Benalbanach

[Jeni Howarth]

Hi all
I'm hoping I can get some help here to solve a mystery. I am researching my family ancestry and found a bag of photos at my parent's house. There is a small photograph amongst them of a ship called Benalbanach. I have managed to ascertain that it is not the ship of the same name that was destroyed in 1943. After that I have no clue as to its identification (I believe there were 2 or 3 more ships of the same name through to the 1970's). I don't even know why the photograph is in our possession and maybe need to find crew lists to see if a family member is connected. I don't know how to go about this so any help at all would be greatly appreciated!
My family do have connections to the Merchant Navy, but I am pretty sure this is not the same family thread.
I know this sounds a bit vague so if there is any other information I could supply please let me know.
Many thanks - in anticipation!

Jeni Howarth

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Jenny
Thanks for the Question.
Yes this Pic you post is for a more Modern Ship than the Original one .
Is there any names in the Family that you can give here that may have been in the Merchant Navy?
Need the Full name and possible Year and Place of Birth.
With that we can then proceed to look and see if there are any connections
Cheers

[Jeni Howarth]

Thank you so much for your quick reply! The only family member that I know of that was in the Merchant Navy was my great grandfather Neils Peter Christensen. he died at sea off the coast of Acapulco and so I presume was buried at sea. That was in 1920.
He took his 2 sons to sea when they were teenagers - my grandfather Albert Edward Christensen did return to the UK and was married here. Also his brother, another Neils Peter Christensen jumped ship in Canada and settled there.
I'm not sure there is a link to them and Benalbanach because of the dates.
Other family names could be McNeilage from Scotland, McBride from Ireland, Wakefield who were (and still are) cotton graders. I really am clutching at straws and was hoping I'd be able to view crew lists to see if a name looked familiar!
Many thanks for your time

[Doc Vernon]

Hello Jeni
Kust a start on this , i find that your G/Granddad was on the Ship Talaralite when he died.(Stoppage of Urine Flow) So at this point nothing to do with the Ship Mentioned. Died on October 15th 1920
He was a Steward aboard the Ship at that time . British Naturalized. Living at that time in Liverpool UK.
Adress looks like Sacony (Saxcony) Road Kensington Liverpool UK

So on we go on searching for a Link to the Ship in Question.


Talaralite - (1918-1920) (aukevisser.nl)

Talaralite

1918 Talaralite 1963
Steel tanker
Built at Collingwood ON by Collingwood Shipbuilding Co., Hull 50
Launched Oct 18, 1917
259’3” LOA, 250’ LBP, 43’11” beam, 25’ depth
2 decks, oil-fired boilers, triple expansion engine, 1023 IHP
Enrolled at Toronto ON
250.0 x 43.8 x 23.5, 2631 GT, 1394 NT Can 137907 to:
International Petroleum Co., Toronto ON (home port Toronto ON)
Entered service 1918
Transferred 1920 to Imperial Oil Ltd., Toronto ON (home port to Sarnia ON)
Served both on and off the Great Lakes during her career
Renamed Imperial Midland 1947
Sold fall1952 to Reoch Transports Ltd., and renamed Willowdale.1953.
Converted to a bulk freighter 1953 at Port Dalhousie ON by Port Dalhousie Dry Docks Ltd.
Remeasured to 2335 GT, 1356 NT
Sold for scrap 1963 to Ship Repair and Supply Ltd., Toronto ON and scrapped at Toronto
See history in Detroit Marine Historian April 1965 (#157)
Also in Great Lakes Ships We Remember p. 397

[Doc Vernon]

From 1940 through to 1975 there were Six such Names.

Perhaps one of these two may come into play?
Cheers

Ship in Question.JPG

Empire Athelstan 1946 (tynebuiltships.co.uk)

BENALBANACH 1957.jpg Built 1957

[Doc Vernon]

Thank you so much for your quick reply! The only family member that I know of that was in the Merchant Navy was my great grandfather Neils Peter Christensen. he died at sea off the coast of Acapulco and so I presume was buried at sea. That was in 1920.
He took his 2 sons to sea when they were teenagers - my grandfather Albert Edward Christensen did return to the UK and was married here. Also his brother, another Neils Peter Christensen jumped ship in Canada and settled there.
I'm not sure there is a link to them and Benalbanach because of the dates.
Other family names could be McNeilage from Scotland, McBride from Ireland, Wakefield who were (and still are) cotton graders. I really am clutching at straws and was hoping I'd be able to view crew lists to see if a name looked familiar!
Many thanks for your time

Have you any first Names and DOB, YEAR WILL HELP TOO.
C heers

[Jeni Howarth]

Thank you for the above information about my great grandfather. I had located crew lists for Talaralite last year on Ancestry and discovered the ship coordinates where he died/was buried. Very interesting but also sad. I think he probably had prostate cancer as it has reared its ugly head since in our family. Also of interest was that when I tried to track down his widow Priscilla, she was hard to find. This was because she had remarried the following year I think. It must have been tough for everyone in those days - the sailor at sea but also the family left behind. I guess she remarried for security for her family. Other members of the family lived in the same street (Saxony Road) in Liverpool so hopefully they were support for each other.
I knew my great grandfather wouldn't have been on Benalbanach as he died some years prior to this ship being made - hence trying to look for other family names onboard.
As Taralite seemed to operate around the Great Lakes I'm wondering whether or not it was a different part of my family - hence the other names I've given as possibilities. I think Benalbanach operated around Scotland? I have family who lived in Rothsea so whether or not they are significant to this boat or not, I don't know. Is it possible to obtain crew lists?

[Jeni Howarth]

Unfortunately I don't even know if a family member was onboard Benalbanach. It was only after finding the photo yesterday that I looked the ship up but realised it couldn't have been my great grandfather as he died in 1920. I do have Scottish and Irish family but don't know if any of them were in the Merchant Navy. Surnames are McNeilage, McBride and Wakefield.
I was just wondering if crew lists were available to the public?

[Doc Vernon]

Hi Jeni
Finding Crew lists for that Ship especially if it was or is the later one , is very hard and i think possibly only the one in 1946 may be available in the Southampton Maritime Archives!
You may have to look them up and Email them to ask!
The other one in 1957 , i think is a dead end ! But who knows!
Again the Question should be put to the National Archives in Kew, again an Email to them may bring some light !
Cheers

The following site may have Crew lists for the Ship that was Built in 1940.
Cheers

Crew List Index Project

[Bryan Portwig]

BENCRAUCHAN 2.5.1973 DAMAGE (2).jpgBENCRAUCHAN 2.5.1973 DAMAGE (1).jpgBENCRAUCHAN 2.5.1973 DAMAGE (3).jpg