The loss of the barque Sverdstad

Gorduz · 09-28-10, 02:34 PM

I just got a newspaper clip from a local Sandefjord paper dated 1955 sent to me from my father. It was about the barque Sverstad which ran around in the White sea outside Russia in 1909. It was quite an amazing story.

My great great grandfather was the captain of the boat which had Norwegian, English and Russian crew but more unusual one girl, namely his daughter, my great grandmother. After not seeing her father for 8 years the company arranges for them to meet in Hull and together they travel to Arkhangelsk where they spent one month going to the theatre and shopping clothes while waiting for the cargo. On the return trip however the ship got caught in a storm and ran aground. The ship broke in three parts, but midships was loaded with timber and plank so it floated quite well. They managed to find some food and stayed drifted around for 48 hours before they hit shore.

On the shores they build a small cabin and had a good meal before they walked on looking for locals the next morning. The peninsula was unfortunately sparsely populated and only the sami people used it for herding reindeer. After walking several days they were begining to run out of food when they spotted a wheelsteamer which could take them back to Arkhangelsk if it hadn't been for the fact that on the way another storm grew up and they had to take shelter in a small village where they had to stay for a while.

My great grandmother lived at the magistrate of the town where there was a beautiful painting of a Russian ship in rough seas which she adored. Natually a 16 year old girl doesn't go through this kind of thing without experiencing some romance. A while after returning to Norway, Tolstoj the 1st lieutenant of the steamer sent a telegram asking for her hand. With the telegram came a beautiful painting the Russian had apparently bought it from the magistrate as a present.

My great grandmother never married Tolstoj, but kept the painting as a memory. I don't know if I ever saw the painting myself as I was just 6 years old when she died, but still its a great story to bring on when if I have kinds some day.

Here is the paper with some pictures(click "neste side" for next page (ship and painting)), in Norwegian only

http://www.haldens.net/Sverdstad/side1.htm

09-28-10, 02:34 PM	#1
Gorduz Engineer Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Norway Posts: 210 Downloads: 2 Uploads: 0	The loss of the barque Sverdstad I just got a newspaper clip from a local Sandefjord paper dated 1955 sent to me from my father. It was about the barque Sverstad which ran around in the White sea outside Russia in 1909. It was quite an amazing story. My great great grandfather was the captain of the boat which had Norwegian, English and Russian crew but more unusual one girl, namely his daughter, my great grandmother. After not seeing her father for 8 years the company arranges for them to meet in Hull and together they travel to Arkhangelsk where they spent one month going to the theatre and shopping clothes while waiting for the cargo. On the return trip however the ship got caught in a storm and ran aground. The ship broke in three parts, but midships was loaded with timber and plank so it floated quite well. They managed to find some food and stayed drifted around for 48 hours before they hit shore. On the shores they build a small cabin and had a good meal before they walked on looking for locals the next morning. The peninsula was unfortunately sparsely populated and only the sami people used it for herding reindeer. After walking several days they were begining to run out of food when they spotted a wheelsteamer which could take them back to Arkhangelsk if it hadn't been for the fact that on the way another storm grew up and they had to take shelter in a small village where they had to stay for a while. My great grandmother lived at the magistrate of the town where there was a beautiful painting of a Russian ship in rough seas which she adored. Natually a 16 year old girl doesn't go through this kind of thing without experiencing some romance. A while after returning to Norway, Tolstoj the 1st lieutenant of the steamer sent a telegram asking for her hand. With the telegram came a beautiful painting the Russian had apparently bought it from the magistrate as a present. My great grandmother never married Tolstoj, but kept the painting as a memory. I don't know if I ever saw the painting myself as I was just 6 years old when she died, but still its a great story to bring on when if I have kinds some day. Here is the paper with some pictures(click "neste side" for next page (ship and painting)), in Norwegian only http://www.haldens.net/Sverdstad/side1.htm __________________ 21. MTB skv. Attacks without warning. Last edited by Gorduz; 09-28-10 at 04:34 PM.