Transcript of the affidavit of Margaret Cleugh

In the Consistory Court of Durham

In the goods of William Cleugh, deceased

Appeared personally Margaret Cleugh of West
Hartlepool in the county of Durham widow and made oath
that the said William Cleugh her late husband
was Master and Sole Owner of a Ship or Vessel called
the "Palermo" of Shields which as this Deponent
verily believes sailed from the Port of Memel in
Prussia in the early part of the month of January
last laden with a cargo of Timber and bound to
Sunderland in this County. That as Deponent has
been informed and verily believes four shipwrecked
seamen named George Gibson, Joseph Bell, George
Storey and John Weslop, were on the fifteenth
day of January aforesaid, shipped by the British
Vice Consul at Memel on board the said Ship
as passengers to Great Britain. That as Deponent
has further been informed and verily believes the
said Ship Palermo passed Elsinore and cleared
at the Sound on the 31st day of January aforesaid
and proceeded on her voyage, at which time as
she verily believes all her crew consisting of
about eleven persons including Deponent's said
husband and also the said four shipwrecked
Seamen were on board and proceeded with her.
That the said Ship has not arrived at her
destination, and no further tidings were
heard until about the sixteenth day of April last

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/4]

when information was communicated to the Deponent
through the Registrar General of Seamen that on
the second day of March last a Pilot had
boarded a Vessel dismasted and waterlogged about
eight miles from the land off Kinn near Stavanger
on the coast of Norway; That the said Pilot found
in the forecastle of the said Ship the body of six
men on one of which was an English prayer Book
wherein was written "Joseph Bell, Scot Street,
Hull 1840." but nothing was found on the other
bodies whereby they could be identified, And by
a subsequent report it was stated that on one of
bodies was found a certificate of discharge
from the Ship "Halcyon" dated at Narvel on
the seventeenth day of December last, by which
it appeared that the holder's name was
"Joseph Bell". That as Deponent has since been
informed and verily believes the said Vessel afterwards
drifted into "Hofden", a port about eighty English
miles to the North of Bergen in Norway. And on
examination the name "Palermo" was found
painted on her stern and also cut on one of the
anchors, and the ironwork of the windlass was
marked ".I. ABBOT & CO. GATESHEAD." That
Deponent has been informed and verily believes that
the windlass work of the said Ship "Palermo" of which
her said husband was Master and Owner was

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/5]

manufactured by Messrs John Abbot & Co of
Gateshead in the County. And she further made
Oath that she does not know and does not believe
that any Vessel of the same name is missing or
lost and the Vessel which has drifted into Hofden
aforesaid is the same Vessel of which her said
husband was Master and Owner and she verily
believes that her said husband and all the
others of the crew and passengers on board the
said Ship "Palermo" except those whose bodies
were found as before deposed have been washed
overboard and were drowned or lost at sea, between the
thirty first day of January and the second day of
March in the present year. And she lastly made
oath that she has been informed and verily believes
that the said Vessel has been sold as wreck by the
authorities in or near Hofden aforesaid.

On the 30th day of May 1857 the
said Margaret Cleugh was duly
sworn to the truth of this affidavit
Before me John B Dykes, surrogate

Margaret Cleugh

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/6]

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Transcript of the administration bond of William Cleugh

Know all Men by these Presents that we, Margaret Cleugh of West Hartlepool in the County of Durham, Widow, Robert Cleugh of North Shields in the County of Northumberland Shipowner, and Edward Oliver of South Shields in the County of Durham Boat-builder are held and firmly bound unto the Right Reverend Father in God, CHARLES THOMAS, by Divine Permission, Lord Bishop of Durham, and to the Right Worshipful THOMAS EMERSON HEADLAM, Master of Arts, and one of Her Majesty's Council learned in the Law, his Vicar-General and Official Principal, lawfully constituted in the Penal Sum of Six Thousand Pounds, of good and lawful Money of GREAT BRITAIN, to be paid to the said Reverend Father in God, his said Official, or to their certain Attorney, their Executors, Administrators, or Assigns; To which Payment, well and truly to be made, we oblige ourselves, and each of us by her and himself, jointly and severally, for the whole, our and every of our Heirs, Executors, and Administrators, firmly by these Presents, sealed with our Seals, dated the thirtieth Day of May in the twentieth Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lady Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, and in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Fifty Seven.

THE CONDITION of this obligation is such, that if the above bounden Margaret Clough, Widow and relict, and Administratrix of all and singular the Goods, Chattels, Rights and Credits of William Cleugh late of West Hartlepool in the County and Diocese of Durham Master Mariner deceased do make or cause to be made a true and perfect Inventory of all and singular the Goods, Chattels, and Credits of the said Deceased, which have or shall come to the hands, possession, or knowledge of her the said Administratrix or into the hands and possession of any Person or Persons for her and the same so made, do exhibit or cause to be exhibited into the Registry of the Consistory Court at Durham, at or before the thirtieth Day of November next ensuing; and the said Goods, Chattels, and Credits and all other the Goods, Chattels, and Credits of the said Deceased, at the Time of his Death, which at any Time shall come to the hands or possession of the said Administratrix or to the hands of any other Person or Persons for her do well and truly administer according to law. And further do make or cause to be made, a true and just Account of her said Administration, at or before the thirtieth Day of May in the Year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and fifty eight. And all the Rest and Residue of the said Goods, Chattels, and Credits, which shall be found remaining upon the said Administratrixes Account, the same being first examined and allowed of by the Judge or Judges for the Time being of the said Court, shall deliver or pay unto such Person or Persons respectively, as the said Judge or Judges by his or their Decree or Sentence, pursuant to the true intent and meaning of a late Act of Parliament, made in the two and twentieth and three and twentieth Years of the Reign of our late Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second, intitled An Act for the better settling of Intestates' Estates, shall limit and appoint. And if it shall hereafter appear, that any Last Will and Testament was made by the said Deceased, and the Executor or Executors therein-named, do exhibit the same into the said Court, making request to have it allowed and approved of accordingly, if the said Administratrix above bounden, being there-unto required, do render and deliver the said letters of Administration, Approbation of such Testament being first had and made in the said Court, then this Obligation to be Void, or else to remain in full Force and Virtue.

Signed, sealed, and delivered by the said Margaret Cleugh (being first duly stamped) in the Presence of Thomas Jones

[Signed:] Margaret Cleugh

On the 30th day of May 1857 the said Margaret Cleugh the above named Administratrix was duly sworn as usual under £3,000. And that the Intestate died in or about the month of February 1857. Before me John B Dykes surrogate

Burrell & Son, Proctors

[Signed:] Robert Cleugh, Edward Oliver

[Marginal note:] [Administration dated 5th June 1857]

[Endorsed:] Signed sealed and delivered by the said Robert Cleugh and Edward Oliver in the presence of John Lamb, Notary Public, South Shields

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/1]

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Transcript of the schedule or declaration instead of an inventory of William Cleugh

In the consistory Court of Durham

In the goods of William Cleugh, deceased

A Schedule or declaration instead of an
Inventory of all and singular the goods
chattels and credits of William Cleugh late
of West Hartlepool in the County and Diocese
of Durham Master Mariner deceased
made by Margaret Cleugh Widow the
relict and Administratrix of all and singular
the goods chattels and credits of the said
deceased: -

Household furniture, Plate, Linen China &c.valued at	£49 7s 6d
Amount to be received for insurance on the Ship Palermo	£2,330 0s 0d
[Total:]	£2,379 7s 6d

On the fourth day of June 1857 the
above named Margaret Cleugh was
sworn to the above schedule or
declaration. Before me
S.B. Brasher
Surrogate

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/3]

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Transcript of the affidavit of Robert Cleugh and Edward Oliver

In the consistory Court of Durham

In the goods of William Cleugh deceased

Appeared personally Robert Cleugh
of North Shields in the county of Northumberland
shipowner and Edward Oliver of South
Shields in the county of Durham Boat-
builder, sureties on behalf of Margaret Cleugh
Widow the relict and administratrix of all
and singular the goods chattels and credits of
William Cleugh late of West Hartlepool in
the County and diocese of Durham master
Mariner deceased in the penal sum of Six
thousand pounds and severally made oath as
follows. And first the said Robert Cleugh
for himself made oath that he is worth in goods
and chattels and personal estate the sum of
Three thousand pounds after payment of all
his just debts And the said Edward Oliver
for himself made oath that he is worth in goods
and chattels and personal estate the sum of
Three thousand pounds after payment of all
his just debts

On the fourth day of June 1857Robert Cleugh
the said Robert Cleugh and
Edward Oliver were severally dulyEdward Oliver
sworn to the truth of this affidavit
Before me S.B. Brasher
Surrogate

[Ref: DPRI/3/1857/A98/2]

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