Pearson, George Henry

BORN HULL 28/03/1863. A MARINE ENGINEER. HE DROWNED, ON BOXING DAY 1915, AGED 52. HE MARRIED TWICE – TO EMMA LOUISE LAMB (1865-1906). THEY HAD EIGHT CHILDREN. HE THEN MARRIED, JENNIE  NORTON (1862-1929), AT SCULCOATES IN 1908. SHE LIVED AT 70 , LINNAEUS STREET, HULL. SON OF THE LATE WILLIAM PEARSON (1826-1870) AND HARRIET BURRIDGE (1823-1912). HULL MERCHANT NAVY RECORDS
The COTTINGHAM was bought in 1913 by James Little & Co., Glasgow, later of London and managed by Robt. L. Kemp of Belfast. On 2 July 1915 she was the first British merchant ship to sink a German submarine when she rammed and sank UC-2 off Yarmouth. Given that UC-2 had sailed on June 29th, it is very probable that she had already been destroyed by her own mines (likely about June 30) when the steamer hit her. The wreck was examined by Royal Navy divers, during the war and parts of UC-2 were raised.
On December 26th, 1915, the British steamer SS COTTINGHAM, on a voyage from Rouen to Swansea in ballast, was sunk by gunfire by the German submarine U-24 (Rudolf Schneider), 16 miles SW1/2W of Lundy Island, Bristol Channel. 7 persons were killed. Patrol boat SOAR picked up 6 crew.
PEOPLE ON BOARD SS COTTINGHAM
BENOKE, LAWRENCE HENRY (63), Seaman, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of the late John and Mary Benoke. Born at Pembroke, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
COOK, FRED (35), Second Engineer, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of Hannah Cook, and the late James Hilbert Cook; husband of Mary Cook (nee Linford), of 4, Massey St., Hull. Born at Hull, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
GRANT, NEIL (62), Second Mate, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of the late James and Catherine Grant (nee Munro); husband of Ethel Ellen Grant (nee Graham), of Sight Hill Cottage, Kyleakin, Inverness-shire. Born at Kyleakin, Skye, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
LEWIS, JOHN (60), Fireman, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of the late William and Elizabeth Lewis; husband of Sarah Lewis (formerly Bragg), of 37, Orange St., Swansea, Glam. Born at Carmarthen, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
MCPHAIL, ALEXANDER (21), First Mate, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of the late John and Elizabeth McPhail (nee Mitchell). Born at Campbeltown, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
PEARSON, GEORGE HENRY (52), First Engineer, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Son of the late William Pearson; husband of Jennie Pearson (nee Call), of 70, Linnus St., Hull. Born at Hull, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial
ROBERTS, RICHARD (63), Fireman, S.S. Cottingham, Mercantile Marine, †26/12/1915, Born at Swansea, Memorial: Tower Hill Memorial.