December 2011 - The Smugglers of Gerrans Bay
In the 1800s the Royal Cornwall Gazette regularly published details of seized contraband which would be offered for sale at the Customs House in Falmouth. A staggering amount of goods were being brought in without paying any duty. One list is as follows.
650 Ibs Pepper.
266 Ibs Chocolate.
490 pairs Shoes.
296 pairs Braces.
66 pairs Pantaloons.
181 pieces Ribbons,Galoons and Ferreting.
59 dozen Shirt pins.
21 pieces Nankeen.
132 Ibs Cheese.
300 Ibs Currants.
30 dozen Shawls.
287 Ibs Sugar.
22 dozen Watch keys and chains.
8 pieces Waistcoat shapes.
Although not mentioned in the above list by far the most popular illicit cargo were spirits, with French brandy and Geneva Gin being the most popular.
The long sweep of Gerrans Bay, with its high vantage points at the Nare Head and St. Anthony made it an ideal location for the ‘moonlight traders.’ With a number of easily reached coves and no end of deep ‘drangs’ wide enough to take the small boats used for landing the contraband, the smugglers of Gerrans Bay were more often than not one up on the revenue officers, who were sent here to stamp out the ‘free trade’. And with underground passages leading from the beach to the outlying farms and a hundred and one places of concealment, it must have been an endless game of cat and mouse.
In the early 1900s at Higher Tregassa farm not far from Porthcurnick beach, a room under the floor of the barn was found. It had been well concealed and was not reveled until the floor above gave way one day under the weight of a cow. This was ideally place for the storage of goods coming onto the beach at Porthcurnick.
In 1753 Rear Admiral Sir Richard Spry of St. Anthony in Roseland who had been ordered to search for smugglers between the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands and the Lizard, wrote to the Secretary of the Admiralty and stated: “I am credibly informed by Gentlemen in the neighborhood that there are upwards of fifty sloops and boats that go yearly to France from the adjoining Parishes of Veryan, Gerrans and St. Anthony.”
Out witting the authorities became a fine art but the tables could just as easily be turned. This was the case when the Preventive men stationed at St. Mawes rowed quietly up Froe creek, and carried their gig across the narrow strip of land which divides the parishes of Gerrans and St. Anthony. This enabled them to launch a surprise attack on the smugglers working in Gerrans Bay and also on their watchers on the headland.
Among the registered deaths for the parish of Gerrans in 1782 are two entries where the cause of death is given as ‘found dead on her bed supposed by drinking brandy,’ and found dead with drinking brandy at Portscatho.’
The legendry smuggler Robert Long who operated out of the Percuil River just below the village of Gerrans, was caught in Veryan Bay and convicted. He was hung as a warning to others who might have fancied his profession, at a crossroads between Veryan and Ruan Lanihorne.
In 1792 Robert Jago was in charge of the customs at St. Mawes. Mr. Jago was obviously a force to be reckoned with as can be seen from the surviving court records. One such report states that Mr. Jago was, “on a hill in the parish of Gerrans from whence he could overlook Gerrans Bay a place much frequented by smugglers.” Mr. Jago saw a boat which he suspected was dredging for sunken barrels of spirit. It was a common practice when smuggled goods were brought in by the larger boats. The cargo was sunk in the bay where the local boats could dredge them up with a rope and grapple, when they thought the coast was clear.
Jago sent two of his men in a small boat to the spot and stayed on the cliff, to prevent anyone from the village lighting a fire to warn the smugglers that the revenue men were there. “Three men belonging to the parish of Gerrans who are notorious smugglers and whose names are Thomas May, Stephen Cregoe and John Treiddia came to the hill with a lighted candle in a lantern and proceeded to make a fire with some faggots which they had brought with them.” Mr. Jago tried to stop them but Thomas May and Stephen Crago said that if he “attempted to prevent them they would be damned if they did not throw him over the cliff.” Thomas May then, “ gave Mr.Jago a violent push in the breast which threw him backwards over a bank.” Jago came back for more and managed to kick the lantern out of John Tregiddia’s hand and the flame went out.
Mr. Jago was surely in personal danger when carrying out his work. An incident which occurred at King Harry Passage involved fighting with a number of smugglers who were armed with stones and sticks. I have covered this story in some length in my ‘Book of St. Mawes’ so will not repeat it here.
Also in 1792 the Exeter Gazette reported an incident that we would today find hard to comprehend. It seems that the revenue men had caught some smugglers in the act and had confiscated the goods and then, given them a lift home. “last Friday night at Fowey a boat with seven men belonging to the revenue cutter Spider went out of the harbour in search of a small smuggling vessel that was expected here that night, and the next morning five of them returned again in a boat belonging to Polperro, laden with 60 casks of spirits and some tea, which they seized a few miles to the east of the 
harbour, leaving the other two men in their own boat, to put the smugglers ashore at Polperro, which they did; but in their returning to this port a gale of wind sprung up, which drove them off shore, and they might in all probability, have perished, had not a vessel providentially met them at sea, taken them on board, and carried them to St. Mawes.
As was stated earlier the lighting of fires on the cliffs was obviously a good way of signaling. “November of 1822 George Sawle along with James and Francis Penver of Gerrans were caught in the act of lighting a fire on the cliff and were sent to Bodmin goal.”
The West Briton reported in 1816 that a revenue cutter off Gerrans bay had given chase to a suspect vessel. Thinking that the game was up the smugglers threw the greater part of their cargo, consisting of kegs of spirits over the side. Some day’s later three local men, George Buckland, Thomas Pascoe and William Tregidion took their boat out to try and recover some of the goods. Unfortunately the boat was upset by a sudden squall and all three were drowned.
Back in 1794 the British Prime Minister went some way to making smuggling less profitable, by lowering the tax, first on tea and then on tobacco and spirits. However as the records show smuggling seems to have continued here well in the next century.
Old habits die hard and several local families still tell the tale of how their great grandfathers used to row across the channel and return fully laden. One night in the late eighteen hundreds, the revenue men arrived at Parkenvrane Farm in Gerrans, the home of the Sawle family and began to search for contraband. They searched each room in turn without success. When they came to one of the bedrooms however Mr. Sawle stopped them and explained that they could not search that room because it was occupied by a lady who was about to give birth. The gentlemen of the customs said that they would settle for a quick look. On opening the door all they could see in the dimly lit room was the form of a very pregnant woman lying in the bed and so they left empty handed. The shape in the bed was nothing more than a bundle of clothes and a barrel of French brandy.
Perfume, silk, salt and even playing cards all went to make up these illicit cargoes, but brandy seems to have been a favorite. One old lady told me how the customs men paid her grandparents a visit and were invited to stay for tea which they gratefully accepted. Little did they know, as they sat at the table enjoying their clotted cream that under the long skirts of the lady of the house was secreted a barrel of brandy.
As recently as thirty years ago one old local recalled how his great grandfather used to go across to France. “They used to leave here in a 12 oared gig, said my granny. They’d be gone a fortnight. They used to have some rough times; sometimes she said, we used to think they were never coming back. The Squires used to finance the lot, and they used to take the silk, and of course the others used to take the brandy. They used to go across country with donkeys with it on their backs, to the different inns to sell it. They never kept to the road. Some of these old bridle paths are smugglers paths.”
In 1804 the Royal Cornwall Gazette revealed: “His Majesty’s armed cutter, Arthur lost a six oared boat from her stern, on Thursday 27th September, which drifted ashore near Gerrans and was destroyed by persons belonging to that place. Whoever will give information to Captain Kinsman, so that the party may be brought to punishment, shall on conviction, receive the reward of five guineas.” There seems to be no record of a conviction --- honour amongst thieves perhaps?
A Preventive Station was not established at Portscatho until 1820 although the authorities had appealed for suitable premises for more than a decade. The arrival of the preventive men in the village was not greeted with much enthusiasm. Within a few weeks John Vigurs was charge with, “assaulting a customs officer while in the execution of his duty.” Two years later John Real was charged with a similar offence.
Members of the coastguard service were never employed in their local area as this would have proved very unreliable. An officer may have been faced with apprehending a relative or friend and so they were always stationed away from home. My great grandfather was sent from Falmouth to Southern Ireland, where he joined a number of other officers from various places around the UK. The men were encouraged not to become too friendly with the locals for the same reasons, but some stayed and married and became part of the community.
In 1823 a number of kegs of brandy were seen floating in the sea near Portloe, they has broken loose from their anchors. Several local men watched as they were smashed to pieces on the rocks and another two smashed by waiting coastgua
rds. However all could not have been lost as it was reported some days later that local fisherman, John Harris died having drunk too much brandy. The Coastguard station at Portloe was built the following year.
In Mevagissey smuggling seems to have rife. The local families of Williams and Dunn were well known for their activities. These were well respected men in their community and were both ship owners. Matthias Dunn wrote, “The inhabitants had strong characteristics, and were known for their pushing, restless, energetic life, priding themselves more on daring deeds than on moneymaking. The sea was their workshop; and fishing, fighting, privateering, smuggling and trading their work.”
But we in this time should not be too quick to judge. Luxuries were few and wages a mere pittance. French brandy could be obtained in its native country for as little as five shillings a gallon and sold at home for up to five times that amount, and no doubt the heavy risks that these people took were, they felt, well rewarded.
November 2011 - The Lost Inns
It was a sad sight to see the Pandora Inn at Restronguet going up in flames last March. This lovely old Inn, dating from the 1700s, had been a meeting point for many thousands of people over the years and I was happy to hear that is now being rebuilt.
The Roseland and surrounding area has lost a great many pubs over the years, some turned into houses and some demolished, some remembered, and many completely forgotten. The old Inns would probably have offered a meal along with locally brewed beer. Spirits, most often brandy, more often than not were smuggled goods. This is where the old name for Inns, ‘Kiddleywinks,’ comes from. The Landlord or Landlady would keep some brandy it an old kettle hanging in the fireplace. An appropriate wink towards the kettle could be rewarded with a small glass of the hard stuff.
In Portscatho we have lost the Cliff Hotel and the Ship Inn. Photographs of these can be found in Hilary Thompson’s excellent book, ‘Village life.’ In Gerrans we have lost the Rose and Crown, sometimes revered to as the Rose and Thistle. This old Inn stood just behind the present day Estate Agents. In Veryan there was the White Hart and in the fishing village of Portloe, the New Inn. Even St. Just in Roseland had its pub, the Ship Inn, which was destroyed by fire. At Trewithian stood the Trewithian Arms and down at Percuil, the long lost Passage Inn. This little Inn must a have been a hive of activity in years gone by when a good deal of trade came in and out of the river.
About a hundred years ago a visitor to St. Anthony in Roseland wrote, ‘Formerly the village could boast its neat homely Inn, where, under the old poor law regime, Parish meetings were held at Easter; the late Admiral Spry held his court; and where at the feast in August, the lads and lasses of the village, to the note of the fiddler, tripped it on the light fantastic toe, with as much zeal and genuine enjoyment as was ever felt at Almack’s.
‘At Easter, some St. Anthony’s buns used to be issued from this house, and had as great celebrity throughout the county, as the far famed hot cross buns of the metropolis.’
This pub, the Pig and Whistle, stood in the village of Bohortha and, like the other Inns, was used for a variety of things. Here rents were collected, leases signed and meetings were held; in-fact, most of the functions which the village hall would later cater for.
Getting to the Pig and Whistle was not for the faint hearted however. One traveler in the mid eighteen hundreds commented that, ‘It is to be regretted that the roads in the parish are mostly in a very rough and dilapidated state. They are exposed at almost every spring tide and after every south gale to the pressure of the numerous cart wheels of all the farmers who resort simultaneously and sometimes get into collision collecting the oreweed at Towan beach, and seriously cut up the roads, which in winter are almost impassable.’
In 1845 the West Briton advertised to let, the Kempe Arms at Ruan Highlanes. ‘The premises at which a magistrates meeting is held monthly, and tax and other public meetings at different periods of the year are commodious, with a walled garden, coach houses, stable, brew house and other conveniences attached and well adapted for carrying on an improving business.’ This Inn was very well placed to make the most of passing trade and, like most other establishments at the time, had its own brew house where the beer was brewed under the watchful eye of the visiting excise men.
In 1852 the Cutter Inn, with its stable and cottage at East Portholland, were advertised to let. ‘Within the manor and parish of St. Michael Caerhayes, on a lease dated 7th March 1810, for the lives of James Banfield, deceased, and the said William Thomas Banfield, now in the occupation of Philippa Banfield and Thomas Tallack. Reserved yearly rent, 5 shillings.’ Portholland, at that time, must have been a busy little village. Also advertised at the same time were a coal yard and two lime kilns. From this, we can see that coal and limestone were unloaded there onto the beach and, along with the surrounding farms, would have brought a good deal of trade to the Inn.
In 1630 it was reported at the assizes that there were thirty six ale houses in Tregony and the chief burgesses were asked to consider how many should be granted a license. For the size of village this is truly a staggering number of premises selling beer. I assume that most were no more than a table and a barrel set up in the kitchens of cottages. John Taylor, who visited Mevagissey in 1649, wrote, ‘This town has hath in it two taverns and six ale houses, to everyone of which I went for lodgings, and not one would harbour me, I sought for a constable to help me, but no constable was to be found; the people all wondering at me, as if I had been some strange beast, or monster brought out of Africa.’
The Sun in Tregony, between 1765 and 1770 kept by William Thompson and then by his widow Mary, was advertised to let in 1775 and described as being ‘The most complete house for an Inn in the said borough, despite considerable competition.’ In 1748 a beer house in the village, kept by Joseph Libby, bore the sign of the Cornish chough. The Queens Head at Tregony, with its bowling green, was advertised in the West Briton in 1816. The following year, the Town Arms was opened by Richard Nicholls. By 1873 it was being run by William Elliott who was also the local excise officer. In the same report it states that ‘Many of the houses are in ruins, and altogether the town presents a scene of great desolation.’
St. Mawes has always been an ideal location for an Inn. In 1873 the New Inn, the Victory Inn, the Shipwrights Arms, the Queens Head, the Fountain and the Ship Inn are all listed, now only the Victory Inn remains. Other long-lost establishments in the village included the Hamburg Arms. Situated on the waterfront, its name celebrated a long association with the German port whose ships traded there in days gone by. In 
1765, orders were reported from Hamburg and Bremen for several thousand barrels of pilchards. In 1806, the Falmouth merchant, Joseph Banfield, who had purchased a good deal of the St. Mawes catch of pilchards, was seeking freight for the Danish brig, Anna Margaretta, bound for Hamburg. On the quay at St. Mawes in 1780, stood the Old St.Mawes Arms. Like the original Rising Sun, it was demolished, but not rebuilt. These old buildings would most likely have been built of cob and thatch and if not maintained, would not weather well.
And so we have lost a large number of hostelries around our area through the centuries, but thankfully some remain with the Roseland Inn and the Plume of Feathers in Portscatho being two of the oldest.
October 2011 - The Hera
On 1st February 1912 the 2,354 ton four masted barque, Pindos, arrived at Falmouth. Sailing from South America in bad weather, it had taken her six weeks to round Cape Horn. Although it was snowing hard as she entered Falmouth Harbour, the first mate ordered four men aloft, to scrap and varnish the main yard as an example of German discipline.
They left the shelter of Falmouth nine days later in tow of the German tug, Ancona. They were hardly out of the harbour when a strong south-easterly wind started to drive them down the coast and despite the tugs efforts, by 9pm the Pindos was driven broad side onto Chynhalls Point, less than a mile from the village of Coverack. The Coverack lifeboat put to sea and managed to reach the wreck. By the time they got there, huge seas were breaking over the ship. Two German sailors threw themselves into the water and managed to get lines to the lifeboat. Four men were successfully taken off by breeches-buoy, but in the increasing south-easterly gale the lines broke. It was decided to wait until daylight before any further attempt. However, by this time, a powerful acetylene lamp of 1,000 candle power had been set up on the cliffs above lighting up the whole area. With the Pindos nearly under water, the remaining crew were huddled together in the stern. The coxswain and his men formed an endless whip by lines with a lifebuoy belt on, and by this means the remaining 24 German sailors were successfully transferred to the lifeboat. The Coxswain, John Corin, was awarded the Silver Medal, whilst extra monetary rewards were voted to him and all the members of the crew. The German Government also showed their appreciation by forwarding cash grants to the Coverack lifeboat men, whilst the coxswain received an inscribed gold watch from the Kaiser.
On 20th February the Pindos was sold for £225, but later gales soon reduced her to a total wreck. Her owners had been Rhederei Aktien of Hamburg. Two years later they would lose another ship on our coast and this time there would be a great loss of life.
The wreck of the 2,000 ton Hera is well known in these parts and has been mentioned in several books. Recently our local sea shanty group, Du Hag Owr, wrote and recorded a song about her. This rekindled my interest and was followed by a chance meeting with professional photographer Phil Nicholls. Phil is an avid collector of postcards and photographs taken by Edward Bragg. Among his collect he has a number of images of the Hera and her survivors.
Originally named ‘Richard Wagner’ and owned by a British company the Hera, she had been purchased by her German owners to replace the loss of the Pindos. She was nearing the Lizard on her return journey from Pisagua with Chilean nitrates and had already endured ninety one days of rough seas. And with the weather going from bad to worse, all onboard were anxious. Captain Lorentz who had been relying on dead reckoning for several days was unsure of his actual position. He decided to make for Falmouth and the crew were told to keep a keen eye out for St. Anthony light. In the bad weather, no light was seen and she sailed on. Just before midnight, the second mate reported land ahead. Within seconds, she struck the Outer Stones of the Gull Rock in Gerrans Bay.
A distress rocket was fired and the ships boats were manned. The port boat capsized taking with it the Captain and three of the crew, two of whom were fourteen-year-old apprentices on their first voyage. Some of the remaining men managed to right the boat in the swirling sea but were swept away. This now left only twelve men clinging to the wreck. After an attempt to free the starboard boat, it was abandoned and so the chief officer led the remaining men up the jigger mast to escape the rising sea. As the Hera settled
into deeper water, the men were forced higher up the mast. Franticly blowing on a whistle to attract attention, the men hung on, but within a short time the chief mate and his second in command slipped into sea overcome by cold and fatigue. Each time, as a last desperate effort, the men had passed the whistle on to the one above.
The distress rocket that had been fired had been spotted, and before long villagers from Portloe were running to the cliff top of Nare Head. A car, one of only three in the area at that time which was owned by a local Doctor, was driven across the fields to give some light onto the wreck below. There was little that the onlookers could do but cup their hands and shout encouragement to the men hanging on to the rigging. The flare had also been seen at Portscatho and the Rocket Brigade was on its way. The Falmouth lifeboat had also been called out by the Portloe Coastguard. When the Portscatho men arrived, the rocket apparatus was set up on the headland and three lines were unsuccessfully fired. Years later, Nancy Hearle, of Gerrans, would reveal that her father who drove the horses which pulled the Rocket apparatus from Po
rtscatho could never forget “the screams of those poor Germans,” as they were swept into the sea. She said it stayed with him for the rest of his life.
The Falmouth lifeboat, ‘Bob Newton’, was towed through the heavy seas by the tug, Perran, and finally reached Gull Rock at 3.30am. But the Hera could not be seen. She carried on and anchored off Portloe. Although they called to people they could see on the beach to try and find the correct position of the wreck, their voices were lost in the howling gale. The lifeboat put about and once more made for Nare Head. Several times she passed the Hera without seeing her until suddenly a shrill blast on the whistle was heard. The young lad who so desperately blew those final blasts was August Lassen, who was born in Chile. A flare was sent up by the lifeboat and immediately they could see five half drowned men clinging to the mast.
In mountainous seas, the five men were eventually taken aboard the lifeboat. Over the next few days, the sea gave up the nineteen others it had taken. They came ashore at Portholland, Carne, Portloe and Pendower. The men were buried in a seventy five foot long communal grave in Veryan churchyard. The five survivors attended the funeral, as did navel uniformed representatives of the German Consul and a large number of local people.
The surviving crew members and German Consul representatives at the funeral in Veryan.
Some days later, there was criticism in the local press that men from Portscatho hadn’t put out a boat from the harbour. It was said that they should have been able to reach the wreck in a shorter time than it had taken the Lifeboat to get there. This disaster happened before the breakwater was built at Portscatho and the harbour was not sheltered from the gale, making it imposable for the men to launch a boat. This outcry went some way to persuading the authorities to build the necessary breakwater there.
The wreck of the Hera was sold to Harris Brothers for £205. When all attempts of salvage her had ended, she was flattened by explosives by Trinity House, as they considered her a navigational hazard. There are several websites showing photos and films of the submerged wreck and it’s abundance of fish life, and it has become a favourite spot for divers.
I think it is well worth mentioning that not all the shipwrecks on our beautiful stretch of coast happened that long ago. In 1966, thirty one people lost their lives off the Dodman when the pleasure boat, Darlwin, went down. She was returning to Mylor with a party who had been to Fowey to see the vessels taking part in the Tall Ships race. She had, for some time previously, been lying on the beach just up river from Percuil and many here thought her un-seaworthy. No bodies were recovered and no wreckage found.
Thanks to Phil Nicholls for the use of his photos which can be seen, along with several others, on his E.A. Bragg website: http://www.eabragg.co.uk/index.html
(We are hoping Phil will be attending the next Roseland Online Photographic Fayre with his collection which is in the Memorial Hall, St Mawes on Saturday 22nd October from 10am – 2pm. Ed.)
September 2011 - The Great Blizzard of 1891
The Great Blizzard of March 1891 affected many parts of the country, particularly the South West. The strong gales and heavy snowfall hit Cornwall, Devon and Dorset, Herefordshire and Kent, and London was also hit by strong winds and snowfalls.
The devastation left behind included uprooted trees, and many fences and roofs were blown away. The storms were so ferocious that much of Cornwall and Devon was cut off from the rest of Britain for four days between 9th and 13th March. During this time, over 200 people and 6,000 animals were killed.
At a time when there were no cars, no electricity, no televisions, few telephones and no wireless, the heavy downfall meant that you really were cut off from the rest of the country.
The Times, in March 1891, stated ‘no such storm had visited the West of England within remembrance.’ Temperatures dropped below zero and snow drifted in places up to 20 feet high.
The Falmouth Packet reported that some people were frozen to death not far from their homes but the vast majority of them perished at sea. Falmouth harbour had long been regarded as a safe haven for ships, especially in bad weather. This was perhaps never more evident than during March 1891. Between the 9th and the 13th, many ships made for Falmouth, but not all of them got there.
The Bay of Panama, built in 1883, was described as probably the finest sailing ship afloat. With her steel hull and four square-rigged masts, she was fast, beautiful and used on the Calcutta run. On 18th November 1890 she left that port bound for Dundee with a cargo of 17,000 bales of jute (fibre from bark of certain plants, chiefly imported from Bengal and used for canvas, cordage, etc.). She sailed swiftly towards England until she approached the Cornish coast in rapidly deteriorating weather. The Captain was well aware of the dangers but, because the bad visibility, was uncertain as to his exact position. After weighing up the risks, he decided to heave to, taking depth sounding; it was a decision that was to cost him his ship and his life.
As the blizzard engulfed them, the seamen desperately furled the sails, but during the night things became worse and distress flares were fired. Unfortunately, the driving snow prevented anyone from seeing them. In the early hours of the morning, disaster finally struck. A huge wave crashed over the stern smashing every boat lashed on the deck and soon afterwards she was driven headlong into the cliffs just south of Nare Point, south of the Helford River entrance.
As she struck, she was swung around, settling firmly aground. Some of the topmasts fell down, and shortly afterwards another huge wave broke over the ship, swamping the main cabin, washing the Captain, his wife and six other crewmen over the side. Hardly able to see through the driving snow, and soaked by freezing water, the Mate took charge and ordered the crew up into the remaining rigging. Unfortunately, the freezing spray that showered into the rigging quickly turned to ice causing many to simply freeze to death.
A farmer out looking for his sheep, came across the wreck early the following morning. ‘Lying hard and fast under the cliffs, her masts and rigging in ruins; even worse was the horrific sight of those men still stuck to the rigging. Some still feebly clinging to life; but most were by now just frozen corpses.’
When the Coastguard arrived they had to climb unto the wreck and lift each of the seventeen survivors into a harness and haul them ashore. The men were taken to St. Keverne farm where they were fed and bedded down for the night. The following morning, wrapped in blankets, they set off for Falmouth by horse drawn bus. But huge snowdrifts blocked the roads and, before too long, they couldn’t make any more headway. The men were forced to abandon the bus and carry on to Falmouth on foot. Most had no shoes and nearly all were only clothed in rags and blankets. They eventually reached Falmouth and were looked after at the Seamen’s Mission.
The Falmouth Mission must have been bursting at the seams. Sailors from the Magellan, the Gertrude, the Crusader and the Agnes and Helen, were all arriving within a few hours of each other. The shipwrecked sailors were given food, a change of clothes and a free railway ticket home.
Also at Falmouth, the local paper stated that, ‘two colliers drove ashore at the back of Messer’s Grose and Son’s premises, and were literally jammed between the boundary wall of Mrs. Downing’s garden and the historic “tank”, the stern of one of the vessels breaking down the garden wall, whilst her bow demolishing a good portion of Cabmen’s Rest adjoining the Kings Arms Hotel.’ Several fishing boats that were at anchor broke loose and were smashed to pieces on the rocks.
The 900 ton Carl Hirschberg was driven ashore at Portscatho. She was on her way from Hamburg to Cardiff in ballast. The whole crew were rescued by local men but all attempts to drag her off and re-float her over the next six months were unsuccessful. A plan was proposed to blast away the rocks around the vessel so that she could be moved. The local fishermen however were far from happy about this as it would leave the harbour very exposed in bad weather. It was agreed to replace the rocks with a concrete breakwater after the ship had been freed, and so the fishermen agreed. The Breakwater was eventually extended, as it did not give the protection the rocks had previously done. One young man lost two fingers during blasting operations and was awarded £25 compensation; this enabled him to buy furniture so he could get married.
The census of 1891 was taken while the ship was still stuck on the rocks and the crew, all residing with local families, were recorded. Oswald Mehlose (ships master, b. Hamburg) Conrad Reinhoied (chief mate, b. Hamburg) Hermiour Linnie (chief engineer, b. Altona) Carl Adam (second engineer, b. Altona) and Heinrich Senf (second mate, b. Brigg).
A mile west of Portloe, the 566 ton Dundella was driven ashore. She had left the Azores ten days earlier, bound for London with a cargo of oranges and pineapples.
Captain Reid of the vessel saw coastguard flares and knew that help was on the way. He ordered all the men to stay on board and wait for help. ‘Several of the crew, over anxious for their safety, defied orders, and Charlie Taylor, the young mess-room boy, was lowered over the side. Suddenly he shrieked, “Haul me up!” but the rope went slack and they saw him standing on the rocks, having slipped out of the bowline. As he tried to get ashore a breaker swirled around the Dundella’s bows and swept him away.’
The Portscatho rocket crew took four hours to reach Portloe that night with their equipment pulled by four horses. They had to battle through driving snow and ice-covered roads. As the time went on, and waiting to be rescued, Captain Reid gave the order to abandon ship, and all the remaining men managed to get ashore. By the time the rocket crew arrived, the survivors were being warmed and fed by the people of Portloe.
Much of the cargo of fruit was saved and enjoyed by the locals. The ships bell still hangs in the Church and one of the ships portholes can be seen at the Ship Inn.
On 12th March the West Briton reported that, ‘at Lostwithiel the river Fowey was frozen over, and for some time the boats were immovable.’ All work at the clay pits in St. Austell was stopped and snow drifts of 20ft were reported at Bodmin. The paper also commented that, ‘another serious and painful result has been the inability of those who have recently suffered bereavement to intern their dead.’
In 1936 the Cornwall and Devon Post reported on the death of John Jewell of Bude. ‘Mr. Jewell sailed out of Bude in various vessels belonging to that port.’ He had extraordinary recollections of his experiences and dangers which he encountered when at sea during the great blizzard of 1891. At this time he was mate of the 95 ton ketch, Ant, owned by Mr. Stapleton, of Bude, and was on a voyage from Saunderfoot (S.Wales) to Ipswich, loaded with a cargo of coal. The vessel was blown miles off course and was eventually sighted on March 14th, after drifting for ten days, by Capt. Burton of the Astrea in the Bay of Biscay.’
A record of the event contained in Blizzard of the West, printed in Devonport says: ‘Capt. Burton sighted the Ant some miles off with her sails down and flying a signal of distress. Capt. Burton sent alongside a boat’s crew, who found the Captain, H. Hines, and a sailor named Jewell, wrapped in the mainsail in a shocking state and barely able to speak. Their hands and legs were so swollen from frostbite and exposure that they could not handle anything, or lift themselves up to stand. After administering brandy and medicine, they recovered sufficiently to inform their rescuers that the Ant was ten days out of Saunderfoot and that four days before, a lad named Stapleton (nephew of the owner) had died from exposure and his body had been thrown overboard. The Ketch Ant was taken into Plymouth in a disabled condition.’
An interesting foot note to this story reads, ‘Mr.Jewell’s son, Archie, was one of the few survivors of the Titanic when she was lost, and gave evidence at the enquiry’.
It took some time for Cornwall to return to normal. For weeks afterwards, the coastline was strewn with wreckage and many unidentified bodies were washed ashore. Even as a child in Portscatho in the 1950s, the Great Blizzard of 1891 was still talked about.
The researching of family history is becoming ever more popular and is made all the more intriguing by all those unknown facts that seem to lie around every corner. It even squeezes itself into our living rooms through our TV sets in the form of programs like’ ‘Who do you think you are,’ and accompanied by endless adverts for genealogical websites offering help. 
Captain Bligh and eighteen of his crew were put into a small boat, along with his precious breadfruit plants, and hurled into the sea round him. Mr. Christian took command of the Bounty and the mutineers put back for Tahiti, where all but nine of them decided to remain. And so it was that the remaining men, along with four native men to act as servants, (whether against their will is unclear), and eleven young women and a little girl called Sully, once more made for open water. The Bounty is thought to have covered 8,000 miles before eventually finding the tiny island of Pitcairn on 15th January 1790. There, they intended to settle in undisturbed peace and tranquillity.
As John Adams lay on his deathbed in 1829, he was very much troubled as to who would take charge of the island’s affairs after he was gone. Although no one seemed keen to take on the responsibility, it was generally felt that one of Matthew Quintrell’s sons, Edward, possessed the, ‘best understanding of any on the island. Two years later, all of the settlers were removed to Norfolk Island by British missionaries. Although Pitcairn Island was thought to be too small an area for the population, many of them were desperately unhappy about their new home and a good number of them returned to the place they knew best.
