Grant, Thomas Millar

[SS "Koombana": list of crew as per copy of Articles at shipping office, Fremantle, Adelaide Steamship Company, April 1912. provided to the author by Jean Northover, City Beach, Western Australia]

THE CREW AGE BIRTHPLACE

...

J.M. Grant, Carpenter 27 Glasgow

...

["Story of the Koombana", The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sunday 31 March 1912, page 12]

...

T. M. Grant, carpenter

...

["The Crew", The West Australian, Wednesday 03 April 1912, page 7]

The following is the complete crew which left with the vessel, according to the records in the Adelaide Co.'s office:--

...

T. M. Grant, ship's carpenter.

...

["The Koombana", The West Australian, Friday 12 April 1912, page 7]

OFFICIAL LIST OF CREW

The following official list of the names of the crew who signed on the s.s. Koombana's articles and who were supposed to have gone in the vessel is supplied by the Shipping Master of Fremantle (Captain T. W. Smith). The age, birthplace, and capacity of each member is given:--

...

T. M. Grant, 27, Glasgow, carpenter;

...

[Agreement and Account of Crew, s.s. Koombana, August 1911 - March 1912, Harbour and Lights Department, Western Australia. State Records Office of Western Australia, Consignment 1056 Item 301]

The register indicates that Koombana was T. M. Grant's first ship.

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img ?]

COPY

37 Byker Terrace

Walker,

Newcastle-on-Tyne

ENGLAND.

11/4/12

To the Postmaster,

General Post Office,

F R E M A N T L E,

WESTERN AUSTRALIA.

Dear Sir,

I, the Undersigned, Archibald Grant, do hereby

claim all money deposited in the Post Office Savings Bank,

and standing at present to the credit of my son,

Thomas Millar Grant, late Carpenter of the s.s.

"Koombana", owned by the Adelaide Steamship Company, Limited

lost on the North West Coast of Australia on or about the

21st of March, 1912.

Death Certificate supplied by the Adelaided Steam-

ship Company.

Any further information required I shall be pleased

to furnish you with.

Yours faithfully

(SGD) Archibald Grant.

Witness to the above signature.

(SGD) Robert P. Dawson J.P.

AB notes:

In pencil at the foot of the letter: "£12 Bank & wages"

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img ?]

Supreme Court

Office of Curator of Intestates Estates

Perth 22nd May 1912

The Shipping Master

Fremantle

Dear Sir

The estates of two of the members

of the Ships Company of the s.s.

"Koombana" has been reported to me.

The estate of Herbert Bertie Stanley Storekeeper

and that of Thomas Millar Grant Carpenter.

Both men have money in the local

Savings Bank. Stanley has £87 and

Grant £12.

Do you take charge of these sums of

money on behalf of the Board of Trade or

do I take charge of the estate in the usual

way.

Yours truly,

[signature illegible]

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img 483]

S.S. "Koombana"

T M Grant, late Carpenter

Parents address--

Mr Archibald Grant

Iona House

Walker

Newcastle on Tyne

England

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img 500]

THE CURATOR OF INTESTATE ESTATES,

SUPREME COURT, P E R T H.

Re Grant & Stanley ex "Koombana".

I am in receipt of your letter of the 22nd. ult. notifying

that Herbert Bertie Stanley has a deposit of £87 and Thomas

Miller Grant the sum of £12 in the local Savings Bank.

Will you kindly allow this matter to stand over until I

receive evidence of next-of-kin from the relatives of these

deceased seamen?

5/6/12.L. DEPUTY SHIPPING-MASTER.

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img 834]

[date cropped from image; later correspondence indicates this was 22nd July]

The Shipping Master,

NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, England.

Sir,

I forward herewith a Bank Draft for £7/2/11 on the

National Bank of Australasia, being payment of wages of

the late Thomas Miller Grant, Carpenter, of the illfated

"Koombana" lost on this coast in March last, and shall

be glad if you will pay same to his father, Mr. A. Grant,

on being satisfied as to his identity.

Copy of letter sent to Mr. Grant, herewith for your

information.

Yours faithfully,

[this copy unsigned]

SHIPPING MASTER.

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[img 835]

A second letter followed.

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[my images 910 & 911]

37, Byker Terrace,

Walker

Newcastle-on-Tyne.

31st August 1912

To the Shipping Master

Fremantle.

Dear Sir/

I am in receipt

of your letter of 22nd ulto.,

and beg to inform you

that on making

application to the Shipping

Master at Newcastle-on-Tyne

there was only the sum of

£7.2.11 for wages -

should have been

£9.0.0 being a difference

£1.17.1 I shall be

[unclear] to know how this

difference arises?

I would also refer

to your letter of ??

June asking for

Birth Certificate to

enable you to send

£12 deposited in

the Local Savings Bank.

That was duly sent you

but up to time of

writing I have not

received that money,

and shall be pleased

if you will give this

your usual kind attention.

Thanking you in anticipation

I remain

Yours truly

Archibald Grant

[Wreck of the KOOMBANA - letters re men's estates, Correspondence between the office of the Chief Harbourmaster, Fremantle, and the families of lost crewmembers, Harbour and Lights Department, 1912. State Records Office of Western Australia, AN16/5 Cons 1056 Item 062]

[my image 912]

4th. October

Mr. A. Grant,

37, Byker Terrace,

WALKER, Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Dear Sir,

In reply to yours of the 31st. August last, I have

to state that the amount you received from the Shipping

Master at Newcastle was correct, being payment from the 8th.

March to the 31st March, at the rate of £9. per month. You

will notice by this that the Adelaide Steamship Co. paid for

10 days extra as the vessel was lost on or about the 21st. Mar.

The £12 to you late son's credit in the Savings

Bank I have no jurisdiction over - I merely advised you that

this amount was lying to his credit. However, I have written

to Curator of Intestate Estates asking him to forward the £12

on to you.

Yours faithfully,

[this copy unsigned]

SHIPPING MASTER.

[Wrecks. The loss of the "Koombana", Australian High Commission, United Kingdom, 1912. National Archives of Australia, Series A2911 760/1912]

[http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/DetailsReports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=232127]

Title: Wrecks. The loss of the "Koombana".

Series number: A2911

Control symbol: 760/1912

Contents date range: 1912 - 1912

Access status: Open

Location: Canberra

Barcode: 232127]

A digital copy of this file is available online.

It includes enquiries and requests for compensation by relatives of crewmen lost with Koombana:

Thomas Miller Grant

A. Baker

John Jackson

William Dick

These letters have not been transcribed.