Falmouth Pilots

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=185 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040b9c00dduajq.jpg"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="70" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 76 WIDTH="66"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="76" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="66" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links to INTERESTING sites"><U><B><IMG SRC="0a3be6f0.jpg" border=0 width="190" height="111" ALT="Falmouth Pilot Cutter, Jack West (1855-1938) " ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFBF0" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><B>Falmouth Packet Archives 1688-1850</B></FONT>    |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Falmouth Packet Archives 16881850"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tallships Falmouth for Orders"><U>'Tallships' & "Falmouth for Orders"</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id121.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Falmouth Docks"><U>Falmouth Docks</U></A>   |   <B>Falmouth Pilots</B>   |   <A HREF="id144.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training Ships based at Falmouth "><U>Training Ships based at Falmouth </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tugs Local Steamers "><U>Tugs & Local Steamers </U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Shipping Agents"><U>Shipping Agents</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lifeboat"><U>Lifeboat</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id122.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harbour Master"><U>Harbour Master</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id132.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Harbour Commissioners"><U>Harbour Commissioners</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id131.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Misc"><U>Misc</U></A></div> <div> Falmouth Pilots</div> <div> Falmouth Pilot Boats and the Pilot Gigs                                     Note Hull Reg. No. 8,  Sail No.1(below)</div> <div> <IMG SRC="0a13fbf0.jpg" border=0 width="575" height="447" ALT="Falmouth Pilot Boat (Hull #8, Sail #1)" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Port services were a flourishing business during the packet era, and late in the nineteenth century. </div> <div> Until 2000, the oldest Shipping Agent still in the port, was that of G. C. Fox & Co. </div> <div> It is particularly interesting to view the agent's details, including references to Falmouth pilots in a  <a href="HTMLobj-231/1761-64_Purchase_Ledger_of_George_Croker_Fox.htm"><u>Ledger</u> </a>  of George Croker Fox.</div> <div>  </div> <div> <I>Received Aug. 8th</I><I><B> 1761, </B></I><I>of</I><I><B> George Croker Fox two pounds and two shillings</B></I></div> <div> <I>in full for</I><I><B> Pilotage of the Spanish Capt. into Fowey.</B></I><I>  </I></div> <bR> <div> <I>Rec'd Sept. 25th </I><I><B>1761</B></I><I> of Geo. C. Fox </I><I><B>Ten shillings & 6d.for piloting the Dutch Vessel into Fowey.</B></I><I>       John Symons <a href="HTMLobj-213/Captain_John_Bull___104_on_reverse_of_photo_courtesy_of_Marlborough_House_.JPG"></a>  </I></div> <bR> <div> Newspaper reports referring to pilots during the packet era include, such as;</div> <div> <I>Sherborne Mercury</I> (SM) 28 May,<B>1798</B>: Falmouth, May 24.                                        </div> <div> Sunday se'nnight, (13th) a passenger on the Exeter Stage Coach fell from it near Honiton, and died in a few minutes.  He is supposed to be a pilot belonging to Falmouth, and to have been taken with a sudden giddiness. [presumably sitting atop the coach.]</div> <div> The <I><B>Grantham </B></I>packet-boat, Captain Bull, arrived here on Tuesday last (22nd) from Jamaica after a passage of 7 weeks and 2 days. She brings news of a disagreeable nature from St. Domingo.  The French have been successful in some of their military operations there; it is apprehended that Cape Nichola Mole is the only place on the island, that we shall long be able to retain. The islands were extraordinarily healthy when the <I>Grantham</I> was there.</div> <bR> <div> <I>Falmouth Packet & Cornish Echo</I> [FP] Saturday 19 May, <B>1838</B>:  "<B>Loss of a Pilot Boat</B>"</div> <div> The public are respectfully solicited in aid of the following case:</div> <div> The<I><B> Hiram</B></I> pilot boat, of St. Mawes, the property of Richard Andrew, pilot, whilst waiting in Falmouth harbour on the 10th instant (May) for two pilots who were on board vessels which they had brought to anchor, unfortunately missed stays, and the wind strong from the East, caused her to be driven on the rocks under Pendennis Castle, where, in a short time, she became a total wreck, by which means, <B>the father and his three sons are deprived of a vessel wherewith to gain their livelihood.   </B>The burthen [weight] of this vessel was about <B>40 tons</B>, and of a considerable value.</div> <div> Any donation to these unfortunate Pilots will be thankfully received at either of the Banks at Falmouth.</div> <bR> <div> Cuttings, such as the above, give the reader invaluable clues for cross-referencing.....</div> <bR> <div> FP Sat. 9 May <B>1838:</B>     "<B>New Pilotage Bill</B>"  </div> <div> [very brief summary]</div> <div> - to place management of the control of Pilots in the UK under  <a href="HTMLobj-232/Trinity_House__Tower_Hill__London_in_1829_by_Thos_Hosmer_Shepherd_.jpg"><u>Trinity House</u> </a>  </div> <div> - Trinity House to have sole powers to appoint Commissioners of Pilotage</div> <div> - Commissioners to licence Pilots, to write bye-laws and to establish rates [Charges]</div> <div> - Pilots licences to be renewed annually</div> <div> - To establish a uniform system and uniform rates in the UK.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> FP 6/7/<B>1844</B>: Launch of a cutter, 40 tons burthen "<I>Water Nymph</I>, property of Mr P Pope and others, <B>intended for a pilot boat</B>, launched from the yard of Mr J. Trethowan, shipbuilder, Falmouth.  <B>The fourth pilot-boat launched from his yard, all remarkable for their superior qualities and the last judged to be the finest ever built within the port.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> FP 6/6/<B>1858</B>: Auction at Mr. Trethowan's yard at Bar and the stores at North Quay - materials of the NORTHERN EMPIRE.  Guildhall, Falmouth.  - Alfred Fox moved for an engineer's appraisal of the docks and cargo facilities in Falmouth.</div> <div> <B>Shipping report from 1850-1858 </B>(5-months of 1858) <B>7,332 English ships, 8,746 Foreign</B>.</div> <bR> <div> FP 24/7/<B>1858:</B> Falmouth.</div> <div> Our harbour has this week presented a very animated appearance, from the large number of vessels which have arrived.  Several are grain-laden from the Danube; and the fleet comprises vessels from the following nations, viz; English, American, French, Sardinian, Belgian, Dutch, Danish, Russian, Bremen, Mecklenburg, Portuguese, Spanish, Neapolitan, Oldenburg, Austrian, Greek, Russian, Hamburg, Swedish, Norwegian, Lubeck, etc.,</div> <bR> <div> <B> <A NAME="1887_falmouth_pilot_association_formed"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B><B>1887</B>: <B>Falmouth Pilot Association</B> (<I>established 1887 for the regulation of the Pilotage Service" </I>(see <A HREF="#lakes_1918_falmouth_almanack_advertisements" TITLE="Falmouth Pilots"><U>Lakes Almanack of 1918</U></A>)</div> <bR> <bR> <div> FP 25/4/<B>1896</B>:     A Penryn Captain Drowned.</div> <div> Captain<B> John Enys</B>, of  Penryn, who, it appears, has been following the profession of <B>Channel Pilot</B> for some time.  He and a mariner named <B>Frederick Cappett</B>, a native of Falmouth, went to Liverpool for the purpose of taking the cutter yacht <I>Rival</I> from that place to Southampton.  The yacht belonged to Mr. C. Whitney of Liverpool, and put into Holyhead through stress of weather on Good Friday.  On Easter Monday they again put to sea but could not make any headway, and were forced to put back.  Another attempt was made the following day, but the weather was too boisterous to enable them to proceed.  The yacht was anchored in the new pier, about 150 yards from the shore.</div> <div> In the evening Cappett went ashore, and on his return the next morning he found the punt which was tied to the stern floating bottom up.</div> <div> A light was burning in the cabin, but no traces of the deceased could be found.  It is surmised that the deceased must have fallen overboard during the night and was drowned. Efforts were made to find the body by dredging operations, but they were to n avail.  Deceased was 46 years of age, and leaves a widow and three or four children.  [same Fred 'Hokum' Capot, Falmouth Quay Puntman]</div> <bR> <div> FP 22/5/<B>1897</B>:     Pilots and their Pay.</div> <div> Public sympathy will be on the side of the local pilots in their efforts to secure a revised tariff.  at a meeting of the Harbour Board this week, Mr. T[homas] Webber [Retired merchant, of 'Woodville', Falmouth (see FP 26/2/1898)]  gave publicity to the matter, and lucidly explained the grievance of those who follow the dangerous and responsible calling of navigating the vessels comprising our mercantile fleet through dangerous passages of water. The very basis of the tariff stands in need of alteration. Instead of being paid according to the tonnage of vessels, the pilots charge according to the number of feet a vessel draws.</div> <div> Comment is hardly necessary, except to mention that with increased tonnage invariably comes increased responsibility.</div> <div> But the pilots have what they regard as a still bigger grievance.  <B>To pilot a vessel drawing eight feet from outside the Manacles to within Pendennis point, the charge is thirty shillings, whilst there is a reduction of ten shillings on this amount if the pilotage only extends from inside the Manacles to Pendennis.    Captains take every advantage of this, and the fact that stormy weather often prevents pilots from boarding vessels outside the Manacles, the men suffer man losses year in year out, through no fault of their own.</B></div> <div> What they want is the same pilotage inside and outside the bay, and as there is little fear of the port suffering as a consequence, it seems very likely that this important change will be made.</div> <bR> <div> FP 22/5/<B>1897</B>:     Pilots and their Tariff.</div> <div> Mr Webber stated that the pilots would like the tariff to be the same as that at Queenstown, so that captains should not complain that Falmouth's charges were higher. … Mr. Truscott asked what the Harbour Board had to do with the matter. … the commissioners of the pilotage Committee do not want to be in conflict with the Harbour Board,…. Mr. Pearce said so far as the harbour Board was concerned, it was merely complimentary to bring it before the members.  Mr. Truscott said he did not think one-half of the captains would know whether a charge had been made. So it was not likely to affect the interest of this port.[!]  Mr. Gundry: Would it keep vessels from coming here? - Mr. Webber: I don't think so. - This ended the discussion on the subject. </div> <bR> <div> FP Sat. 26/6/1897:</div> <div> A Well known character in the town named Stephen Parker, formerly a Channel pilot, was found asleed in a field near Swanpool-street  by P.C. Pomeroy.  The poor old man was covered with a sheet of brown paper, and he told the policeman that it served him as well as a blanket. The bench ordered Parker to be removed to the workhouse.</div> <bR> <div> FP 3/7/1897:     Postal Alterations.     </div> <div> A letter not exceeding 4 ounces can now be sent for 1d. For inland parcels post the charge for the first pound will be 3d, and 1d per lb extra up to 9 lbs, and from 9-11 lbs, one penny only.  Parcels weighing 11 lb can now be forwarded anywhere in the United Kingdom for one shilling.  Telegrams will be delivered free within 3 miles of the head office of any district.</div> <div> Deaths  BENNEY.- At Truro, June 29th, Sarah Pollock, relict of Mr. <B>Richard Benney</B>, river pilot and steamboat proprietor, aged 72.  </div> <bR> <div> FP 3/7/1897:     The late Mrs Benney, in connection with the steamboat between Falmouth & Truro.  </div> <div> The service was practically established by the late Captain Richard Benney, and in the subsequent management and development of it his widow took a very active part. In all matters pertaining to the shipping trade of Truro, Mrs Benney - whose husband and sons have for many years past been the principal pilots of the port [of Truro] - took a lively interest. [Edward Benney, manager <I>Furniss & Co. Ltd.</I>,  Messrs. John James* and T. Barrett and T. Osborne, Directors, and about 40 employees attended the funeral.]  </div> <div> Sarah P. Benney died June 29th, 1897, aged 72 years.  The chief mourners were Mr. & Mrs R. Benney,  Mr. & Mrs E. Benney, Captain Dan Benney, Miss Benney (daughter of the late Captain Jim Benney) , Captain Albert and Mrs Benney, Masters Arthur, Jim & Misses Benney (3 grand-daughters), Mr. Richard Benney (cousin),  Mr. & Mrs Snell (Newham), Mr. Joe Snell, .... </div> <div> [CHECK if related to quay punt watermen 'Janner' Snell & his son, Jack Snell (died 1998)] </div> <div> * Shareholder in the Falmouth Hotel?</div> <bR> <div> FP 26/3/<B>1898</B>: Falmouth Shipping Case.     A Test Action.</div> <div> <B>Joseph Williams</B>, of 15 Merril-place, Falmouth, v. the local <B>Pilotage Association</B>.</div> <div> Plaintiff is a seaman aboard <B>No. 8 pilot cutter of Falmouth</B>, the property of defendants.</div> <div> On the night of 13th December last, plaintiff, with others of the crew of the cutter, rendered services to the Plymouth dredger <I>Boss</I>, lying in Falmouth harbour. In respect of those services defendants had received from the owners of the <I>Boss</I>, the sum of £35.  Plaintiff claimed that the £35 might be apportioned by the court, and that the amount to which he might be entitled should be paid to him by the defendants.</div> <div> On the night in question, <B>the [pilot] cutter was lying in Falmouth harbour, with a crew of eight on board; six were pilots, and members of the defendant Association, while the other two were seamen, commonly called deck hands, he served on board the cutter at ordinary weekly wages.</B></div> <div> During the night, cries of distress proceeded from the dredger. Five men, including the plaintiff, put off in a boat, and found that the dredger was dragging her anchor and driving towards other shipping, if not brought up. Finding only one person on the dredger, they set to work and brought the dredger into safe anchorage. </div> <div> Plaintiff was offered ten shillings for his share in the operations - an amount which he indignantly refused. This was a test action. For years, various sums - amounting, he believed, in one instance, to something like £500 - had been received by the Association for salvage services, but hitherto <B>claims of the deck hands had been absolutely ignored</B>.</div> <div> Defendants cross-examined plaintiff with the objective of  showing that <B>at times Falmouth Pilots earned very little</B>, having divided as little as ten shillings per week each. Yet plaintiff would get £5 per month.  [NOTE: see reports of Pilot's earnings , £100 - £250 p.a.].  During the six months that plaintiff suffered from rheumatic fever he received half-pay. <B>Pilots profits varied,</B> thus sometimes they shared a considerably larger sum than at others. <B>The whole question was one of whether the case was one of salvage or not</B>.  If it were not salvage, there could be no apportionment.  [Defendant's lawyer compared the dredger, having no motive power, with a case involving a gas float, at Hull, which the Lords decided was not a 'vessel.' Judge decided the barge, being movable by another vessel was unlike the gas float, which was viewed in the nature of a light-house or buoy.]</div> <div> Judge decided that £20 should be awarded to the Association for the risk run by their boat. He could not take into consideration the wages, having decided that it was a case of salvage, and each of the five men should receive £3 with costs.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>The Pilot Boat Hotel  </B></div> <bR> <div> Next to today's "Chain Locker" bar, these hotels were all convenient to landing points used by pilots and licensed boatmen plying to and from vessels in the harbour and Falmouth Bay.  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="2a3b80b0.jpg" border=0 width="440" height="523" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> In 1880, the first Ordnance Survey map of Falmouth shows the position of hotels convenient to the administrative centre of the port.</div> <div> Immediately below the Globe Hotel is today's Harbour Master's office, next to which is the Customs, bonded storage warehouses (since Taylor's Motors, now Trago Mills) and, on the opposite side of Arwenack Street, the offices of  G.C. Fox & Co. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> 1918: Falmouth Pilot Association "<I>established 1887 for the regulation of the Pilotage Service"</I></div> <div> <IMG SRC="31d807b0.jpg" border=0 width="640" height="379" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <A NAME="lakes_1918_falmouth_almanack_advertisements"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>Lakes Falmouth Almanack Advertisements. </div> <div> Note: By 1918, there were only three sailing Pilot boats on the port.  </div> <div> Most of the pilots were employed taking vessels to the continent, "up-channel" (English or Bristol)</div> <div>  </div> <div> <IMG SRC="321b8120.jpg" border=0 width="440" height="274" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div>  <A NAME="a_r__dawson___the_mud_pilot_s_launch_circa_1950"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><I>A.R. Dawson c.1950</I> (<FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >Courtesy of the </FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/Council-Services/ab-de02/ab-de02d.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/Council-Servi"><U>Cornish Local Studies Library</U></A></FONT><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, Redruth) </FONT></div> <div> The "Mud pilot's launch" (Penryn River pilot) on the end of King Charles Quay</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>LINKS</B></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://ihr.sas.ac.uk/gh/thouse.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ihr.sas.ac.uk/gh/thouse.htm"><U>Records of the Corporation of Trinity House at Guildhall Library</U></A></div> <bR> <div> "The Corporation of Trinity House was incorporated by royal charter in <B>1514</B>. There is a tradition which dates the existence of a Trinity guild from the 13th century but there is no firm evidence to support this. When the charter was granted, Trinity House had a hall and almshouses at <B>Deptford</B>. Premises were acquired in <B>Ratcliff</B> and <B>Stepney </B>in the 17th century and meetings were held at all three sites. The Corporation bought a property in <B>Water Lane</B> in the City of London in <B>1660</B>. The Hall in Water Lane burnt down and was rebuilt twice, in 1666 and 1714. When it proved too cramped for proposed improvements in the 1790s, the Corporation bought land at <B>Tower Hill</B> on which <B>Trinity House was built 1793-6</B>. The present building retains the 1790s facade but a bomb on 30 December 1940 destroyed most of the rest of the original building which was sympathetically rebuilt in 1952-3."</div> <bR> <div> Until 1836, the Corporation of Trinity House did not have a monopoly on the erection of lighthouses.</div> <div> The pilotage service provided by the Corporation was financed by a levy on pilots' earnings, by dues paid by vessels and by pilots' licences. Each pilot had to renew his licence yearly.</div> <div> Elder brethren are elected (for life) from the pool of around 300 Younger brethren who are primarily Merchant Navy captains (with a few Royal Navy officers).</div> <bR> <div> <B>ACCESS TO THE RECORDS</B></div> <bR> <div> The records of the Corporation of Trinity House have suffered from fire in 1666 and 1714 and from bombing in 1940. Though the court minutes survive from <B>1660</B>, many other series of records are only present from the 19th century. <B>Because of the many ways in which the Corporation of Trinity House has touched on British maritime life, the records which survive are still very rich and extremely varied.</B>The archive is subject to a<B> fifty year closure</B> period and researchers must seek permission to see any record less than fifty years old. <B>Guildhall Library is unable to carry out detailed searches of the Corporation of Trinity House archive. Enquirers are welcome to visit the Manuscripts Section in person or to hire a record agent.</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Also available at the Guildhall Library<FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" > - </FONT><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>Indexes to Lloyd’s Captains registers</U></FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>