BORN HULL 12/06/1895. SON OF HENRY HOLDER (1852-1932) & EMILY BLAKESTON (1858-1938), OF 8 ASH AVENUE, SUBWAY STREET, HULL. ONE OF TEN CHILDREN. HE HAD FIVE BROTHERS AND FOUR SISTERS. WORKED AS A LABOURER. SERVED IN THE MERCHANT NAVY. LOST BY ENEMY ACTION, ON 19/04/1917, AGED 22. UNMARRIED. HIS NAME IS RECORDED IN THE HULL MERCHANT NAVY RECORDS. HIS OLDER BROTHER, WALTER HOLDER WAS LOST ON THE TRAWLER ‘COMMANDER BOYLE’ ON 23/08/1915, AGED 31. HE LIVED AT 70 MANCHESTER STREET AND IS PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE HULL TIMES, ON 28/08/1915. *
Sowwell S/S was a 3,781 gross ton cargo steamer, length 340ft x beam 49.6ft, one funnel, two masts, single screw, speed 10 knots.
Built 1900 by Wm. Gray & Co, West Hartlepool as the KENLEY for Middleton, Houlder & Co, London.
1913 purchased by Roth Bros (Atlantic Traders Ltd), London renamed SOWWELL,
1914 purchased by Furness, Withy & Co. On 19th Apr.1917 she was torpedoed and sunk by U-35 while 170 miles west of Gibraltar on passage Sagunto to the Clyde with a cargo of iron ore. She sank at once and all 21 crew were lost.
People on board SS SOWWELL123 1. ANDERSON, ALEXANDER IRELAND (24), Second Engineer, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Margaret Smith Anderson, of 109, Talbot Rd., South Shields, and the late James Anderson. Born at Dundee, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 2. BLACKIE (42), Fireman, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Born at Dundee, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 3. CHANG KEE , Cook, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Memorial: Hong Kong Memorial 4. COSER, THOMAS WILLIAM (36), Boatswain, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Mrs. Coser, of 8, Abbey Terrace, Whitby, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 5. DANIELS, CHARLES (45), Lance Corporal (no. PO/8400), SS Sowwell, Royal Marine Light Infantry Royal Marines Reserve, †19/04/1917, Son of John and Ellen Daniels, of New Barn, Racton, Emsworth, Hants. Service: RMR/B/1469, Memorial: Portsmouth Naval Memorial 6. DENLEY, JOHN CHARLES (34), Chief Engineer, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, °1882 ~ †19/04/1917, Son of Joseph and the late Mary Ann Denley; husband of Grace Denley (nee Eddy), of 45, Market Jew St., Penzance, Cornwall. Born at Penzance, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 7. DRACOTOS, SOTIRIOS LAMBROS (23), Fourth Engineer Officer, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Maria L. Dracotos (nee Diaconichita), of Symi, Aegean Island, and the late Lambros Dracotos. Born at Symi, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 8. FLOWER, WILLIAM (46), Chief Officer, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, °1870 ~ †19/04/1917, Son of Eleanor Flower and the late James Flower; husband of Florence Caroline Flower (nee Tozeland), of 123, Colworth Rd., Leytonstone, London. Born at Poplar, London, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 9. GREENFIELD, WILLIAM THOMAS (54), Donkeyman, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of William Thomas and Jane Greenfield; husband of Mary Hannah Greenfield, of 27, High Keversham St., Middlesbrough. Born at Thornaby-on-Tees, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 10. HARRISON, ERNEST MORELAND (17), Assistant Steward, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Thomas and Jane Ann Harrison, of 51, Hind St., Stockton-on-Tees. Born at Seaton Snook, West Hartlepool, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 11. HOLDEN, ROBERT (35), Fireman and Trimmer, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, (Served as NIXON). Son of Thomas and the late Isabella Holden; husband of the late Mary Isabella Holden. Born at North Shields, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 12. HOLDER, ARTHUR (22), Fireman, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Henry and Emily Holder (Nee Blakeston), of 8, Ash Avenue, Subway St., Hull, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 13. JONES, FRANK (15), Ordinary Seaman, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, °1902 ~ †19/04/1917, Son of Frederick and Louisa Jones, of 3, Whittle’s Yard, Garbut St., Middlesbrough. Born at East Hartlepool, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 14. JOSEPH, JOHN (31), Steward, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Mrs. Celindo Harry, of Garden No. 22, Ingham St., Slave Island, Colombo, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 15. MCKAY, ALEXANDER NEIL (21), Third Engineer, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Alexander and Matilda McKay (nee Hansen), of 41, Sixth Avenue, Maylands, Perth, Western Australia. Born at Melbourne, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 16. ROBINSON (21), Sailor, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Born in U.S.A, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 17. ROSE, JOSHUA (19), Sailor, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Ellen Dooley (formerly Rose), of 37, Princess St., Chester, and the late Joshua Rose. Born at Waterloo, Ashton-under-Lyne, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 18. TURNER, ALFRED EDWARD (30), Second Officer, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Elizabeth, and the late James William Turner; husband of Catherine Minnie Turner (nee Smith), of 14, Valentine Rd., Ilford, Essex. Born at Bristol, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 19. WALTON, ALEXANDER FREDERIC (54), Master, Mercantile Marine Medal 1914-1918, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, °1863 ~ †19/04/1917, Son of the late Alexander Walton, Mus. Bac., Oxon, F.R.C.O., and Florence Walton; husband of Nellie Walton, M.B.E., of 58, Bishops Mansions, Fulham, London, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 20. WATSON, THOMAS HENRY (31), Sailor, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of the late Thomas and Caroline Watson. Born at Robin Hood’s Bay, Yorks, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial 21. WRIGHT, ERNEST WILLIAM (17), Mess Room Steward, SS Sowwell, Mercantile Marine, †19/04/1917, Son of Nicholas William and Mary Wright, of Heath Cottage, North Ormesby, Yorks, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial Read more at wrecksite: https://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?139003
