I am trying to track down a mercantile ship that sailed from Sweden to Cuba and then to New York in 1960. The captain was named Lars Gosta Hilding but the paperwork just list him as G. Hilding. My grandfather was a stowaway on this ship.
If you haven’t already done, try your luck here:
If not found in their wide ranging tregister, you may contact them:
micke@faktaomfartyg.se
Maybe this one? (No further info)
https://picryl.com/media/lastmotorfartyget-nigella-av-goteborg-foto-taget-i-borjan-av-1963-i-oresund-478b1e?zoom=true
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Thank you. I looked through and the Nigella isn’t listed.
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Here is a painting of a Swedish ship called Nigella:
Looks to be the same ship as above. Still no additional info.
Source: Images for 2829376. R. MATTHIAS. "Nigella", ship portrait, oil on Board, signed. - Auctionet
Correction: Owner name appears on painting as Rydberg & Streiffert AB
Here is some info:
![[Rydberg & Streiffert]](https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/images/s/se~r70a.gif)
image contributed by Neale Rosanoski, 2 November 2006
A one ship company of the late 1950s and early 1960s with the Collectors Corner cap badge showing a white flag with the blue letters “RS”.
Neale Rosanoski, 2 November 2006
Source: House flags of Swedish Shipping Companies (14)
Can’t find any more on this company, except that it is no longer in business since 1990.
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Yes! I contacted the auction house who contacted the seller, but they’re not interested in selling it to me.
The Nigella was originally constructed in 1946 at Helsinki and went thru a few name changes until becoming the Nigella for a few years. She is listed as having five hatches and is the ship shown above.
In 1963 she changed name to the Julia C Ertel, and then to the Liberian flag under the name of Mary. She is listed as having wrecked on Christmas Day 1967, 25 Miles north of Ceuta, while on a voyage carrying lentils from Beirut to Colombo (the Suez Canal was closed due to the Six Day War).
Source: Lloyd’s Register and Casualty Returns
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Wow! Thank you so much for all of that information! I went to the source you cited at the bottom but could not locate the information you mentioned in your post. The only Ship by that name I’m finding was constructed in the early 1900s. Would you be able to possibly send me the link of where you found that information?
Lloyd’s Register 1968 M-Z noting the ex-Nigella MARY wrecked 12/67
Lloyd’s Casualty Returns 1968 (keyword search “MARY”)
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Thank you! I guess what I’m wondering is - how can I see that the Nigella’s name changed to Mary?
I found the Nigella’s name change to Julia C Ertel in Lloyd’s Register. How can I find the information about when it was built, etc?
Thank you!!
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If you look up the Nigella via text search in the archive.org file, you will find two “Nigella” entries referenced in the “former names” section which will reference the Julia C Ertel. If you then search keyword “Ertel”, you will note a page with the Julia, once clicked on, you will see the entry for the MARY, gross tons 3204 and under the name both Julia Ertel and Nigella are mentioned as “ex-“, presumably this “Nigella” didn’t show in text search because you can see the page is fuzzy and likely didn’t OCR properly.
You could also note that the Nigella that did turn up in the keyword search gave two options, one vessel of 499 gross tons the other 3204, the Mary entry in the Casualty list gross tons—3204. Now, to really start the search, it was necessary to begin in 1960 edition of Lloyd’s Register… but I hope that is enough for you.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Do you have any leads for tracking down the captain, Lars Hilding or family members? I presume, since he was born in 1920, that he is no longer living.
You can try the Swedish seaman archives:
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Thank you!!!
Hello Yabreu…
Her is a link to a wellrenowned Magazine for Swedish maritime history…they happen to have a story of Nigella which includes a letter date Oct. -61from the Captain you mentioned where he describes a port cal in Cuba and from which he got 2 stowaways aboard, maybe one was your grandfather.
The captains brother who also was a mm was later my teacher att the nauticall school in Stockholm Sweden…
The world is small - for silors…
Kjell Landin
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Sorry, fortgott the Link
Kjell Landin
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Thank you so much! I was able to find the captain’s family and they sent me a copy of this same letter. This is amazing! The composer mentioned in the letter is my grandfather.
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Small world indeed.
I think you got more than you bargained for when you posted here. 
This has been most helpful and incredible. I really appreciate all the expertise and help in solving this mystery!
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