Falmouth Packet Archives 1688-1850 | home

Repositories

By displaying interesting subjects as [Example] clues to it's valuable Reference content, I hope to attract you to visit the RIC, in Truro, and other repositories holding information relating to the Falmouth postal packet service.

We'll get to the technical stuff, but first, it may enlighten you to know how this web site came into being.

In researching the history of the Pandora Inn .jpg [1978 image] Les Douch, of the RIC, gave me enough clues to make a start ... and, after visiting the PRO at Kew to search Admiralty Records, I soon satisfied myself that the inn had NO connection with Captain Edward Edwards or the frigate he commanded, H.M.S. Pandora, of Bounty fame. However, because the packet service was in decline when the ferryman's Passage House adopted its present name, I found myself hoping for a connection with HMPB Pandora (1833) .jpg which came out of the packet service in 1846, just four years prior to the (Restronguet) Passage House being listed as Pandora Inn, in local Guides published in 1850 and 1851.

Finding NO evidence of any such link, I found far more interesting the whole packet story and Falmouth's maritime history since; The subject is now my raison d'etre!

Apart from personal interest, it soon became obvious that anyone else wishing to research the packet history, would be led the same merry trail all over the globe seeking similar information. Not much on reading my own writing, especially when penciled in haste before being asked to go home for the day [!], I started to collate my 'cuttings' in a textual database.

It's just grown from there, and will, I hope result in a thoroughly comprehensive database for Cornwall and the lovers of Falmouth and it's interesting associated maritime history. (Given a few million, I could do it!)

The greatest single source of motivating material, I can state without hesitation, was the work of the late Miss M. E. Philbrick (pdf) who fortunately left her work to the R.I.C. Had she the advantages available today (a compliment to IT), she would certainly have continued her good works and produced the singlemost important record on British Postal Packet History. I am indebted to the R.I.C. for allowing me to transcribe large parts of her work, which gave me an insight into the enormity of the project which the RCPS have kindly agreed to adopt.

The late Dr. Jack Arnold was certainly motivated by access to Miss Philbrick's records at the RIC.

If there was ever any one repository in need of a revenue stream, it must be the RIC.

Digital access revenue would enable staffing at lunchtimes (!), but, more importantly, enable the library to preserve by digitising it's works and make them available to so many more people worldwide. Let's hope the powers that be realise the value of investing in revenue projects, now that bricks & mortar funding has been so effective. Heritage funding is proving to be just as important for revenue projects as for preserving buildings!

Meanwhile, here's a good British repository trail for you... to Canada!

Liverpool University - Cunard " We regret that the web pages for the Cunard archive will not be online for the forseeable future. We also regret that we are unable to provide an E-mail enquiry service. Information relating to maritime history can be found at the National Maritime Museum and the Public Record Office at Kew.

[National Information Providers!]

Frustrated?

Hopefully this is only a temporary block to public access to one heritage subject of major interest, ... so try the Canadian approach to learn about Cunard, starting with History of Nova Scotia, before 31 December 1829 [and from Jan 1830 to Dec. 1849] then, just search, it's all out there!

An excellent start to digital information has been made by the NMM.

View their NMM Journal for Maritime Research

Not yet digital - but very helpful;

Lloyds List on Microfilm

Contact: Chris Payne (Tel: 0171 4112 7351)

The British Library Microfilm Administration

Colindale Newspaper Library

London NW9 5HE

Tel: 0171 412 7359 Fax: 0171 412 7396

LOCATIONS OF LLOYD’S REGISTERS OF SHIPPING and LLOYD’S LIST (Worldwide)

Michael Palmer's introduction to LLOYD'S LIST and LLOYD's REGISTER OF SHIPPING

Maritime History on the Internet

A good starting point for anyone searching the net

"I believe you must use print resources and libraries to do comprehensive research, but as resources become available on the internet I hope to highlight them." Peter McCracken - (My sentiments exactly! )

Peabody Essex Museum (USA)

23 June - 10 September, 2000.

"The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition" (sign-up page)

Links to UK Museums on the Web [Cornwall has yet to feature on this list...]

National Grid For Learning Community Grids [Cornwall has yet to......., but

DEVON is up and running! (See Screen capture)

Perhaps we can learn something from Pages from the Past, published by www.earlymerica.com. To quote:"One of the ways to take the pulse of a society is to search through its primary source materials. Inevitably our search will lead us not only to those well-publicized events we're familiar with....but also to the ordinary everyday events that filled our forebears' lives. With that in mind Pages from the Past offers some typical newspapers that span the 18th century.

A subscription service to view the Pennsylvania Gazette is available from www.accessible.com who publish " Primary Source Material from 18th & 19th Century Periodicals.Over 100 Million Searchable WORDS" E-mail them for personal subscription rates.

WOW!

That's what Cornish repositories should be doing to open their doors!

I spend more in Carrick Council parking tickets to slowly eke out morsels of information at enormous cost in TIME, and for which the library charges nothing but membership and/or photocopy fees.

"Accessible Archives databases are an essential resource tool for all libraries, enabling fast access to a vast amount of information."

Nathaniel Bunker, American History Bibliographer, Widener Library, Harvard University.

LINKS

Journals of the Continental Congress -- In Thirty-four Volumes

Volume I: September 5, 1774 to October 26, 1774	Volume XVIII: September 7, 1780 to December 29, 1780
Volume II: May 10, 1775 to September 20, 1775	Volume XIX: January 1, 1781 to April 23, 1781
Volume III: September 21, 1775 to December 30, 1775	Volume XX: April 24, 1781 to July 22, 1781
Volume IV: January 1, 1776 to June 4, 1776	Volume XXI: July 23, 1781 to December 31, 1781
Volume V: June 5, 1776 to October 8, 1776	Volume XXII: January 1, 1782 to August 9, 1782
Volume VI: October 9, 1776 to December 31, 1776	Volume XXIII: August 12, 1782 to December 31, 1782
Volume VII: January 1, 1777 to May 21, 1777	Volume XXIV: January 1, 1783 to August 29, 1783
Volume VIII: May 22, 1777 to October 2, 1777	Volume XXV: September 1, 1783 to December 31, 1783
Volume IX: October 3, 1777 to December 31, 1777	Volume XXVI: January 1, 1784 to May 10, 1784
Volume X: January 1, 1778 to May 1, 1778	Volume XXVII: May 11, 1784 to December 24, 1784
Volume XI: May 2, 1778 to September 1, 1778	Volume XXVIII: January 11, 1785 to June 30, 1785
Volume XII: September 2, 1778 to December 31, 1778	Volume XXIX: July 1, 1785 to December 30, 1785
Volume XIII: January 1, 1779 to April 22, 1779	Volume XXX: January 2, 1786 to July 31, 1786
Volume XIV: April 23, 1779 to September 1, 1779	Volume XXXI: August 1, 1786 to December 31, 1786
Volume XV: September 2, 1779 to December 31, 1779	Volume XXXII: January 17, 1787 to July 20, 1787
Volume XVI: January 1, 1780 to May 5, 1780	Volume XXXIII: July 21, 1787 to December 19, 1787
Volume XVII: May 8, 1780 to September 6, 1780	Volume XXXIV: January 21, 1788 to March 2, 1789