With so many recent inventions such as Photography and the Electric Telegraph, who knows what these may lead to by the 21st century.
I have written this account of my gg-grandfather's career as if he was the author, but all events people and places existed, as shown in the reference sources consulted.Where place names have changed I have inserted the modern name in parentheses, with a question mark where there is some ambiguity. Where the surviving records contradict each other I have felt free to give my own interpretation, but have appended an explanatory note.
I was promoted to Seaman on the "Minerva of St.Ives" which I left in 1824 to join the "Isabella of Bideford" until 1826. I later joined the "Patriot of Plymouth" and and was promoted to Mate.
The Place was officially engaged in the coasting trade, but tales were told that when out of sight of land we made additional profits by collecting contraband from vessels which had come over from the French coast to meet us. Whether or not I was personally involved in these activities I leave to your imagination. My wife's uncle Anthony owned two other vessels, the "Boconnoc" and the "One and All" which were also engaged in this profitable trade.
In 1838 I was made Master of the "Place", the same year our first son Thomas Henry was born.
I signed on my brother-in-law William Polglass as mate of the Busy. He had previously been mate of the "Boconnoc", one of the notorious trio I mentioned previously.
We continued with the Rouen trade until 1844, the year our second daughter Catherine was born. During the summer and autumn of that year we had a several cargoes in each direction between Charlestown and South Wales, Liverpool and as far north as Whitehaven. In November we sailed from Fowey for Antwerp but on the morning of the 10th, as we were passing Salcombe we were caught by a heavy squall which brought down our mast, sails and rigging. We were eventually towed in to Dartmouth the following day.
The years 1848 and 1849 were spent in the Charlestown to South Wales and Liverpool trade, sometimes extending as far north as Glasgow. We began 1850 in the same trade but on February 14th our sails were split and we sprung a leak off Holyhead so had to put back for Fowey for repairs.
The Caroline was now showing her age, having been built in 1824 and had major restoration work done in 1844, she now had to go back into the yard for repairs which were not completed until July 1st.
In 1852 our third daughter Maria was born. On the 12th of March I took on my eldest son Thomas who was then aged 14, as apprentice. We then made a passage to Cuxhaven, arriving on April 21st.
Thomas Blamey, who had previously sailed with me on the Caroline, signed on as Mate and I took on Thomas, three seamen and a boy to make up the rest of the crew.
During the remainder of 1853 we made one return voyage from Charlestown to Glasgow, another two to Sunderland, and a further two to Swansea.
Early in 1855 I promoted Thomas to seaman. There was a further voyage on the Irish Sea route to Glasgow and we then sailed from there to Havre (Le Havre) and back to Charlestown. The first half of 1855 was rounded off with two return voyages to Dordt (Dordrecht Netherlands).
At the beginning of July we made one of our now routine voyages to Swansea and back. I then took on my second son Edwin, then aged 13 as boy, together with two other youngsters. We took them first to Dordt (Dordrecht) and from there direct to Glasgow, sailing from there direct to Rouen and then back to Swansea. By then Edwin had experienced enough of the sea and was paid off at Charlestown on 1st October. He subsequently made a career in a maritime trade, but on dry land, as a shipwright.
Our first voyage was from Charlestown to Glasgow and from there to Havre (Le Havre) on 24th June. During this voyage I was taken ill and the Mate had to take command. We remained in Havre until 22nd July, when we made a passage in ballast to Goathorn, a remote corner of Poole Harbour where we loaded a cargo of china clay. By now the deadline for making my 6 monthly return of voyages and crew had expired, but rather than waste time on form filling in Poole custom house, we sailed from Goathorn direct to Liverpool where our cargo was to be unloaded.
On arrival at Liverpool I had to deliver up my overdue paperwork and gave my previous illness as the reason why I had not delivered it at Poole.
NOTE
There is some mystery yet to be unravelled concerning the events of June and July 1856. This account is only one of many theories which could be woven around the recorded facts:
- Henry was master from 3rd May 1856.
- Lloyd's List reported "Pet, Trimbath" arrived Havre from Clyde June 26th.
- Henry gave illness as the reason for failing to file his return at Poole.
The following year, 1857 we were kept busy in the Charlestown - Swansea - Liverpool trade, plus one voyage to Rouen and another to Newcastle.
The pattern was similar in 1858, varied with visits to Cork and to Southampton. This year I promoted my son Thomas to be mate of the Pet, at the age of 21 with a wage of £2-15s per month.
The last voyage of 1858 saw us in Rouen by 18th December.
Anthony had helped in many ways to get me established in my career, from the early days of the "Place", up to my present command the "Pet" which had been built and owned by him. The shipyard at Charlestown was now to be run by his son William who at the age of 40 was already established as a merchant.We continued our passage from Dartmouth to Liverpool on February 19th, a WNW wind helping us out of the Dart. We made a second voyage from Fowey to Liverpool in April, returning to Plymouth on 13th May, the day that Anthony's widow Anna Maria died. We then returned to Charlestown, there being many matters which needed attention.
Our last voyage in the Pet was from Charlestown to Liverpool where I handed over command to her new master Henry Lobb on 22nd July.
In 1860 we made two return voyages between Charlestown and Cardiff until May, when I handed over the Mary to a new master, Abraham Ellery.
April 1861 saw my wife, myself and the unattached members of our family living at Mutton Cove, just outside the SE corner of the Devonport dockyard. I was working as a beer seller and our eldest daughter Louisa, now aged 19 was working nearby as a domestic servant.
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It was at about this time that this portrait of Louisa was taken by the new-fangled thing
called photography. With so many recent inventions such as Photography and the Electric Telegraph, who knows what these may lead to by the 21st century. |
On 7th December 1862, our daughter Louisa married Walter Harris Berry, a ropemaker of the Devonport Dockyard. As I was away on the "Dublin Lass" and time was short, the wedding took place at the Stoke Dameral Register Office and my brother Edmund acted as witness.
I continued as mate of the Dublin Lass throughout 1863, voyaging between Newcastle, London, and Liverpool, and down to Cherbourg, Brest and Oporto in Portugal.
If you are interested, his widow Catherine Rundle can tell you
more about life in Mutton Cove
and news of other family members in 1881.
You can also read
more about the Lukes of Charlestown and the history
of the ships they built and owned.