Appledore churchyard
In
Loving Memory
Of
Captain W. H. Mayne
Died Decr 9th 1875,
Interred at Mevagessey.
Also Of
Captain M. Hock,
Who Was Lost At Sea In 1887
Also Of
Susan Hock,
Relict Of The Above
Who Fell Asleep Decr 24th 1925
Aged 85 Years.
She Hath Done What She Could
I have been able to discover relatively little about Martin Hock, or the events leading to his death. The evidence suggests that he was not a captain, at least not on his final voyage: the newspaper account which names him describes him as chief mate, whilst in the Register of Seamen’s Deaths he is described as boatswain (this source gives Charles Darragh as mate). Ten men are listed as having formed the crew of the barque Woodbine when it left Savanna la Mar, on the south-west coast of Jamaica, on 20 July 1887. The Woodbine, under the command of John Boddie, set sail for Fleetwood with a cargo of logwood, but was never seen or heard of again. After three months newspapers local to various crew members were commenting on the anxiety being felt, but it was another two months before the Woodbine was officially declared overdue, and on 28th December Lloyd’s changed its status to missing.
The complete disappearance of the Woodbine at some unknown place and date is presumably the reason why Martin’s memorial simply gives the year, 1887: official documents give the date as 20 July 1887, the day on which the Woodbine set sail. Martin was not the only Appledore man on board, as the crew also included John Harvey, 18 year old son of Thomas and Sarah Harvey of Myrtle Street.
According to the information contained in the Register of Seamen’s Deaths, Martin Hock was born in Rotterdam, in about 1849. I have found no record of him in England until 24 February 1881, when he married Susan Mayne (nee Owen), widow of William Mayne, at the Ebenezer Baptist Chapel in Appledore. The marriage certificate shows that his father was Antoine Hock, a farmer. Martin and Susan had two children, Christina and Thomas Martin.
Exeter & Plymouth Gazette ~ 21 October 1887
Appledore.
Considerable anxiety is felt for the safety of Mr. Hock, chief mate, and T. Harvey, able seaman, of Appledore, who left Jamaica over 90 days ago for Fleetwood in a sailing vessel. The shipping lists are very anxiously scanned each morning, but up to present nothing has been heard of the vessel or the crew since they left Jamaica.
Aberdeen Journal ~ 22 December 1887
Overdue Vessel.
The Woodbine, Boddie master, which left Savannah la Mar for Fleetwood on July 20th last, and not having been heard of since that date, is considered overdue.
Sunderland Daily Echo & Shipping Gazette ~ 29 December 1887
Overdue And Missing Vessels.
The Woodbine, Boddie master, of London, which sailed from Savannah la Mar for Fleetwood, with logwood, on July 20th last, was posted yesterday at Lloyd’s as missing.
Mariners and Memorials 