Captain John Gray

Captain John Gray was Master of the S.S. Great Britain from 1854 to 1868. He was a Shetlander, born in 1819 on Unst, North Shetland at Valand a now derelict cottage or croft. As a youth he first went to sea fishing in ‘sixareens’, doulble-ended boats resembling the Viking longships of Shetlanders’ ancestors. At the age of 19 he went to the Davis Straits in a Greenland Whaler and afterwards left Shetland to work on sailing ships between London and Liverpool on the American voyages rising to Second Mate then First Mate then commanding  on the ‘Sea King’ then the ‘Loodiana’ as his skills became apparent. Gray, now married was offered Second Mate’s position on the revolutionary Great Britain which he accepted, rising to First Mate after his third voyage in 1853.  Great Britain was altered to carry emigrants to Australia, on Gray’s advice she was converted to a three-masted full-rigged ship and with him as Master achieved faster times to reach Melbourne in only 65 days. Credit must attributed to him for making her the most sought after ship in the service. Gray kept the ship in perfect working order, constantly inspecting her and ascending the three mast-heads himself three times a week. In gales and emergencies he frequently helped the crew with ropes and sails.
Passengers on the Australian run carried large sums of money and the Great Britain and was jokingly referred to as a ‘floating bank’. Captain Gray was often given valuable presents by passengers and he was known to keep money in his cabin. Thus there was a suspicion of foul play when left alone for a time in his cabin and ill with malaria, he disappeared. The porthole was found to be open. Captain Gray had commanded the S.S. Great Britain for fourteen years.

Sources: Wikipedia,