{{Short description|Manx merchant navy officer (1872–1909)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox person |honorific_prefix = Captain |name = James Teare |honorific_suffix = |image = Capt. James Teare of the RMS Ellan Vannin..JPG |caption = |birth_date = {{birth date|1872|8|6|df=y}} |birth_place = Peel, Isle of Man |death_date = {{death date and age|1909|12|3|1872|8|6|df=y}} |death_cause = Drowned as a result of the foundering of the RMS ''Ellan Vannin''; body washed ashore on Ainsdale Beach, January 1910 |death_place = Liverpool Bay |occupation = Ship captain |employer = Isle of Man Steam Packet Company |known_for = Captain of RMS ''Ellan Vannin''. |spouse = Niobe Cowley |parents = Thomas Teare, Margaret Teare |children = James (Jim) Teare, Douglas Cowley Teare, Edith May Teare, Alfred Bertram Teare |relatives = |footnotes = }}
'''James Teare''' (6 August 1872 – 3 December 1909) was a Manx merchant navy officer who served as a seaman and later as an officer on numerous Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels. Capt. Teare is best known as the Master of the RMS ''Ellan Vannin'' on her ill-fated voyage from Ramsey, Isle of Man to Liverpool on 3 December 1909.<ref name="ReferenceB">''The Isle of Man Examiner.'' Saturday, 11 December 1909</ref>
==Life and career== James Teare was born in Peel, Isle of Man on 6 August 1872 and raised at St German's Place. He made his career at sea, joining the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1891 as a seaman, rising through the ranks and serving on the ''Mona's Isle'' as well as various other company ships. [[File:Mona's Isle crew..jpg|thumb|left|The crew of ''Mona's Isle'' ''(circa 1900).'' Second Officer James Teare can be seen seated at the far left of the photograph.]]
As his career progressed he served as First Officer under Capt. Hill on the ''Snaefell''<ref>''Isle of Man Times''. Saturday 23 July 1904 p.7)</ref> and following Capt. Hill's resignation from the company he gained his first command on the ''Ellan Vannin'' which he assumed in July 1904.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> This was followed in turn by him taking command of the ''Fenella''<ref>''The Ramsey Courier'' Friday 7 July 1905 (p.5).</ref> in 1905 and the ''Douglas'' in May 1906.<ref>''The Mona's Herald.'' Wednesday 30 May 1906 (p.6).</ref> He then left the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and pursued a career with an international shipping line before returning to the Isle of Man and re-joining the Steam Packet Company.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
The summer of 1909 saw Capt. Teare in command of the ''King Orry.''<ref name="ReferenceB"/> Following the summer season he went on shore leave and as the year closed he resumed command of the ''Ellan Vannin'' for a month's winter service, which by December 1909 was the smallest and oldest vessel in the Steam Packet Fleet.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
Known for being a cautious and diligent captain as well as a lifelong teetotaler, James Teare was married with four children and lived at No 9 York Road, Douglas, Isle of Man.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> thumb|left|RMS ''Ellan Vannin'' pictured departing Douglas.
==''Ellan Vannin'' disaster== {{main|SS Ellan Vannin (1860)}} On Friday 3 December 1909, ''Ellan Vannin'' left her home port of Ramsey at 01:13hrs, under the command of Captain Teare.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> ''Ellan Vannin'' was carrying 15 passengers and 21 crew as well as mail and 60 tonnes of cargo which included approximately 60 sheep. The weather on departure was moderate and although the barometric pressure was falling Captain Teare did not expect a significant deterioration in the weather. The wind direction on departure was from the northwest meaning the ''Ellan Vannin'' would have a following sea during her passage, something which would have caused her Master no particular concern.<ref name="ReferenceA">''The Isle of Man Examiner.'' 4 December 1909, (p.9)</ref> However, the weather rapidly worsened and by 06:35hrs, when the ship arrived at the Mersey Bar Lightship, the wind had risen to a Hurricane Force 12, and waves were reported to be exceeding {{convert|24|ft|m|0}} in height.<ref>Ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company (Fred Henry, 1973) p.10</ref>
A strong consensus at the time<ref name="ReferenceA"/> was that with a following sea the ''Ellan Vannin'' had made good progress to the Bar Lightship.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Upon reaching the Bar her course would have been changed from approximately 130 degrees to 080 degrees as she entered the approach channel to the river. This would have caused her to take the sea on her port beam with the result that she got sufficiently off her course to strike a sandbank<ref name="ReferenceA"/> thereby causing her to founder, (a nautical term for filling with water and sinking), between the Bar lightship and the Q1 buoy sinking in the Mersey approach channel (at {{Coord|53|32|0|N|3|17|0|W|display=inline,title}}).<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?5054| title=SS Ellan Vannin [+1909]| publisher=Wreck site| accessdate=6 October 2013|url-access=registration }}</ref> It is believed she was broached by a large wave, which overwhelmed the ship. She was swept by heavy seas and filled, sinking by the stern with the loss of all passengers and crew. [[File:Captain Teare's House.jpg|thumb|left|The home of Captain James Teare, York Road, Douglas, Isle of Man.]]thumb|right|The grave of Captain James Teare, Douglas Borough Cemetery, Douglas, Isle of Man. News of the disaster reached Douglas on the Friday evening, and the directors sat in almost continuous session until Monday. Communication was by telegram and information was difficult to ascertain. At approximately 19:00hrs<ref name="ReferenceA"/> a telegram was received which reported that the crew of the Formby Lightship had seen lifebuoys, bags of turnips, several dead sheep and a piano floating near the lightship.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> It was also reported that the crew of the lightship had picked up a mail bag which was destined for the Birkenhead Post Office and which was found to contain letters despatched from Ramsey.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The following morning the company offices in Douglas received a telegram from Liverpool stating that one of the ''Ellan Vannin''{{'}}s lifeboats had been washed ashore at New Brighton with its cover on and its working gear inside.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Also washed ashore were parts of the ship's bridge.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
It was five days after the ship went down that the first bodies were recovered. On Monday 17 January 1910 Captain Teare's body was found washed ashore on Ainsdale beach in Southport<ref name="ReferenceD"/> with an inquest into his death being held on Wednesday 19 January.<ref name="ReferenceD">''Ramsey Courier.'' Friday 21 January 1910 (p.4)</ref> Also on 17 January the body of First Officer John Craine was found.<ref name="ReferenceD"/> It too had been washed ashore at Southport.<ref name="ReferenceD"/> Both bodies were subsequently returned to the Isle of Man for burial.
===Aftermath=== thumb|right|Headline in the ''Ramsey Courier,'' Saturday 10 December 1909.The Board of Trade inquiry found that Captain Teare was not to blame for the disaster and the cause was extreme weather. The official inquiry referred to waves {{convert|24|ft|0}} high and declared the ship to have been in good condition and fully seaworthy. After the foundering, her masts broke the surface. Divers inspecting the ship found damage to the bows and that the lifeboat davits had been swung out ready for lowering. Soon after the disaster the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board destroyed the wreck using explosives, as it was causing a hazard to shipping in the channel.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
Although the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has a tradition of reusing ship names, they have never reused the name {{lang|gv|Ellan Vannin}}.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
A song written by Hughie Jones of The Spinners commemorates the disaster.{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Teare, James}} Category:1872 births Category:1909 deaths Category:People from Peel, Isle of Man Category:20th-century British sailors Category:British Merchant Navy officers Category:Steamship captains Category:Deaths due to shipwreck at sea Category:Deaths by drowning in the United Kingdom Category:Captains who went down with the ship Category:British sea captains Category:Manx sailors Category:19th-century British sailors Category:Burials at Douglas Borough Cemetery