Levins, James ("Nish")
[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. Levins, boatswain 33 Drogheda
...
["Story of the Koombana", The Sunday Times (Perth, WA), Sunday 31 March 1912, page 12]
...
J. Levins, boatswain
...
["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:--
...
Thomas M. Allen, master.
N. C. Jamieson, chief officer.
W. R. A. Kinley, second officer.
F. G. Peacock, third officer.
F. H. Harris, purser.
J. Levins, boatswain.
...
["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:--
...
J. Levins, 33, Drogheda, 'bosun;
...
[Barker, Malcolm, 2001, The Truth Is So Precious, Success Print, Perth, Western Australia, page 52]
...
Other crew newly signed on for this trip were noticed:
Name Rank Age Place of Birth
F Peacock 3rd Officer 27 Edinburgh, Scotland
J Levins Bos’n 33 Drogheda, Ireland
M Dwyer A.B. 25 Dungarvan,Ireland
P Jenkins A.B. 25 Stirling, Scotland
J McGuckin A.B. 35 Harrington, England
F Gunning A.B. 32 Bristol, England
F Herbert Fireman 18 Victoria, Australia
A de Montfort Fireman 25 Jersey Island
T Taylor Fireman 31 Dundee, Scotland
A Bryant Fireman 31 Victoria,Australia
H Stanberg Second Cook 28 Sweden
J Jackson Kitchenman 22 Belfast, Ireland
S Reynolds Steward 27 Adelaide, Australia
W Smith Steward 22 Clapton, England
AB notes:
newly recruited, according to Barker
[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 509 & 510
87 Strand Street
Clogherhead
Drogheda
Ireland
15th May 1912
To The Manager
Adelaide S.S. Company
Sir
I beg leave to address
you this note respecting my
son James Levins who I believe
was Boatswain on Board your
steamer the Koombana
which ship according
to a letter I Received from a friend
is given up as lost with all
hands and should the Sad
News be true I will be much
obliged by your letting me know
how I am to get his wages
and effects as I am sure he
must have some money saved
being a good while sailing
on the coast and I believe
principly in your Company
Steamers it is very sad news
for me and if it be true I
must bear it the best I can
Enclosed I send his Baptismal
Certificate and also my
Marriage Certificate so that
you can see that I am his
Mother. I am a widow for
the past 25 years and he has
been a good son and I trust
You will do all You can for
me to recover his wages and
effects I believe according
to some of his letters to me
he was joined
in some Union I
dont know much about such
buisness I would ask you
to kindly let me know what
way I would look about it
Anxiously waiting
Your reply to this letter
I remain
Your Obt Servant
Mary Levins
[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 511]
The Shipping Master,
Fremantle.
Dear Sir,
" K O O M B A N A "
...
James Levins, Bosun. We attach original letter received today,
through our Sydney Agents, from the Mother, having retained a
copy of same. We replied as per copy enclosed, and have
handed the Certificates or Mrs Levin's Marriage, and her son's
Baptism to your representative, and shal be glad to receive an
acknowledgement of same.
Yours faithfully,
[signed by Moxon]
Manager for W.A.
[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 515
Traffic Department. Fremantle 24th June, 1912.
Mrs Mary Levins,
Strand St.,
Clogherhead,
Droghera, IRELAND.
Dear Madam,
Our Sydney Agents have passed on to us your
letter to them relating to the possessions of your late son.
Their communication only arrived this morning and we are en-
deavouring to forward this letter by the same Mailboat.
All wages due to the late crew of "Koombana" were claimed by
the Shipping Master, on behalf of the proved nearest of kin.
We are handing that Official your letter and also the certifi-
cates furnished by you, and he will no doubt communicate with
you by an early mail. We are not aware of you late son
having any savings banked, but no doubt the Shipping Master
will be able to trace same, if existent.
Yours faithfully,
[this copy unsigned]
Manager for W.A.
Copy to 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]
my img 810
The deputy Shipping Master, Fremantle, writes to Mrs Levins, enclosing a
Postal Order covering outstanding wages (£7/4/-) and the marriage and
baptismal certificates she had supplied in evidence. File copy undated.
[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 img 903 & 904
87 Strand Street
Clogherhead
Drogheda
Ireland
21 August 1912
To The Shipping Master
Fremantle
West Australia
Sir,
Yours of July 4th to hand
in due time with P.O. Order for
£7.4.0 being amount of wages
due my Son J.W. Levins who was
Boatswain on board the "SS Koombana"
for which I am very grateful.
He was a very good son to me
a poor widow for over 20 years.
I know he had some money
saved and how to look about
I dont know. he Boarded at
a Mrs Craigs 75 Kent Street Millers
Point Sydney. his Chest remains
there and I wrote to her to open it
and see if his Bank Book was
there she did so and there
was no book he must have it on
the Ship. She advised me to write
to the Inspector of Police at Sydney
and Perth that Perhaps they could
direct me how I would find
The Bank. He was also a member
of The Federal Seamen's Union of
Australasia [unclear]
and all the instalments are paid
up the last payment was August
in S. S. Junee signed by the [unclear]
as i see by his book sent by Mrs. Craig the number
of book is 1725. Would you kindle let me
know if I am entitled to any
help from said Federation or how
or where am I to apply. Please [unclear]
me for giving you so much trouble.
I Remain
Yours gratefully obliged
Mary Levins
Any information you can give me
as to how I am to look after the Bank
or the Federation shall be thankfully
rec'd by your Obliged
Mary Levins
[Wreck of the "Koombana" - photocopy of material relating to, Harbour and Lights Department, Western Australia, 1912, State Records Office of Western Australia. Series 1618, Cons. 5055, Item 001, see Koombana Relief Fund correspondence]
EXTRACT FROM LETTER RECEIVED FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE
"KOOMBANA" RELIEF COMMITTEE, PERTH
Dated 31st July, 1912.
--------------
"I give you hereunder a list of persons in Great Britain
to whom the Perth Committee has allotted amounts, and shall be
glad if you will communicate with the Agent-General, requesting
him to pay the sum mentioned in each case, out of the amount he
has in hand, and forward the receipts to me at the earliest
possible opportunity:-
Miss Wardlaw, 36 Bank Street, Hillhead, Glasgow, £47.
Mrs. W. C. Dick, 4 James Park, Burntisland, N.B., £47.
Mrs. W. Clarke, Chestnut Grove, off Marsh Lane, Boudel
Liverpool, England, £65.
Mrs. Levins, 87 Strand Street, Cloyerhead, Drogheda,
Ireland, £11.
Mrs. M. Dwyer, King Street, Abbyside, County Waterford,
Ireland, £11.
Mrs. W. Carton, Droghed, County Louth, Ireland, £11.
Mrs. J. Kearne, 36 Malcolmson Street, Springfield Road,
Belfast, Ireland, $11.
Mrs. Rea, 21 Conderton Road, Loughboro Junction, Camberwell,
London, S.E. £11.
----------------------------------
Further names since received:-
A. Dellar (? English address)
- Clinton ( " Local Committee making enquiries
- Offord ( " " " decline applica-
tion for assistance.
W. Burkin ( " Nothing done so far.
----------------------------------
...
[Quaile, Declan, "The Koombana Tragedy", Termonfeckin Historical Society Review, 2006, No. 6, pages 27-29]
...
Three Local Seamen
James 'Nish' Levins, the oldest of the three local men on the Koombana, was born in Clogherhead on 28th June 1879 to Peter Levins, from Clogher village, and Mary Moore, from Sunhill in Termonfeckin parish. James would have followed his father and other family members to sea in his teenage years, like many of the young men from Clogherhead at the time. In 1912 he was a boatswain on board the Koombana, meaning he was in charge of lifeboats, sails and rigging on board.
The second local man, Peter (Petie) Clinton was born in Termonfeckin village on 20th July 1880 to Patrick Clinton and Margaret Gargan. There were several Clinton families around Termonfeckin at this time, at least two at the Yellow Gap and two more on Big Street and it is uncertain to which family Petie actually belonged.[1] He would have been taught by Patrick Brodigan the headmaster at Thunderhill, who was known to have included navigation lessons to those pupils expressing an interest. By 1912 he was listed as an able bodied seaman aboard the Koombana.
A third man with Termonfeckin links was serving on the Koombana in 1912. This was Villiam "Bill" Carton. Though he was born in Liverpool Bill's father, also William, was born in September 1840, in Termonfeckin. William senior emigrated to Liverpool sometime in the 1860s where he worked on ships from the port in that city. He got married in Liverpool and his son Bill was born there around 1875. Bill junior later went to sea, following in his father's footsteps. He married Amelia Alcock from Plymouth and they had three children, one daughter, who died young, and two sons.[2] Like his two companions from Clogherhead and Termonfeckin Bill Carton would have sailed around the continents of the world on various ships.[3] By 1912 he was an able bodied seaman, alongside Petie Clinton, on board the Koombana.
[1] In the 1856 Griffiths valuation for Termonfeckin a Peter and Michael Clinton reside in separate houses at yellow Gap.
[2] One of the sons, Jack Cadon, is buried in Termonfeckin graveyard.
[3] A note inserted into Mickey Moore's 1898 diary (cf. THS Review 2002) suggests that Bill was on board the RMS (Royal Merchant ship) Orega at Montevideo, Uruguay.
...
