Captain George Rochester

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Captain George Rochester about 1908

Captain George Rochester
1874 - 1950

The following was written by Capt. George Rochesters daughter Hetty about her visit to South Georgia on the 'Sound of Jura' in January 1916.

South Georgia

'A glowing ball of flame rising from the depths of the ocean, & a shadowy grey-black mass of rock coming slowly into view in the first flushed glimmering of an Antarctic dawn. This was my impression of South Georgia, about which we are hearing so much just now, as I first saw it from the poop of a windjammer at 2am on 6th January 1916. To the lover of the solitary & awesome in nature, South Georgia appears with a strange, inspiring attraction. There is something in the grandeur of the snow clad hills, rising up sheer from the sea to a height in some places of 5,000ft, which grips & holds one, & creates a bond of affection which is not easily snapped'.
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'Yes, South Georgia has a charm which is all its own. May its eternal snows lie lightly on the grave of the gallant spirit soon to be laid to rest there'.
(written February 14th 1922)

Both Capt. Rochester & Hetty would have had great personal interest in Sir Ernest Shackleton. When Shackleton, Worsley & Crean, reached civilisation at Stromness at the end of their incredible journey from Elephant Island, they were housed & made welcome by the same Capt. Sorlle with whom Hetty & her father were so well acquainted.
The whaler 'Southern Sky', which was used by Shackleton on his first rescue attempt, was well known to them, as it had been at Port Alexander during their two month stay in 1915, & had helped tow them to Cape Town. 'Southern Sky' was also one of the whalers working from Prince Olaf Harbour during their visit in 1916.
And of course Capt. Rochester had personally entertained the famous Australian photographer from the Endurance expedition, Frank Hurley, on the 29th & 30th March 1917, when Hurley had returned to South Georgia on a filming expedition. While he was on a sortie on the whale catcher 'Mathilde', Frank Hurley had enjoyed meals and played euchre with Capt. Rochester, and had been given an inspection tour of the new whaling station under construction while sharing the moorings at Prince Olaf Harbour with the 'Sound of Jura'. No doubt Frank Hurley would have been much respected by Capt. Rochester, and, having read in some of Frank Hurley's diary his respect for seamanship, the 15 year career of Capt. Rochester as a Master of windjammers, would have meant the respect was mutual.

Seven consecutive annual voyages to South Georgia
And so such a bond of affection must have existed between Capt. Rochester & South Georgia. After making his first voyage on the 'Sound of Jura' in the 1911-12 season, he made a further six trips in the subsequent seasons, his last ending in 1918.
He signed off the 'Sound of Jura' at Birkenhead on 11 Aug 1918 but was apparently re-engaged to deliver her to the Irvin & Johnson Co. at Cape Town in 1919.
Like one of his employers, Carl Ossian Johnson, George Rochester had run away to sea at 12 yrs old, working as a cabin boy, assumedly on sailing ships. He was issued with his Master's Certificate (No. 029629) at South Shields in 1900 at the relatively young age of 26yrs. This was the beginning of a career on the tall ships of the time, which was to last almost 20 years, when he finally left the 'Sound of Jura' in 1919.

Silverdale
State Library of Victoria

January 1901 - 2nd or 3rd Mate on the 'Silverdale' ON 101832
Trading - general Foreign.

May 1901 - Master of the 'Lakemba' ON 90034
Captain Rochester was Master of the 'Lakemba' probably until 1908. Trading - Brazil, River Plate. - Cape, Ascension, St. Helena, Algoa Bay, Natal. - China, Japan and Oriental Archipelago. - Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand. - South Pacific and West Coast of S. America.
She apparently sunk in Feb 1912 - no details.

Lakemba
State Library of Victoria

Lakemba's crew rescued by the 'Kitty' Feb 1912
State Library of Victoria

Lakemba
From an oil painting in possession of Queenie's daughter Gillian Anderson

Lakemba
State Library of Victoria

Tasmania
State Library of Queensland

July 1908 - Master of the 'Tasmania' ON 93330
'Tasmania' was involved in a collision later in 1908 - no details. Trading - Coasting Trade, including Coasts of Holland, Belgium, and France from River Elbe to Brest. Was broken up in 1933.

Tasmania
State Library of Victoria

June 1909 - Master of the 'Celestial Empire' ON 77006
Trading - South Pacific and West Coast of S. America.

Celestial Empire
State Library of Victoria

Celestial Empire of London
State Library of Victoria

Celestial Empire
State Library of Victoria

Celestial Empire
State Library of Queensland

July 1911 - Master of the 'Sea Bird' ON 70743
Trading - Baltic, Norway, White Sea, Gulf of Finland, The Cattegat.

October 1911 - Master of the 'Sound of Jura' ON 105977
Full details on the 'Sound of Jura' page. Trading - United States (Atlantic and Gulf Ports), - Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, - Africa, West Coast, Canaries, Cape de Verds, - Brazil, River Plate.

Sound of Jura at Birkenhead - probably 1918
This postcard image was provided by Peter Henderson of Nothumberland, whose father was Sound of Jura carpenter for the 1911-12 & 1912-13 voyage to South Georgia

September 1919 - Master of the 'John C. Meikle' ON 137359
The 'John C. Meikle' was a steam trawler operating in South Africa. Fishing - Cape, Ascension, St. Helena, Algoa Bay, Natal.

January 1920 - Mate of the 'Backworth' ON 142837
'Backworth' - built 1919 - 2481 tons - Port of Registry, Newcastle. A steamer belonging at the time to Dalgleish Steam Shipping Co. of Newcastle. Trading - France south of Brest, Portugal, Spain outside Straits of Gibralter, Azores, & general Foreign.

SS Farnworth
State Library of Victoria

August 1921 - Mate of the 'Farnworth' ON 140672
'Farnworth' - built 1917 - 5791 tons - Port of Registry, Newcastle. A steamer belonging at the time to Dalgleish Steam Shipping Co. of Newcastle. Trading - United States (Atlantic and Gulf Ports) & West Indies, Vera Cruz, Belize, and Caribbean Sea.

February 1922 - Master of the 'Plawsworth' ON 144891
'Plawsworth' - built 1920 - 1489 tons - Port of Registry, Newcastle. A steamer belonging at the time to Dalgleish Steam Shipping Co. of Newcastle. Trading - France south of Brest, Portugal, Spain outside Straits of Gibralter, Azores.

October 1923 - Master of the 'Ben Holden' ON 133642
'Ben Holden' - built 1914 - 197 tons. A steam trawler, probably similar to the 'Nerine' (below). Fishing - Cape, Ascension, St. Helena, Algoa Bay, Natal.

October 1925 - Master of the 'Nerine' ON 144828
'Nerine' - built 1925 - 197 tons. A steam trawler belonging to Irvin & Johnson, S. Africa Ltd. Fishing - Cape, Ascension, St. Helena, Algoa Bay, Natal.

February 1926 - Mate of the 'Sheaf Garth' ON 145456
Trading - America, North. British Territory, Greenland, Iceland.

November 1926 - Mate of the 'Sheaf Crest' ON 148097
'Sheaf Crest' - built 1924 - 2730 tons. A steamer belonging to Sheaf Steam Shipping Co. & W.A. Souter & Co. Ltd. Port of Registry, Newcastle. Trading - America, North. British Territory, Greenland, Iceland.

April 1927 - Mate of the 'Wynding' ON 145486
'Wynding' - built 1922 - 1149 tons. Owned by W.A. Souter & Co. Ltd. Trading - Mediterranean, Black Sea, Sea of Azof, Adriatic & Baltic, Norway, White Sea, Gulf of Finland, The Cattegat..

April 1928 - Mate of the 'Fifetown' ON 148097
'Fifetown' - operated from Britain between 1901 & 1929. Trading - Coastal trade & France south of Brest, Portugal, Spain outside Straits of Gibralter, Azores.

Sources & acknowledgements
Australian National Maritime Museum
Mrs Rhona Casson - grandaughter of Capt. George Rochester