ a b "Captain John GRAY b. 8 Dec 1819 Valand, Lund, Unst, SHI, SCT d. 26 Nov 1872 At sea: Shetland Family History". Bayanne. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ a b c "Captain Gray Facts". SS Great Britain Trust. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d "John Gray". The Mercury. Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. 3 January 1873.
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ "SS Great Britain : Brunel's ss Great Britain".
- ^ Walker, Ron (24 July 2014). "Author Bill solves mystery of SS Great Britain captain". Weston Mercury. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
External links
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| National | |