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Gibson Collection
and a few Smith items, not sure if connected but came
as all one lot
  
 
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1) 19th February 1962 Commissioner's Office, Ulster Special Constabulary,
Alexander Road, Castlereagh, Belfast 6 - Dear Mr. Gibson, We have all been
shocked by the tragic news about your son. In these unusual circumstances
there is always the possibility that he has been picked up and all we can do
it pray that this may occur. Please rest assured that Mrs. Gibson and
yourself have the sympathies and thoughts of the Ulster Special Constabulary
and myself personally. Yours sincerely R? Shillington. Mr.
C. Gibson, 56 The Mount, Belfast 6
2) 27th March 1962 East Suffolk Police Howard W. Rhodes, Esq.,
Attorney at Law, 1225 Fifth Street, Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.
Dear Sir, Doctor William J. Hartman, Missing with crew on Auxiliary
Bermudian Ketch "Clotilde" believed between Woodbridge and Naples. ~ In
reply to your letter dated 23rd March, 1962, and referring to the letter I
received from the East Coast Yacht Agency, Ltd., of 6 Quay Street,
Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, I have to inform you that on 16th January,
1962, Mrs. Elizabeth Mary MILNER, of the "Bell and Steelyard" Public House,
Woodbridge, Suffolk, reported to the Police that she was concerned regarding
the safety of the crew of a Bermudian Ketch "Clotilde", which left
Woodbridge on 21st November, 1961, to sail, it was understood, via. Le
Havre, the French waterways to Naples and then to the U.S.A. She said that
no news had been received of the crew since that date, and the ketch was
expected to be at Naples by Christmas, 1961. Enquiries revealed that
the crew consisted of the following persons:
1) Doctor William Joseph HARTMAN, a Bio Chemist, born Illinois 2.1.20,
height 5'11". Home address: 2339 34th Street, Santa Monica,
California.
2) Culvenor High GIBSON, aged 24-11/12 years, an aircraft fitter by trade,
whose home address is 56 The Mount, Belfast, Northern Ireland, employed
temporarily as a barman at the "Bell and Steelyard" Public House,
Woodbridge, since August, 1961.
3) John Denice TOMASONI, born Geneva, Switzerland, 15.8.40, an art student,
height 5'8".
It appears that Doctor HARTMAN arrived in Woodbridge on 6th October 1961,
and stayed at the "Bell and Steelyard" Public House there. Whilst he was
there he purchased from the East Coast Yacht Agency Ltd., a Ketch "Clotilde".
A photograph of the Ketch with a copy of its specifications is attached
hereto. When the purchase was complete, Doctor HARTMAN was engaged fitting
the Ketch up, and was assisted by local boat builders to a minor degree. It
appears he engaged GIBSON and TOMASONI as crew, and it is said locally that
none of the three had any real experience of sea-going vessels The
Ketch left Woodbridge on 21st November, 1961, and a number of local people
relate that HARTMAN said he was sailing via. Le Havre, French waterways to
Naples, and then to America. This is the route he told Mrs. MILNER he was
following, and she knows that he was going to the Marine Geological Station,
Aquaric Villa, Communale, Naples, in fact, the forwarding address left by
Mr. GIBSON was given as "Marine Biological Institute, Aquaria Villa,
Commune, Naples, Italy". It has also been ascertained that a local
river pilot took the Ketch out of Woodbridge Haven on 22nd November, 1961,
at 11 a.m. on a flood tide. It was alleged at this time that Doctor HARTMAN
stated his intention of visiting Harwich to engage a professional seaman as
a fourth member of his crew, and they were last seen heading in the Harwich
direction at a distance of two miles off shore. Since that time no news has
been heard of them. Enquiries at the port of Harwich fail to reveal
that Doctor HARTMAN made any call there after leaving Woodbridge. The
descriptions given are:
Dr. HARTMAN - 5'11", brown hair, blue eyes, wearing black jacket and
trousers, navy blue seaman's jumper and sea boots.
GIBSON - Aged 24-11/12 years, 5'8½" - 5'9" in height, alight to medium
build, oblong face, brown hair, grey eyes, straight nose, short brown
eyebrows and full mouth of natural teeth. He had no scars on any part of his
body and had no deformity of hands or feet. He wears size 7 in shoes.
All of the information which has been received at this office has been
forwarded to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis, International
Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), New Scotland Yard, London, S.W.1,
who are co-ordinating enquiries abroad, and communications have been
received from the Superintendent, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary,
Eastleigh, Hampshire, who had received certain information relating to
Doctor HARTMAN from a Mr. Douglas Southan? COTTELL, a Company Director, of
"Spindrift", High Street, Old Bursleden, Hampshire, who apparently had met
Dr. HARTMAN, and who had received cables and letters relating to him from
the Research Center at Sepulveda, California. The American Embassy in
London was contacted by Mr. COTTELL, who also notified the Receiver of
Wrecks, H.M. Customs, and the U.S. Consul at Southampton. In
addition, it is understood that Interpol had been informed by Doctor GHERTTI
of the Marine Laboratory, Naples, and the Italian Police had been informed
by the parents of TOMASINI regarding his disappearance. Furthermore, the
father of Culvenor Hugh GIBSON has also been in touch with the Royal Ulster
Constabulary, The Commissioner's Office, Belfast 6, Northern Ireland,
respecting the disappearance of his son. So far, in spite of all these
enquiries which have been made, no news has been received of any of the
missing men nor of the missing Ketch. I shall be pleased to inform you if
any news is received. Yours faithfully A. R. Long Superintendent
3) Northern Whig 18th January 1962 - Belfast parents seek news of 'sailor'
son: The Belfast parents of 24-year-old Vernor Gibson wait anxiously from
day to day in the hope of receiving information about their son, who six
weeks ago phoned excitedly home from England to say that he would be gone
for two months as a member of the crew of a 15-ton ketch. They are Mr. and
Mrs. Culvenor Gibson, The Mount, Mountpottinger, who have since heard
nothing of his whereabouts. An American doctor left Woodbridge, Suffolk, at
the end of November to sail the ketch to Naples, via the French canals. On
board were believed to be Culvenor Hugh Gibson - known to friends as
"Vernon" and a 21-year-old Swiss. INTERPOL But when Dr. William
Hartman (42) failed to arrive, international inquiries were opened as it was
feared the ketch Clotilde, had sunk. He was on his way to the Marine
Biological Institute at Naples, and Dr. Gheretti of the Institute has
informed Interpol. Dr. Hartman was due there in the second week of December
for a month's research work. Mrs. Gibson told a "Northern Whig,"
reporter last night that Vernor had written mentioning the possibility of
crewing on the ketch, and had been sent documents for visas. Then he phoned
to say he was leaving for a two-month trip, taking him to the Mediterranean
and possibly to America. FITTER The reason he was so keen to go
was because he had missed having summer holidays through changing his
English job. He left his work as a fitter with Short and Harland in Belfast
two years ago to go to England.
4) Northern Whig 18th January 1962 - (back of image 1) Patrick
Watson, Moyaver, Armoy, was fined a total of £30 at Ballymena Court
yesterday on a charge of using a car to carry passengers for reward without
the consent of the UTA/ There were two summonses in respect of October 31
and November 7 and the car was stopped as it was leaving Gallaher's factory,
Lisnafillan, on the second occasion. On each occasion there were passengers
in it and the driver was Watson who said the car was his mother's and that
he was getting no money from the passengers. He admitted he carried the same
passengers each day. Constable J. McCrory, who had stopped the car, said the
passengers included Watson's sister and aunt, who said they helped to pay
for the petrol. Watson said the UTA bus service was not convenient for his
passengers and as he was driving his sister and aunt to work, he picked the
others up. The car had not been lent to him, but to his sister, who had
formerly driven it, but had given up driving, because of nerves. Mr. J. G.
Fox, RM, held that the car was on loan to the driver and there was an
"irresistible inference" to be drawn that the car was being used for reward.
Bail was fixed for appeal purposes. Rewording Advised A
recommendation to Fermanagh County Council to consider changing the wording
on the driving licences issued by them, as the present type was somewhat
misleading, was made by Mr. McCrea Elliott, RM, at Letterbreen Court, near
Enniskillen, yesterday. After examining a licence which had been issued to a
driver, the RM said that although the person was only permitted to drive
agricultural tractors, the licence listed all classes of vehicles. He felt
this was misleading. A 17-year-old farm worker, John Lindsay, Drumcalgy,
Letterbreen, the holder of the limited licence, was fined £3 for using a car
without insurance, and £1 for failing to produce the licence inside the
stipulated period. He was disqualified from driving cars for a year. George
Hazelett, Derryleck, Letterbreen, UTA bus driver, who was summoned for
permitting Lindsay to drive his car without insurance, was fined £3, but was
not disqualified from driving. Mr. Ian Cooper, who admitted the offences on
behalf of both defendants, said Hazelett saw that Lindsay had a blue licence
which he thought covered all vehicles. A find of £10 was imposed on Cooper
..........
5) (not sure what this is and I won't read it all) 'Irish
Passenger Steamship Services, Belfast and Liverpool' - PS Camilla; PS Ajax,
PS Minerva, PS Nimrod, PS Sabrina; PS Telegraph; PS Sea Nymph; PS Waterloo;
PS Ariel, PS Liverpool, PS Lyra, PS Vanguard; SS Semaphore/Telegraphic (Log
Book of Captain James Caitson 1869-71); SS Excelsior
5) Gibson Family Tree (DOB's of people still alive [when the tree was
made] blanked out) by R. C. Gibson 1996
Margaret Galbraith Gibson
died 9.2.1930
Jonathan Gibson born 1865 at Henry Street off York Street,
Belfast (BT15) married 1896 died 1949 (84) JG married Margaret
Jane Young born 1869 at Limestone Road, Belfast (BT15) married 1896
died 5.1953 (84)
Culvenor born 16.1.1898 at 52 London Street, Belfast (BT5)
married Anne Ferguson 1.3.1927 at Gilnahirk Pres. Church,
Castlereagh RDC, Co. Down died 11.1.1980 (80) Buried Roselawn (Plot
S683) Culvenor died 1.8.1981 (83) Buried Roselawn Castlereagh
(Plot V1891)
Margaret Elizabeth (Daisy) born 3.6.1899 married 15.8.1921
Hugh Nicholson died 8.2.1958 ME died 5.5.1960 (59)
Sarah born 11/1899? married 1.1900
Jonathan Sovereign II (Jack) born 13.10.1901 married 13.10.1934
Anna Fleury (in USA) JS died 9.3.1982 (79)
Thomas Young (Tom) born 21.3.1904 married 25.12.1924 Greta
Dempsy (died 10.2.1929)? 30 11.7.1935 Jean Armstrong TY died
11.1982 (78) (In Australia)
James Alexander (Jim) born 5.12.1905 married Fern (in
Canada)
Marion born 13.10.1908 married 2.9.1939 Fred Maginnis
(died 30.5.1986)
Neil MacLeod born 14.11.1910 married Joy Morrison 7.1.1944
NM died 1.1976 (65)
Twins (Sarah & Richard) born 1912? Stillborn
Culvenor Richard (Dick) born 2.2.1914 unmarried
Culvenor Gibson & Anne Gibson married 1 March 1927
Robert Culvenor (Robin) born 17.12.1927 married
28.7.1956 Helen Margaret Adair, Windsor Presbyterian Church,
Belfast BT9 RC died 12 Sept. 1977 (49)
Noel Ferguson (Noel) born 27.12.1929 unmarried
Donald Sovereign (Don) born 1.12.1931 married
17.10.1957 Shirley Lorraine, Wagga Wagga Pres. Church died
6.4.1987 DS died 8.2.1990 (58) Cooma, NSW 2630
Culvenor Hugh Jonathan (Hugh) born 10.2.1936
unmarried CHJ died 21/22.11.1961 lost at sea
Robin C. Gibson & Helen M. Gibson married
28.7.1956
Jonathan Hugh born 15.4.19 married 27.5.1989
Martha Wailes, Dunkeld Cathedral, Scotland
Patrick John born 13.5.19
Ann Elizabeth born 13.5.19 married 26.8.1991
Stephen John Wylie, Ashton Parish Church, Cheshire
Mack
Donna
Colin
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1) Michael Dolan
2) Mum & Dad May 1979
3) Belleek 1948 There are loch gates which control the water from
Lough Erne. I have operated them.
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1) Michael Dolan & Grandson, Cubley Gibson, Belleek
2) Michael Dolan, son & grandson at Belleek 15th August 1957
3) Freddy Flanagan, near Proserpine, Nth. Q/land.
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1) Capt. (Skipper) Douglas
2) Dan or Don Crompton - Dan or Don Turner - Self beside one of our jeeps
at? ?NMC The three D's Don or Dan (could this be the Donald
Sovereign in the family tree?)
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1) Grandfather Gibson (Leaman ? photographer)
2) Grandfather Gibson
3) Richard Gibson (The City Studio, 100 Donegall Street photographer)
4) L. R. - Don - Rod? - Robin? (Peter Pan Studios, 19 High Street, Belfast
photographer)
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1) Noel @ Ingleburn, N.S.W.
2) Dick Gibson (Ernest, 5 Grafton Street photographer)
3) Mount C??ther, Brisbane
Britcom RFT Base Depot ~ British Commonwealth Reinforcement Base Depot ~
Cookery Instruction Centre
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1) Gibson
2) F. C. Whittle & Sons
3) F. C. Whittle & Sons
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1) F. C. Whittle & Sons
2) from Balls Head Sydney Harbor Waverton? North Sydney to left of picture
3) The Bridge Sydney to right of picture. That is you in the fore-ground in
both snaps! Tom
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1) F. C. Whittle & Sons (Queensland, New South Wales, Point Danger)
2) F. C. Whittle & Sons
3) F. C. Whittle & Sons
Smith
Presented to Mrs. John Smith by the Officers and Members of The Olive Leaf
L.O.L. 54
on the occasion of Unfurling of the New Banner 8th July 1939
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