Ship & Boat-builders

<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> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="326b40a0.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="266" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <I><B> <A NAME="eclipse__1876_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I><I><B>Eclipse</B></I><B> (1876) on R.S. Burt's slip at Bar, c. 1935</B></div> <div> [Built by Phillips]</div> <bR> <bR> <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>                                                   </div> <div> Ship & Boat-builders</div> <bR> <bR> <div> FP Sat 26/11/<B>1835</B>: A fine smack intended for the Plymouth trade was launched from <B>Pond Yard * </B>on Friday last (20 Nov.) by Mr. Trethowan. [Pond Yard = Bar Pond ]</div> <bR> <div> P 12/9/<B>1840</B>: Yard of Mr. F Symons at Bar (Falmouth), launch of <I>Edward Hayes</I>, 213 tons Registered, 350 burthen.</div> <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> <div> FP 20/8/<B>1870</B>: A Meeting of Registered Shipowners elected to the [Falmouth Harbour Commissioners] Board, <B>Mr. H. S. Trethowan</B>, Shipbuilder, <B>Mr. William H. Lean</B>, Shipbuilder, Mr. F.H. Thomas, Lloyds Surveyor, and Mr. Edwin Pope, Merchant.</div> <bR> <div> 24/9/1870: "Wanted, 2 Apprentices to the shipbuilding, about 14."  Apply to <B>Francis Symons & Son</B>.</div> <bR> <div> FP 15/12/1870: "<B>Mr. Lean</B>'s yard on the beach at the Well."  [Bar pool area] </div> <bR> <div> FP 21/1/1871: A Salvage case before <B>Mr. Lean</B> (Mayor)"  </div> <bR> <div> 1876:  <A NAME="eclipse_yawl_built_by_phillips_of_falmouth_1876"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><I><B>Eclipse</B></I>, yawl, built by Phillips. Falmouth [29.4 ft T.M., 30 ft LOA, 29.5 ft LWL, 9.8 ft Breadth, 5.6 ft Draught, 700 sq. ft sail area.(renewed in 1934 by Prior & Holdroff) [qf Lloyds Yacht register, 1950]</div> <bR> <div> FP 28/8/1880: Thursday Aug. 5th 1880, a large fire £1,700 damage to shipbuilder W H Lean JP, 40 carpenters' chests lost.  Mr. Symons yard next door, he and his men helped .</div> <bR> <div> FP 25/4/1896:     [Quay] Punt for Sale, 28 feet long.</div> <div> For particulars, apply <B>T. Jackett</B>, Yacht Builder, <I><B>Victoria Yard</B></I>, Falmouth.</div> <bR> <div> FP 16/5/1896     Successful Prize Winner</div> <div> Mr. <B>Harley Mead,</B> son of Major Mead [of Falmouth] won first prize for drawing specifications for a 24-ft fishing boat, in a competition known as the Major William's designing competition, held in connection with the recent annual exhibition of the London Sailing Club.  Judge; "<I>the handsomest, probably the fastest of them all, and could be easily managed by two amateurs and adapted for cruising around the coast</I>." </div> <div> [Harley went on to design 'cruising yachts of the quay punt type']</div> <bR> <div> FP 3/7/<B>1897</B>:     Yacht Launch.     </div> <div> [Note: 1897 was Queen Victoria's Jubilee year.  (50 years reign) - Hence Jackett's "Victoria" Yard?]</div> <div> On Thursday there was launched from the shipbuilding yard of Mr. Thomas Jackett, a beautifully modelled yacht, built for Mr. H. J. Simpson of Cardiff, from the designs of Mr. Hubert Cheppard <A NAME="hubert_cheppard_of_flushing___"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A>, of Flushing.  Her dimensions are: Length 70 ft, breadth 15 ft 4 in. ; waterline 65 ft.  She is built of red pine planking, with oak frame, and will be schooner rigged.  There is also an oil engine by olch & Co, of London,  on board for use in calm weather.  Her spacious cabins are fitted with lincrusta walton, and will be upholstered with gold Utrecht velvet by Mr. T. Roberts of the Pendennis Furnishing Warehouse.  The curtains will be of old gold damask trimmed with lace.</div> <div> Very gracefully performed by Mrs. Sheppard was the christening ceremony, the yacht being named "Hilda Muriel".  Her tonnage is 63 1/4 (Thames measurement), and she is about the largest wooden yacht that has been built in the port.</div> <bR> <div> FP 2/10/<B>1897</B>     A Cycling Record.     Mr. John Jackett's cycling wins this year consist of 8 wins, 5 seconds and 7 thirds. These include two cup prizes, one being the mile Cornish Championship.  She came second in the one and ten miles Devon and Cornwall N.C.U. championship.  [Son of the Falmouth boatbuilder, Victoria Boat Yard, below Jackett's Steps.]</div> <bR> <div> FP 16/4/<B>1898</B>:  Mr. T. Jackett,  boatbuilder, has just completed a yacht for a gentleman fitted out as a cruiser, and built <B>quay punt style</B>, at a length of 36 feet over all. She was successfully launched in March last year, being christened <I><B>Kernick</B></I><I><B> <A NAME="kernick"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I>, by Mrs. Jackett.</div> <div> Amongst the yachts fitting out are; <I>Hilda Muriel,</I> Aux. Screw Steamer, 60 tons, Mr. Simpson, undergoing alterations at Mr. Jackett's yard<I>, Emmie</I>, cutter, Mr. T. Jackett.</div> <bR> <div> FP 8/4/<B>1899</B>:     Funeral of <B>Mr. W. H. Lean.</B> [Shipwright]</div> <div> Preceding the hearse were the workmen, one man from each department acted as bearers.</div> <div> The flags of a large number of vessels in the harbour were flying half-mast high. </div> <div> The mourners were Mr. John Lean (brother), Mrs. Edmund Harvey (adopted daughter), Miss Carrie Lean (niece), Mr. W. H. Lean (nephew)…</div> <bR> <div> FP 1/7/<B>1899</B>:     Sale of the <I>Spinaway</I>, the well-known cutter yacht formerly owned by the late <B>Mr. W. H. Lean.</B>  Bidding started at £80, Mr. J. Chard Jun. Eventually becoming the purchaser at £125.</div> <bR> <div> FP 15/7/<B>1899</B>:      Sale by Auction  (Late W. H. Lean's yard, the Bar, Falmouth)</div> <div> Brigantine "<I>Clara Manning</I>" 97 x 23 x 12' 6" 132 tons Register,  carrying capacity 250 tons.  Schooner, known as the "Union" , now used as a hulk.</div> <div> All that large wood structure known as the "<I>Gymnasium</I>", length 49 ft, breadth 23 ft.; 2 floors in height' together with contents of same, comprising hemp, coir (sic) and wire rope, several lengths of good cable chain; 3 secondhand 25 ft lifeboats in excellent condition; another boat, patent windlass, steam winch and sundry other lots.</div> <div> The Brigantine may be seen on the beach at the back of Messrs. Harvey and company's timber yard, the hulk is in the stream contiguous, the building, boats and other effects being close at hand.</div> <bR> <div> FP 2/6/<B>1900</B>: (The year that Falmouth Sailing Club introduced a new rule - no shifting ballast!)</div> <div> A new yacht designed by Mr. N.T. Jackett, is being fitted out by <B>Mr. T. Jackett</B>  [father of N.T.] for Mr. H. S. Norton. To be called <I>Daphne</I>, <B>32 ft</B> over-all, she is expected to be very fast.[Yacht quay punt]</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> FP 18/5/<B>1901</B>: Falmouth Sailing Club (fitting-out news)</div> <div> 18 ft. <I>Marian</I> (sic) has been converted from a centreboard to a keel boat.</div> <div> Three <B>racing prams 10 ft in length</B> have been built by <B>Mr. Jackett</B> for Southsea yachtsmen have proved an immense success.  [centreboards & 60 sq. ft. of canvas]. Several similar boats have been completed for Southampton.</div> <bR> <div> FP 15/4/<B>1904</B>: Mr. T. Jackett of Victoria Yard has constructed a fast cruiser for Major Richardson designed by Mr. Harley Mead. (a 19 ft sloop) built of American elm steamed timbers, the cockpit of teak. Mr. Jackett also has in hand a very fine steam launch for Mr. Cole of Meudon Vean, designed by <B>Mr. W. Jackett, son of the builder, who has been very successful as a draughtsman</B>, fitted with  Mumford's engine & boiler, for coast and harbour cruising.</div> <bR> <div> FP 7/4/<B>1905</B>:  Messrs. Thomas Brothers, the Bar, are getting ready for launching a 24 ft quay punt type yacht for Mr. J. Meyrick of Douglas, Isle of Man.  She is named the <I><B>Uala.</B></I><I><B> <A NAME="uala__1905_"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></I></div> <div> At Mr. N. S. Burt's yard at the Bar [R.S. Burt]  - a 28 ft quay punt designed by Mr. Harley Mead, son of Mr. J. Mead, is being built for Mr. F. C. Baddeley, who formerly owned the fine racer <I>Whimbrel</I>.  She is 28 ft in length, and when ready, will be taken to Cowes to be fitted with a motor. [FP 26/3/1898 reported major fire at Mr. F. C. Baddeley's residence, "Ellerslie" - in Melville-road, including a new wing built by Mr. Penter, builder of Polruan, near Fowey.]</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Burt has also nearly completed a new 28 ft quay punt for Mr. F. Jose, Falmouth, who has disposed of his old boat BESSIE, to Sir Joseph Fayrer, Bart.  She will be named the CURLEW and was designed by the builder.</div> <div> Great interest is being manifested at the Quay as to whether the CURLEW will beat Mr. J. Pascoe's "J. B." which was also designed and built by Mr. Burt, and at present probably the fastest 28-footer in the port.</div> <bR> <div> During the season, a new yacht, "QUI VIVE" was built for Dr. Ward Humphries.  She is yawl rigged and has been used throughout the winter.  [CHECK - was this a  yacht quay punt?]</div> <bR> <div> Boats of the quay punt type are also being got ready for Mr. Peterson of Fowey, and Mr. Hutchenson (a visitor).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> FP 26/9/<B>1930</B>: Falmouth's Shipping - Recollections of <B>Sixty Years Ago</B></div> <bR> <div> A chance meeting with Mr. Henry Wills, who, many years ago was one of Falmouth's most popular boatmen,</div> <div> Mr. Wills recalled the days when there were no docks or a railway [i.e. pre-1863] at Falmouth.  ..........<B>There was a beach from Bar Point (beyond the eastern breakwater) to Simmons' Quay</B>, and <B>no less than five ship and boat-building yards</B> were carried on by;</div> <div> Jack Darby,</div> <div> Joe Haly,</div> <div> W. Simmons,</div> <div> Jimmy Tremayne,</div> <div> John Haly,</div> <div> H.S. Trethowan, who also had a yard at Little Falmouth [w.e.f. 1851], and,</div> <div> Ben Blamey.</div> <bR> <div> There were no houses at the Bar.  Lansdowne-road was not then built, and there was only a narrow path from the site on which the present Imperial Hotel [later the "Riviera,"  "Dock & Railway" and now "Admiral Nelson" ] now stands, to Gyllyngdune, the fields being in the occupation of Mr. Anthony Thomas.</div> <bR> <div> FP 7/11/<B>1930</B>: <B>Old Falmouth</B> - Mr. R. A. Simpson's <B>Interesting Description</B></div> <div> [excerpts from] Annual meeting of the Falmouth branch of the Old Cornwall Society.</div> <div> The road from Pennance-hill used to continue straight from the present cliff across Swanpool Beach to the road on the other side.  <A NAME="pennance_arsenic_mine"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A><B>Pennance mine</B> was stared about 1865, chiefly by the exertions of Mr. Joshua Fox, who lived at <I>Tregedna</I>.  There was an arsenic smelting works at Pennance, with <U>two </U>chimney stacks. <B>Wheal Clinton</B>, a mine at Trefusis [Flushing] was also working.</div> <bR> <div> Mr. Sampson remarked that Falmouth ceased to be a packet station in 1850.</div> <div>  "There was a carpenter's shop doorway in the wall opposite the R. E. barracks, where the work connected with the ASTREA, (sic) store-ship for the packets, was executed."</div> <bR> <div> There were "The Watchers on the Beacon" [from where] they could see the ships sailing around the Manacles.  They would then inform the wives of the crews [receiving payment].</div> <div> <B>With the advent of the Lizard signal station, however, and later the introduction of wireless telegraphy, vessels were no longer forced to call at Falmouth or Queenstown for orders</B>.</div> <bR> <div> There were plenty of "lame ducks" after heavy weather, and the yards run by Messrs. <B> Trethowan, Simmons, Lean, Blamey</B> and several others dealt with the casualties. <B>Men would come from Padstow, and even Devonport, to work in  the yards. </B></div> <bR> <div> There were many wells, springs and pumps in the early days, situated at Webber-street, Porhan-street, and several other places.  There was a particularly pretty one in Berkeley Vale, which was arched over, and which produced extremely pure water.  There were others in Well-lane, where there was a house where water was stored under the floor.</div> <bR> <div> The old <B>Bar Mill was worked with stone millstone</B>s, and he had seen it working.  There were <B>four pools</B>, which were <B>filled by the tide</B>, dammed, and then utilised for working the mill. </div> <bR> <div> An Inn, called the "Bonny Thatch," which was one of the last thatched houses in Falmouth, stood where the Falmouth Hotel Garage is now situate, and was kept by a man called Brimacombe.  There was a public-house called the "Garland Ox" on the site of the present (1930) fire station.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Related Correspondence</B>:</div> <bR> <div> Re TRETHOWAN, I've had some e-mail correspondence with a Lois Trethowan <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#0000FF" FACE="Arial" ><U>Trethow@aol.com</U></FONT>, who visited Falmouth in 1983 looking for information on her ancestor WILLIAM TRETHOWAN. He was shipbuilder, born ca.1820,and married Fanny Maria Brimacombe in Falmouth Parish; they resided in Bar Terrace.</div> <bR> <div> I told Lois about your website, and about the shipbuilder JOHN TRETHOWAN (who was born on 31 May 1807 in Feock, Cornwall, son of Nicholas & Mary Trethowan). His facilities were located in the Bar area.</div> <bR> <div> Your website looks great -- and is easy to navigate.</div> <bR> <div> Thanks again, Andy, for all the Stan(d)ley listings from the <I>Pennsylvania Gazette</I>.</div> <bR> <div> Best summertime wishes,</div> <bR> <div> Victoria</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>