The headstone for William James Shimmin and James Shimmin is in the Churchyard of St. Andrew in Andreas. Both father and Son were lost at sea.
Both father and son were loss were lost as Sea.
The headstone is of white marble and has the dedication shown below in black lettering.
“In Loving Memory of
My Dear Husband
WILLIAM JAMES SHIMMIN
WHO WAS DROWNED RHTOUGH THE
FOUNDERING OF THE S.S. ELLAN VANNIN
ON DEC. 3RD 1909 IN HIS 37TH YEAR
AS EACH OF COULD NOT HAVE LIVED
TO KNOW THE OTHERS LOSS
I’M SATISFIED HE GAINED THE CROWN
AND I AM CHOSEN TO BEAR THE CROSS.
ALSO JAMES,
SON OF THE ABOVE,
LOST ON H.M. SUBMARINE “TRITON”
ON DEC. 18TH 1940, IN HIS 31ST YEAR.
THY WILL BE DONE
ALSO OF HIS MOTHER,
JESSIE LEE CRIX
DIED MARCH 31ST 1945,
IN HER 69TH YEAR.
REST IN PEACE
ALSO JOHN CRIX,
HUSBAND OF THE ABOVE,
DIED MARCH 25TH 1950,
IN HIS 76TH YEAR
RE-UNITED”
The S.S. Ellan Vannin departed from the quayside at Ramsey a little after 1 a.m. on the 3rd December 1909 upon her regular journey to Liverpool with an assorted cargo, fourteen passengers and twenty one crew members, including William James Shimmin. Prepared for an estimated journey of 7 to 8 hours, the ship set sail in a stiff North-Westerly with Captain Teare, a cautious master, at the helm. Within an hour and half the wind had increased to almost tornado force. She was last seen by the lookout on the Mersey Bar Lightship just before 7 a.m. During the remainder of 3rd December 1909 and the next day , wreckage of all kinds reached the banks of the Mersey, and on the following afternoon, the Ship was located. Three bodies were found inside; others were later washed ashore.
A full list of names of those loss can be found on Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Ellan_Vannin_(1883) )
An Isle of Man newspaper of the time reported the disaster as follows:
'In the terrific hurricane that prevailed on Friday of last week the S.S. Ellan Vannin, of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company's fleet, went down with all hands, in some thirty feet of water (at low water), about a mile or more on the Liverpool side of the Mersey Bar.' (Source: Isle of Man Times, December 11th, 1909)
William James worked in the Engine Department of the S. S. Ellan Vannin as a Fireman. He and his family at the time of the disaster lived at 11 Waterloo Road in Ramsey. The family later lived in Mona Street. William James memorial headstone is in the Churchyard of St. Andrew in Andreas.
At the suggestion of Lord Raglan, the Lieutenant Governor at the time, the Ellan Vannin Disaster Fund was instigated, boosted by a generous £1,000 donation by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Fundraising events around the world contributed much to the Fund, and by spring of 1910 stood at almost £13,000.
From the wrecksite.eu website:
The last report from HMS Triton was that she was going to “finish off”, Olimpia, an Italian cargo vessel that has sent out a distress call on December 6th 1940.
Triton is supposed to have been lost to a mine in the Strait of Otranto. Italian sources however, claim that she was the victim of torpedo boats Confienza of Clio. (Triton was declared lost with all hands on 18 December 1940).
James Shimmin was a Leading Seaman on board HMS Triton when she was loss. James Shimmin's name appears on the Plymouth Naval Monument (grave reference: Panel 37, Column 1).
Source: (
visit link)
Source: (
visit link)
Source: "Shining By The Sea- A History of Ramsey 1800 - 1914": Constance Radcliffe
Source: (
visit link)
Source: (
visit link)
Source: (
visit link)