DRENNAN, Ryland

Other Events and Attributes:

• Color/Complexion: Medium
• Physical Description: Large scar on right side of face
• Eye color: Grey
• Hair color: Brown-grey mixed
• Height: 5 feet, 8 inches
• Obituary: From San Francisco Chronicle: Capt. Drennan Drops Dead in Midst of Song Famous Mariner Started Career Here With Line 24 Years Ago --------------------------- Captain Ryland Drennan, port superintendent of the Panama Mail Steamship Company and one of the best known mariners on the Pacific, dropped dead yesterday as he finished a round of golf with two friends at the Olympic Club. He was 51 years old. Drennan, whose wit and irrepressible high spirits had made him one of the best liked men in maritime service, had played a match with John O’Connor, manager of the Donovan Lumber Company, and E. A. MacMahon another shipping man. He seemed in even better spirits than usual as he walked to the clubhouse with them. He left them with a joke to go to his locker room. He was singing to himself as he walked along the corridor. Heard Him Fall Then O’Connor heard him fall, and rushing to his side, found him strangely still. O’Connor called Dr. L. O. Kimberlin, who was standing nearby, and the physician pronounced Drennan dead from heart failure. Captain Drennan entered the service of the Pacific Steamship Company, forerunner of the Panama Mail Company, twenty-four years ago, when he sailed as the fourth officer on the liner Manchuria, then sailing between San Francisco and the Orient. His rise was rapid. Five years later he was made commander of the liner Pennsylvania and had the distinction of being one of the youngest skippers in transpacific service. In 1917 he was transferred to the Columbia, then running to China. Entered World War A year later, when the United States entered the World war, John H. Rosseter, director of operations for the United States Shipping Board and vice-president of the Pacific Mail, took Drennan to Washington, D. C. as his assistant. Drennan was there for a year. Then he returned to San Francisco to take command of the navy training ship Iris. After the war he served as his company’s agent in Shanghai and as master of the steamer Hoosier State, now the President Lincoln, until 1924, when he was installed in San Francisco as port captain of the Pacific Mail. June 1, 1925, when the firm was succeeded by the Panama Mail, Drennan retained the corresponding position of port superintendent. Drennan was born in Santa Cruz in 1877. His only survivor is his widow. Since making his home in San Francisco he had lived at 2983 Pacific avenue.
• Occupation: Sea Captain
• Residence: San Francisco, San Francisco, California
• Cause of Death: Heart Attack
• Residence: 1880, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA
• Residence: 1900, Australia
• Residence: 1900, Santa Cruz Ward 3, Santa Cruz, California
• Membership: 1910, Royal Arch Masons of Santa Cruz
• Residence: 1920, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia
• Residence: 1921-1928, 2983 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

Notes:

Santa Cruz Surf (Weekly)
December 27 1890

Location: Santa Cruz
Source: Santa Cruz Public Library

Distressing Accident.
A Boy Shot While Carelessly Playing With a Gun.
An accident of a peculiarly sad and distressing handled by a boy, brought
disfigurement and perhaps death to a playmate.
Frank Sager and Ryland Drennan, two well known boys, were playing on
Chestnut avenue with a shot gun, and in some manner, Sager, who had the
gun, accidentally discharged it, the full force of the shot striking young
Drennan in the face tearing away the left side and shattering the jaw-bone.
It was a most unfortunate case as young Drennan was an unusually bright
boy, very popular among his friends, and should he recover will carry the
ugly marks, resulting from one day's careless sport, through life. The
shooting was entirely accidental, the boys being great friends. Young
Sager is almst crazed with grief and fright over the unfortunate occurrence. The attending physician removed the shattered remnants of
the bone, and it is hope that the boy may recover, although grave fears are
entertained that other complications may set in that will prove fatal.

Other notes on things to still be researched:

Went to sea at an early age, and eventually became a steamship captain. Some miscellaneous items:

* Travel and Comment - Page 17
by James Duval Phelan - Voyages around the world - 1923 - 318 pages
My ship was "The Hoosier State," Captain Ryland Drennan, a native of Santa Cruz,
on the bridge, and Chief Engineer MJ Stack, a native of San Francisco, ...

* The Historical Society of Southern California Quarterly - Page 25
by Historical Society of Southern California - California, Southern - 1961
... and later in the hands of her brother, Captain Ryland Drennan, of San Francisco,
another interesting bit of information was discovered. ...

* The National Marine
by National Marine League of the United States of America - Merchant marine - 1918
Page 42
You will also make the members of the crew directly responsible for the care of
these books and periodicals. CAPTAIN RYLAND DRENNAN, Deck Department. ..

* Japanese Immigration Legislation: Hearings Before the Committee on ... - Page 117
by United States Congress. Senate. Committee on Immigration - 1924 - 170 pages
Ryland Drennan told me on the voyage which I took with him that he lost 14 of
his crew in San Francisco on his previous voyage. ...

* Inquiry Into Operations of Shipping Board: Hearings, July 24-Aug. 7, 1919 - Page 144
by United States, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Congress, House - 1919 - 795 pages
Ryland Drennan, who had been a captain of the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. and also
other companies prior to that time, for many years. ...

* From the days prior to the Mongolia scandal unfolding, a story in the SF Chronicle about Ryland’s new appointment on the China Mail Steamship Company:

Harbor News

Under the houseflag of the China Mail Steamship Company, the former Pacific Mail liner China will steam from this port Saturday at 1 o’clock, and will inaugurate a service which is to compete with the T. K. K for the mastery of the trade between San Francisco and ports of the Orient other than Japanese. Captain Ryland Drennan is to go out in command of the China, and is well known as a navigator and master out of this port.

Drennan’s last command was the Pacific Mailer Newport in the Panama service, and later he went in the China trade of the company. He arrived here yesterday as chief officer of the liner Mongolia, and is to sever his connection with the Pacific Mail Company today.

The position of master of the China was offered him by radiogram from this port three days ago, and he accepted at once, so when the Mongolia steams for the Atlantic, there will be another chief as second to Captain Emery Rice.

Loaded to capacity with freight, the China will inaugurate the service of the of the new company to the Far East, and her cabins and steerage will be filled with passengers. Already the reservations of Chinese have filled the vessel as far as all accommodations except cabin are concerned, and at present Europeans and Americans have taken practically all the first-class accommodations on the trim liner.

Ceremonies incident to the christening of the houseflag of the new China Mail Steamship Company will be held on board the liner China at pier 42 this afternoon. At that time the new company will take its place among the shipping concerns of San Francisco and a large delegation of prominent shipping men will be present.


Served on the United States shipping Board, and is mentioned as being present during negotiations over the NY longshoremen’s strike in 1919.

A blog post I wrote about Ryland Drennan in 2012: http://byrnefamily.net/ryland-drennan-siren-song-sea/

Ryland married NICHOLS, Lois Mildred on 9 Oct 1909 in San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. Lois (daughter of NICHOLS, Urial Schuymerhorn and GUILD, Pacific) was born on 2 May 1878 in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA; died on 11 Jan 1966 in Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California, USA; was buried on 13 Jan 1966 in IOOF Cemetery, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]