RFA / NAV John Evelyn
Previous name: Fort Laverstock
Subsequent name: Maryston
Official Number: 143498
Class: Armament Stores Carrier
Pennant No: X 31
Laid down:
Builder: Corby Bros, Lowerstoft
Launched: 27 August 1919
Into Service: April 1924
Out of service: 1946
Fate: Sold out of service
Items of historic interest involving this ship: –
Background Data: One of a group of coasters which were not normally classed as RFA’s. They are included here as the ancestors of the more modern ammunition ships
Career Data:
27 August 1919 launched by Colby Bros., Lowerstoft as Yard Nr: 104 named Fort Laverstock for Fort Shipping Co Ltd., (W H Thurston, Manager) Cardiff
February 1920 completed
5 February 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
6 February 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
13 September 1921 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
23 October 1922 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west bound
8 January 1924 grounded in heavy weather off Falmouth
April 1924 purchased for £90,000 by the Admiralty for service as a Victualling Stores Carrier and renamed JOHN EVELYN
18 June 1924 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
22 July 1924 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
10 August 1924 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
29 August 1924 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
30 August 1924 sailed from Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth for Plymouth but had to put into Portland due to bad weather
7 October 1924 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
13 October 1924 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
18 October 1924 arrived at Plymouth from Deptford
27 November 1924 sailed from Plymouth for Deptford
2 February 1925 arrived at Plymouth from Deptford
3 February 1925 sailed Plymouth
14 June 1925 sailed Plymouth for Deptford
28 September 1925 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
30 September 1925 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
26 November 1925 arrived at Plymouth
29 November 1925 sailed Plymouth for Woolwich
15 December 1925 sailed Plymouth for Portsmouth
19 January 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
25 January 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
13 February 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Gosport
29 May 1926 in No: 5 dry dock, Portsmouth Harbour
4 June 1926 berthed in the Tidal Basin, Portsmouth Harbour
3 August 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
11 October 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
12 October 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
27 October 1926 arrived at Devonport
7 December 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
8 December 1926 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
31 December 1926 at Portsmouth Harbour
22 April 1927 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth Harbour
24 May 1927 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth Harbour
18 June 1927 berthed at Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth Harbour
15 October 1927 arrived at Portsmouth from Plymouth
29 February 1928 sailed Plymouth for Portsmouth
28 March 1928 sailed Plymouth for Deptford
3 June 1928 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
18 June 1928 arrived at Plymouth from Deptford
19 June 1928 sailed Plymouth for Gosport and Deptford
2 September 1928 arrived at Plymouth from Portsmouth
29 November 1928 arrived at Devonport
18 December 1928 sailed from Devonport for Deptford
7 January 1929 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
9 January 1929 arrived Devonport from Portsmouth
25 January 1929 sailed Devonport for Deptford
18 February 1929 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
11 March 1929 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
7 April 1929 arrived Devonport from Portsmouth
27 April 1929 arrived Devonport from Portsmouth
24 May 1929 sailed Plymouth for Deptford
14 June 1929 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
2 July 1929 sailed Devonport for Depford
13 August 1929 arrived at Devonport from Portsmouth
14 August 1929 sailed from Devonport
4 September 1929 sailed from Devonport for Deptford
16 December 1929 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
18 December 1929 arrived at Devonport from Portsmouth
28 April 1930 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
29 May 1930 arrived at Plymouth from Deptford
23 June 1930 arrived at Devonport from Royal Clarence Yard
25 June 1930 arrived at Portsmouth and berthed in Royal Clarence Yard
23 July 1930 arrived at Plymouth from Royal Clarence Yard
2 December 1930 arrived at Plymouth from Royal Clarence Yard
18 December 1930 arrived at Plymouth from Royal Clarence Yard
13 January 1931 arrived at Plymouth
30 May 1931 sailed Plymouth for Deptford
12 June 1931 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
17 December 1931 sailed Plymouth for Deptford
3 February 1932 arrived at Plymouth from Deptford
14 December 1932 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
7 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
8 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
10 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
25 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
27 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
28 February 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
13 March 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
6 April 1933 anchored at Spithead
7 April 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
19 May 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
19 June 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
1 July 1933 berthed in Royal Clarence Yard, Portsmouth
28 February 1934 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
3 March 1934 arrived at Devonport
28 November 1934 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing west
1 May 1935 arrived at Plymouth
8 January 1936 Captain Horace Baker was the ship’s Master
9 February 1936 arrived at Plymouth
20 August 1937 arrived at Plymouth from Gosport
25 March 1938 sailed Sheerness
28 September 1938 arrived Plymouth from Portsmouth
12 January 1939 sailed from Sheerness
1940 to 1946 on loan to the Naval Armanents Department as an Armanents Stores Carrier on the Inverness – Scapa Flow service
8 December 1940 was due to sail in escorted Convoy EN39/1 but did not sail
10 December 1940 sailed Methil in escorted Convoy EN39/1 to Scapa Flow arriving 14 December 1940
26 July 1944 sailed Methil in unescorted Convoy EN413 to Loch Ewe arriving 28 July 1944
12 July 1945 berthed at Grangemouth sailing the same day
13 August 1945 sailed Grangemouth
18 August 1945 sailed Grangemouth
26 August 1945 sailed from Grangemouth
27 August 1945 berthed at Grangemouth
25 September 1945 sailed Grangemouth
1946 purchased by W N Lindsay Ltd., Leith – name unchanged
30 June 1947 arrived on the River Tyne from Scapa Flow sailing later the same day for Portsmouth
24 July 1947 sailed the River Tyne for London
4 September 1947 sailed Sunderland for Burntisland
4 October 1947 sailed Blyth for Gravesend
6 October 1947 arrived at Gravesend from Blyth
11 October 1947 arrived at the River Tyne from Rochester sailing the same day for Aberdeen
14 October 1947 sailed from Aberdeen
15 October 1947 arrived River Wear from Aberdeen
18 October 1947 sailed Blyth for Grangemouth
17 November 1947 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on Flamborough Head sailing north bound
19 July 1948 berthed at the City Docks, Bristol
26 June 1948 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing east bound
23 August 1948 sailed from the River Tyne for Lerwick
5 September 1948 arrived the River Tyne from Lerwick
8 September 1948 sailed the Sunderland Quay on the River Tyne
11 September 1948 arrived at Sunderland
17 September 1948 arrived the River Tyne from Sunderland
21 September 1948 berthed on No: 7 Tier, River Tyne
23 November 1948 The Scotsman newspaper reported –
13 December 1948 arrived the River Tyne from Abderdeen
16 December 1948 arrived at Gravesend from the River Tyne
2 January 1949 arrived Hartlepool from Boston, Lincolnshire
18 January 1949 arrived at the River Tyne from Aberdeen
22 February 1949 arrived at Alexandra Dock, Hull from Aberdeen
10 March 1949 arrived at the River Tyne
2 June 1949 arrived at the River Tyne from Aberdeen
19 July 1949 sailed from Gravesend
20 July 1949 sailed the River Wear for Lowestoft, Suffolk
21 July 1949 passed Flamborough Head sailing southbound
20 August 1949 sailed the River Tyne for Liverpool
7 October 1949 sailed the River Tyne for Zeebrugge
5 September 1949 sailed from Aberdeen
20 November 1949 arrive at the River Tyne
28 December 1949 arrived at the River Tees
30 December 1949 sailed the River Tees
4 January 1950 passed Dover sailing east bound
9 January 1950 sailed from the River Tyne
10 January 1950 passed Flamborough Head sailing southbound
16 February 1950 arrived at Blyth from the Tees
20 February 1950 arrived at Gravesend
12 March 1950 passed Flamborough Head sailing northbound
13 March 1950 arrived at the River Tyne from Antwerp
11 April 1950 passed Dover sailing west bound
18 April 1950 arrived at Dover sailing later the same day
2 May 1950 arrived at Goole from Lossiemouth
15 May 1950 arrived at Gravesend from Grangemouth
30 May 1950 sailed from the River Tyne for Blyth
13 June 1950 arrived the River Tees
20 July 1950 arrived at the River Tyne
25 July 1950 arrived at the River Tyne
21 July 1950 sailed from the River Tyne for Berwick
25 July 1950 arrived at the River Tyne from Berwick
20 August 1950 arrived the River Wear from Lerwick
23 September 1950 passed Flamborough Head sailing north bound for the River Tyne
17 October 1950 arrived at Dundee from Leith and sailed the same day for Lerwick
7 November 1950 sailed the River Tyne for Lossiemouth
17 November 1950 arrived at the River Tyne
29 November 1950 arrived at Dover
30 November 1950 sailed from Dover
12 December 1950 passed Flamborough Head sailing northbound
20 April 1951 sailed from Mill Dam, South Shields, River Tyne
25 April 1951 arrived at the River Tyne from London
30 September 1951 arrived at the River Tyne from Inverkeithing
1 October 1951 sailed from the River Tyne for London
4 October 1951 berthed at the River Tyne from London
5 October 1951 sailed from the River Tyne for Lossiemouth
1 December 1951 sailed from the River Tyne for Grangemouth
11 December 1951 arrived at the River Tyne from Grangemouth
21 December 1951 arrived at the River Tyne from Boness
22 January 1952 arrived at the River Tyne from Grangemouth
23 January 1952 sailed from the River Tyne for Grangemouth
18 February 1952 sailed from Blyth for Grangemouth
9 March 1952 arrived River Tyne from Grangemouth
1 May 1952 arrived River Tyne
12 June 1952 sailed the River Tyne
20 June 1952 arrived at Dundee sailing the same day for Methil
23 July 1952 sailed the River Tyne for Peterhead
14 August 1952 arrived at Blyth from Grangemouth sailing the same day for Granton
17 October 1952 arrived at Blyth from Aberdeen
14 December 1952 sailed Blyth for Granton
8 January 1953 arrived at the River Tyne from Granton and berthed at Northunderland Dock
17 January 1953 arrived at Blyth
24 January 1953 arrived at the River Tyne
28 January 1953 sailed from the River Tyne
31 January 1953 arrived at Blyth (put back) later sailing again the same day for Granton
9 February 1953 arrived River Tyne from Granton sailing the same day
21 March 1953 sailed Blyth for Granton
24 March 1953 arrived River Tyne from Granton
2 July 1953 sailed from Gravesend
23 July 1953 arrived at the River Tyne from Peterhead sailing later the same day for Grangemouth
15 August 1953 arrived the River Tyne from Rosyth
26 August 1953 sailed Seaham Harbour for Peterhead
30 September 1953 sailed from the River Wear for Lerwick
17 October 1953 sailed the River Tyne for Granton
21 December 1953 sailed the River Tyne for Granton
24 December 1953 arrived at the River Tyne
9 January 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
21 January 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
22 January 1954 sailed River Tyne for Leith
9 April 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
13 April 1954 sailed Blyth for Granton
20 April 1954 arrived at the River Wear from Leith
5 May 1954 arrived at the River Tyne
7 May 1954 sailed from the River Tyne for Granton
2 June 1954 sailed Seeham Harbour for Aberdeen
2 September 1954 arrived at Blyth from Rosyth
9 September 1954 arrived at Blyth from Leith
19 September 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
5 October 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
4 December 1954 arrived at the River Tyne from Aberdeen
21 December 1954 arrived at Blyth from Granton
9 January 1955 arrived at Hartlepool
21 January 1955 sailed from the River Tyne
4 February 1955 arrived at the River Wear
7 February 1955 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
16 February 1955 arrived at Blyth from Leith
29 February 1955 sail Blyth
26 March 1955 arrived at Blyth
7 April 1955 arrived at Blyth
12 April 1955 sailed Blyth
14 April 1955 arrived the River Wear
15 April 1955 sailed the River Wear for Leith
20 May 1955 sailed the River Tyne for Leith
25 May 1955 sailed the River Tyne for Rosyth
27 May 1955 arrived at the River Tyne
1 June 1955 arrived the River Tyne from Granton
13 June 1956 arrived at the River Tyne from Aberdeen
19 June 1955 arrived atthe River Tyne from Peterhead
23 June 1955 arrived at the River Tyne from Hull
3 January 1955 arrived at Blyth
13 July 1955 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
20 July 1955 arrived at the River Tyne
3 August 1955 arrived at the River Tyne
11 August 1955 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
13 August 1955 arrived at Seaham Harbour from Leith
14 August 1955 sailed from Seaham Harbour
7 October 1955 sailed the River Tyne for Leith
9 February 1956 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
3 March 1956 arrived at Seaham Harbour from Leith sailing the same day
6 March 1956 sailed from the River Tyne for Leith
13 October 1956 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
30 November 1956 arrived the River Tyne from Arbroath
5 December 1956 arrived at Blyth from Wisbech
7 December 1956 sailed Blyth for Leith
24 December 1956 sailed Blyth for Leith
7 January 1957 sailed Seaham Harbour for Leith
26 February 1957 arrived Seaham Harbour from Leith
4 April 1957 arrived Blyth from Scrabster sailing later for Leith
28 May 1957 alongside at CWS Ltd, River Tyne
12 June 1957 arrived at Immingham
28 August 1957 arrived at the River Tyne from Leith
6 September 1957 sailed from the River Tyne for Montrose
8 November 1957 arrived River Tyne from Antwerp
1957 purchased by Beaufort Shipping Co., Guernsey and renamed Maryston
6 December 1957 sailed the River Tyne for Grangemouth
20 December 1957 sailed the River Tees for Scrabster
11 April 1958 sailed Blyth for Aberdeen
28 April 1958 arrived at the River Wear
13 December 1958 the Aberdeen Evening Express reported –
26 December 1958 arrived at the River Wear from Burghead
16 August 1960 arrived at New Waterway for demolition by De Koophandel NL