Peter Hudson (1837 - 1872)

Born 29 Jan 1837 in Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Appleton — married 7 Jan 1864 in Liverpool, All Saints, Lancashire, England

Descendants

Died Feb 1872 at age 35 in At Sea

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Douglas German [send private message]

Biography

http://hudsonjourneys.blogspot.co.uk/p/peter-hudson-1837-1872.html as accessed on October 2014, 2016:

PETER HUDSON was born in Liverpool, England on January 29, 1837, and was lost at sea in February, 1872. He was the oldest son of John and Sarah Thompson Hudson. On January 7, 1864 Peter married Martha Appleton at All Saints church in Liverpool:

[image of marriage bann]

On February 20, 1869 Peter was appointed Master of the merchant brig Napier. The Napier was a two-masted ship with a cargo capacity of 273 tons and a crew of nine or ten men. Her official ships number was 38760. Peter's Master's Certificate was No. 23133.

Peter first went to sea as an Apprentice at age 16, in 1853. He passed the competency examination for Second Mate in 1860, for First Mate in 1864, and for Master in 1865. Peter's Certificate of Competency as a Ship's Master:

[image of:

Peter Hudson's 1865 Certificate of Competency as a Ship's Master. The original is in the Maritime Museum Archives at Greenwich, UK.

The Napier was used for trade between Liverpool, the West Indies (Caribbean) and the southern United States. The South was in desperate need of manufactured goods and equipment to rebuild following the Civil War, and England needed cottonseed oil to replace the declining supply of whale oil. Peter completed two such voyages in 1871, and sailed from Liverpool for a third time on October 16, 1871.

This is a photo of a similar sized ship tied up at a dock warehouse in Liverpool in September 2012. (This ship was built in 1903.) The Napier would have appeared similarly as cargo was loaded and unloaded to her from these same Liverpool warehouses.

[photo of a ship]

This is the entry in the 1870 Lloyd's Captains List for the brig Napier:

On her final voyage, the Napier left Liverpool on October 16, 1871, "on a Voyage from Liverpool to Antigua, and any ports/places in the West Indies, South America, Gulf of Mexico, and United States, and back to a final port of discharge in the United Kingdom [illegible] not to exceed 12 months." She had a crew of nine men: a mate, a bosun, a cook, and six able-bodied seamen. They ranged in age from 19 to 40:

Peter Hudson, Master, age 34, Liverpool Daniel Thomas(?), Mate, age 24, Carmarthen John Francis Avery, Bosun, age 27, Penzance George Robert Benjamin, Cook, age 22, [Illegible] Robert Thomas, Able Seaman, age 27, Jamaica Frederick Malcom, Able Seaman, age 23, Jamaica Thomas Casey, Able Seaman, age 40, United States Anthony Christian, Able Seaman, age 31, Antigua Enoch Davies, Able Seaman, age 19, Holyhead Joseph Edward Lauds(?), Able Seaman, age 19, Liverpool

According to the Lloyd's List entry for Dec. 28, 1871 (original at Kew), the Napier arrived in Antigua on December 1, 1871.

New York Herald sailing notices for the Napier's departure from Savannah and arrival at Fernandina (click on image to enlarge):

According to the NY Herald, she left Savannah, Georgia on January 19, 1872, and arrived at Fernandina Island (now Amelia Island), Florida on January 24, 1872. Her arrival at Fernandina is also reported in the Lloyd's List entries for February 17, 1872. Lloyd's List for March 5, 1872 reported the Napier was cleared (to leave) Fernandina on February 6.

On February 6 Peter wrote to Martha that he hoped to leave Fernandina in time to be home for her birthday in February.

The Napier, loaded with cotton seed, sailed from Fernandina for Liverpool on February 10, 1872; that was the last she was heard from. In March she was reported as missing, and on June 28 1872 the Napier was officially declared lost at sea with all hands...except for Robert Thomas, whom Peter had discharged in Savannah.

Lloyd's List entry for June 13, 1872:

On August 19, Martha received a Letter of Administration for Peter's estate, because he died without a will:

Letter of Administration to Martha Hudson

Peter and Martha's children were John (b. Apr 25, 1865, d. Aug 20, 1950), Charlotte (b.1866, d. Feb 10, 1911), Peter (b.1868, d. Sept 13, 1877) and Alfred (b.1871, d. after 1911). They were orphaned when Martha died of tuberculosis on September 14, 1874.

The family lived at 53 Eastlake Street in Everton, Liverpool. In 2012 this is now a neighborhood of post-World War II single family houses. Much of Liverpool was destroyed by German bombing during WWII in an attempt to hamper the operation of the port.

Peter's son John emigrated to Argentina in 1892.

John transcribed his father's final letter to Martha as follows, but the July date is wrong. It's certainly a misreading of an abbreviation for February, as the Napier was cleared from Fernandina, Florida on February 6 and actually sailed on February 10:

Brig- "Napier" Fernandina. 6th July (18)72

My dear Martha.

I am writing you again, but not getting any in return, but it cannot be helped, thinking of the wild goose chase I have had since I left you, but thank God I have got finished loading today and cleared and will sail for home the first opportunity. I am quite well, but have plenty of hard work to try and get along in this country.

I hope you and the children are all quite well and kiss them all for me.

Dear Martha I have not much news to send you as I have wrote you so often lately, please to give my kind regards to all enquiring friends, and tell them if I was staying much longer in yankee land, the(n) I would soon begin to guess, however I am wishing myself out of it as quick as possible. I think I may sail tonight, or in the morning. I should like to be home for your birthday if I could, as you only have one in four years. The parrot is still alive and well and well I hope you are taking care of the birds.

I have met very nice people here, the parties that chartered the ship in particular, they are English people and will be coming to L.Pool this summer and will call to see us.

I now conclude with hoping to get home soon and safe. I remain your loving and affectionate Husband.

Peter Hudson

John's note at the bottom of this transcription:

My father was lost at sea in 1872, he was 37 years old, my mother died in September 1874, aged 35 years. John Hudson was 9 years old, when he was left an orphan.

John is incorrect about Peter's being 37 years old when he disappeared; all the British sources and Peter's own handwriting agree that he was born in 1837 and was 34 years old in October, 1871.

Peter's letter implies that Martha was a leap-year baby (born on February 29, 1840; 1872 was also a leap year), but Martha's baptism record and death certificate say she was born on February 25. Lending weight to February 25 being correct is that she gave that date of death for Peter when she applied in August to administer his estate, it being unknown what day he actually died.

Name

Name: Peter /Hudson/^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Birth

Birth:

Date: 1837

Place: England^[6]

Death

Death:

Date: Feb. 1872

Place: At Sea^[7]

Marriage

Husband: Peter Hudson

Wife: Martha Appleton

Child: John Hudson

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Charlotte Hudson

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Peter Hudson

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Child: Alfred Henry Hudson

Relationship to Father: Natural

Relationship to Mother: Natural

Marriage:

Date: 07 Jan 1864

Place: Liverpool, All Saints, Lancashire, England^[8][9][10]

Sources

1. ↑ Source: #S-178351520 Page: Liverpool Record Office; Reference Number: 283 ALS/3/2 APID: 1,2197::1723007
2. ↑ Source: #S-178351517 APID: 1,9852::18608630
3. ↑ Source: #S-178350973 APID: 1,2271::498593
4. ↑ Source: #S-178588583 APID: 1,1904::2073930
5. ↑ Source: #S-164382715 APID: 1,9841::84995721
6. ↑ Source: #S-178350973 APID: 1,2271::498593
7. ↑ Source: #S-178588583 APID: 1,1904::2073930
8. ↑ Source: #S-178700114 Page: Film #1656198 Pages 232-464
9. ↑ Source: #S-178351520 Page: Liverpool Record Office; Reference Number: 283 ALS/3/2 APID: 1,2197::1723007
10. ↑ Source: #S-178351517 APID: 1,9852::18608630

• Source: S-164382715 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,9841::0
• Repository: R-797502548 Name: Ancestry.com
• Source: S-178350973 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: UK and Ireland, Masters and Mates Certificates, 1850-1927 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,2271::0
• Source: S-178351517 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: England, Select Marriages, 1538–1973 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,9852::0
• Source: S-178351520 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: Liverpool, England, Marriages and Banns, 1813-1921 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc. APID: 1,2197::0
• Source: S-178588583 Repository: #R-797502548 Title: England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966 Author: Ancestry.com Publication: Ancestry.com Operations Inc APID: 1,1904::0