Charles Yule

   Cause of his death was Senility.

  General Notes:

Curiously he celebrated his 100th birthday in 1935 (see below) even though the baptism records show that he was actually born in 1833!! His death certificate issued in 1935 also records his age as 100 years.

In 1891 he and Helen were living at the Customs House Building in St Clement, Dundee. He was the Harbour Master, aged 55. His wife Helen was a Housekeeper, aged 42 and their daughter Jane was 10 and a Scholar. Also living here was Jessie Peebles, their Servant, an unmarried 24 year old born in Broughty Ferry like Jane.

In 1911 he was still living at the Custom House building. It was a substantial house, or living quarters, with 8 rooms with windows. Charles was still the Harbour Master aged 75. His wife was aged 62. They were recorded as having 2 children still living, and one not living. One of their living children, daughter Jane E H Kilvert was living with them. She was aged 30 and now married for 5 years. Her son Charles C.S. Kilvert was also living with them he was aged 4 and born in Dundee. (NB I can find no record of Janes marriage or Charles' birth). Living here with them was their Servant, Catherine R Hardacre, aged 21 and born Dundee, and another General Servant named Frances M. Jones, born in England. She was not related to anyone in the household.

From The Scotsman Newspaper Tuesday, 27th August 1935, (page 7)

SCOTS CENTENARIAN
Noted Dundee Whaling Skipper GRAND OLD MAN OF THE SEA Captain Charles YULE, formerly harbour master of Dundee, and a noted whaling skipper, who described as "Scotland's grand old man of the sea" received many congratulations yesterday on attaining his 100th birthday. The good wishes of the King and Queen were expressed in the following telegram from Balmoral Castle. "The King and Queen are much interested to hear that you arecelebrating your 100th birthday, and send you hearty congratulations and good wishes on this great anniversary in your life." Captain YULE is frail and confined to bed at his home, 6 Grove Road, West Ferry, and only his closest friends are allowed to visit him to extend personal congratulations. Among the callers, however, was the Lord Provost Buist, who visited Captain YULE and conveyed to him the best wishes of his fellow citizens.
A native of Montrose the veteran skipper sailed as an apprentice when he was little more than 14 years of age. Soon afterwards he was third mate on the full-rigged ship, Sea King, which embarked 483 emigrants at Southampton and sailed for Geelong, near Melbourne. Captain YULE 'jumped' the ship at Geelong, and signed on before the mast aboard the brig Onkaparinga. A week or two later he experienced his first shipwreck when the Onkaparinga ran ashore on the New Zealand coast.
THREE AND A HALF YEARS IN THE GOLD FIELDS
Returning to Australia, he spent three and a half years in search of fortune on the gold fields before joining the ship Columbia at Melbourne, bound for Falmouth. The Columbia sprung a leak and foundered 100 miles off Cape Clear. Captain YULE and his shipmates were rescued by another ship and landed in Liverpool.At the age of 28 he was given command of the Montrose brig Gazelle, and shortly afterwards became associated with the firm of Alexander Stephen and Sons, Dundee, who were in business both as shipbuilders and owners. A Baltic War gave Captain YULE the opportunity of proving his mettle. The Danes were threatening to blockade the Prussian port of Swinemunde, outside Stettin. A cargo ship of timber was awaiting Captain Yule's ship, the Isobella, at Settlin. After a record-breaking passage from Dundee he got the Isobella into the Oder a day before the blockade was put into force. Captain YULE was given 14 days to discharge and load again, which he did within 24 hours to spare. The timber brought back to Dundee by the Isobella was used to build the Esquimaux, which Captain YULE took out to Archangel and afterwards to Quebec. When the Esquinmaux was fitted with engines and her bows strengthened for navigation in ice, Captain YULE was offered the command, although he had no previous whaling experience. This he accepted.
CAUGHT 7000 SEALS IN SIX WEEKS
It was chiefly in the Arctic that he made his name. For 17 years in the heyday of the Dundee whaling industry he sailed to Greenland, Iceland and the Labrador coast in command of whalers. He made his first trip to the Arctic in 1866 in command of the Esquimaux, but it was a poor season for catches. A year later, however the Esquimaux sailed back to the Tay with a haul of 7,000 seal, the result of a six weeks visit to the Greenland fishing ground. She was immediately fitted out again, and at once sailed to the Davis Straights, where she caught nine whales. Captain Yule's record catch in a season was 19 whales. At various times he commanded the Polynai and other vessels of the Dundee fleet. During his 17 years experience of whaling many vessels of the Dundee fleet were lost, but Captain YULE always brought his ship safely home. He was appointed Harbour Master of Dundee in 1883, a position, which he held until 1920, when he retired. In December 1926 Captain and Mrs. YULE attained their diamond jubilee. Mrs. YULE died shortly afterwards. He has one daughter. Captain YULE received many messages of Congratulations yesterday, and flags were flown at various points of the harbour and at the Tay ferries. Among those who sent congratulations were Mr. H. Giles WALKER, chairman of Dundee Harbour Trustees; Mr. J. Hammy THOMPSON, general manager and engineer to the Harbour Trustees; and from the kirk-session of the Dundee Parish Church (St. Mary's), of which he is an elder.

  Noted events in his life were:

• He worked as a Ship Captain at the time of his marriage on 15 Nov 1866.

• He worked as a Ship Master at the time of William's birth on 10 Oct 1867 in Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland.

• He worked as a Harbour Master at the time of the Census in 1891 in Broughty Ferry, Angus, Scotland.

• He worked as a Harbour Master (retired) at the time of his wife's death on 27 Mar 1929 in West Ferry, Dundee, Angus, Scotland.

• He resided at the time of his marriage on 15 Nov 1866 in Dundee, Angus, Scotland.

Charles married Helen Jones, daughter of Robert Jones and Jane Dickson, on 15 Nov 1866 in Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland. (Helen Jones was born on 16 Sep 1848 in Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland, christened on 14 Oct 1848 in Tranent, East Lothian, Scotland and died on 27 Mar 1929 in "Braeside", 6 Grove Road, Broughty Ferry, Angus, Scotland.). The cause of her death was Senility, Cerebral thrombosis.