Hearts of Oak
Isles of
Scilly
The Penzance /
Isles of Scilly Mail Packets
The Mail has
been carried between the Isles of Scilly and the Mainland since 1548, when
Henry VIII began his fortifications. Pilot boats have carried mail and
passengers.
Falmouth. 1st
August 1666.
Thomas Holden,
in a letter to Joseph Williamson,
Editor of the
Gazette, later Secretary of State,
states “a
French man-of-war chased
two Falmouth
vessels, which escaped
but took the
Scilly packet boat and a collier”.
Records begin
in 1779.
Vessels in
service and their dates of commencement,
as well as
history and fate, where known.
1779
GRACE
Built:
1779, Sloop, 43 tons, Length. 46ft., Breadth. 15ft.
Master:
James Gibson,
Original
Owners John Medbury and John Wellcock ( merchants, of Scilly )
Owners:
James Gibson and John Medway.
1779
PORK AND GREENS
Built:
1779, Sloop, 10 tons
Owners
John Wellcock and Mrs Badcock ( butcher, of Paul, Mainland ).
It should be
noted here, that at that time,
Paul was of
greater importance than Penzance
( Penzance did
not begin to grow until around 1820 ).
1786
HOPE
Built:
1786, 27 tons,
Builder:
James John, Cowes IOW,
Owner
William Wellcock
Wrecked
1795
Master:
James Tregarthen,
1797
PLENIPO
Built:
1797, Sloop, 46 tons, Scilly,
Master:
James John,
Owners:
William JOHN, William Willcock, James John.
Penzance
to Scilly Packet from 1803.
1803
DASHER
Owners
Tregarthen, Banfield and Edwards
Built:
1813, Sloop, Scilly.
In 1803 The
General Post Office Established Royal Mail Packets,
and in 1804 the
tender was acquired by HOPE ( built 1786 ),
The first
contract was awarded to James Tregarthen at the
suggestion of
the Garrison Commander.
The Mail
Service was charged at 2 pence per letter.
1810
LORD HOWE smack built IOW
owned
by local traders
Master
: James Tregarthen,
Sunk
off Runnelstone 1819.
1813
LORD WELLINGTON 25t Cutter,
Built
1813 Cowes, IOW
Owner
: William Wetherall.
(
In 1834, she first brought Augustus Smith to the Islands. )
Broken
up 1842
1819
PRINCE REGENT 32 tons smack
Built:
1819, Scilly,
Master
: Paul Hicks
Owner
: Alex Banfield
Trading
Vessels listed in Pigott’s directory of 1823
To and from
Penzance and London.
AMITY, John
Heath.
FAME, Thomas
Barns.
GRACE, James
Rosewall.
HAPPY RETURN,
William Woolcock.
To and from Penzance
and Bristol.
BRISTOL
PACKET, William Richards
ONE AND ALL,
James Read.
A Packet to
the Scilly Islands every Fri. and returns the following Tuesday.
N. B. All
Parcels for this conveyance to be left at the Dolphin.
POST OFFICE,
Chapel-street. Nicholas Phillips, Post Master.
The mail to
London, through Falmouth, every morning at eight,
and arrives
every afternoon at half past two.
1825
CHERUB 45 tons Cutter
rigged.
Built
1825 Dartmouth
Owned
by Scilly Packet Company
Lengthened
at Scilly 1831 - 57 tons converted to Schooner.
Wrecked
October 1837
The Mails were carried for the fee of £300 per year
Royal Cornwall Gazette November 1825
"The New Scilly Post Office Packet,
the Cherub, William Tregarthen, master.
THE PUBLIC are respectfully informed that the NEW
PACKET will sail from Penzance for Scilly every Friday morning, and will leave
Scilly for Penzance every Tuesday. This packet has lately been fitted up with
very superior accommodation for ladies and gentlemen, and from the size of the
vessel is better calculated for the comfort of the Passengers, than any that
has yet sailed to and from the Isles of Scilly.
Goods taken to and from Scilly at a moderate freight.
Any further information can be obtained by applying to
the Master at the Dolphin Tavern, on the Quay.
Penzance, October 22nd, 1825."
Royal Cornwall Gazette June 1831
"The Public are respectfully informed that, in
compliance with the wishes of a great number of Ladies and Gentlemen of
Falmouth, Penzance, etc. the Steam Packet Sir Francis Drake, James Mill,
commander, will leave Falmouth (weather permitting) on the 25th inst.,
immediately after her arrival from Plymouth, for Penzance, from which place she
will proceed early on the following Morning, for the Scilly Islands; returning
to Penzance in the Afternoon, and to Falmouth on Sunday Night. Fares: Falmouth
to Penzance, and back 5 shillings, Falmouth to Penzance, Scilly, and
back 10 shillings-., Penzance to Scilly and back 5 shillings. Refreshments
may be had on board."
West Briton Newspaper report : Friday 1st
April, 1836
“The Scilly Packet, “Lord Wellington,” sailed on Sunday,
but finding the gale coming on put back.”
West Briton Newspaper Friday October 28th,
1836
“The excessive violence of the late gales,
detained the Scilly Packet at Penzance
above a week beyond her usual time,
to the great inconvenience of many.
A larger and more commodious packet is much wanted.”
For the period 1843-45, Naval cutters carried the mails [
by Act of Parliament ].
1843-1844
SNIPE Sail Cutter
Launched
28 June 1828 : Wooden Hull
Displacement
122 tons; Guns 6
9
March 1839 Under Lt Commander Thomas Baldock, coast of Ireland
31
May 1843 Under Lt Commander George Raymond, particular service
Scrapped
1860
1844-1845
SPEEDY Sail Cutter
Launched
28 June 1828 : Wooden Hull
Displacement 123 tons ; Guns 4
25
July 1838 Under Lt Commander John Allan Wright, Sheerness
9
August 1841 Under Lt Commander George Beaufoy, Sheerness
8 March
1845 Under Lt Commander George Spong, particular service
1853
became a mooring lighter
Scrapped
1866
Winter of
1845: Houses of Parliament
The Scilly
Isles : Captain Pechell moved for "all communications addressed to the
Treasury respecting the Post Office arrangements at the Islands of Scilly, with
the answers returned thereto, etc, since the 1st August 1844, up to the present
time; copies of all communications addressed to the Post Office on the same
subject, with all answers returned, from the same date; copies of all
correspondence that has taken place with the admiralty in the course of the
year 1844, respecting conveyance of the mail to the Islands of Scilly; return
of the expenses incurred for the SPEEDY and SNIPE cutters during the period the
same were employed in conveying the mails to and from the Islands of Scilly,
during the past year; also any copies of special reports that were made by the
commanders of the said cutters relative to the said service; return of all
places in the United Kingdom having the benefit of money order post-offices and
distinguishing whether the said places are established as post-offices,
sub-post, or branch offices". The arrangements of the Post Office, the
honourable and gallant member said, were very unsatisfactory with respect to
these islands. For six months at a time they were left without any regular mail
whatsoever. At that moment there were no regular mail to those islands. The
Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he looked into the matter, would see that the
interests of those islands had been grievously neglected by the Post Office. To
enable the inhabitants to proceed by memorial to the Government or otherwise,
it would be necessary to have this correspondence. The Chancellor of the
Exchequer had no objection to produce the correspondence, if the honourable and
gallant gentleman thought it necessary, but it struck him the subject was
hardly worth the production to the house of so much correspondence. After a few
words from Sir C Lemon, the papers were ordered; the last return, on the
suggestion of Mr Hume, being ordered to be made as a separate and substantive
return.
1842 LYONESSE 49 tons Cutter
Built
Scilly 1841.
Mail
Service 1842 – 1851
Captain
Frank Tregarthen
Wrecked
March 1867.
1851
ARIADNE 53 tons Cutter
Built
1841 Sandgate,
Bought
by Tregarthen and Banfield.
Last
of the Sail Packets.
Captain
Frank Tregarthen
Mail
Service 1851-1858
Wrecked
: October 1859.
1858 – 1872
Scilly Isles
Steam Navigation Company
Thomas Johns Buxton : Ship Agent
James Phillips : Ship Owner
Francis Banfield : Ship Agent
James Bluett : Merchant
Richard Edwards : Ship Owner
During the
1840 to 1889 period, Francis Banfield & Sons owned a lot of vessels sailing
all round the world including the biggest built in Scilly which was
the
"John Banfield" at 528 tons. They also owned a larger vessel,
the
"Anne Laity Banfield", built in Glasgow and of 743 tons.
These
Scillonian ships were trading all round the world, Chile, Argentina, New York,
Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand and the Mediterranean.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
1857 SCOTIA Steamship
F McFarland reports that SCOTIA was the “First with
Steam”
She was chartered until the LITTLE WESTERN was delivered.
Built 1847 for the Chester & Holyhead Railway
Chester & Holyhead Railway Company
In 1848 the Chester & Holyhead Railway Company
commenced operating a passenger service between
Holyhead and Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) / Howth.
The fleet was transferred in 1859 to the
London & North Western Railway Company.
Iron paddle steamer 400 horse power.
480 ton gross; 263 tons net; ( originally built as 202
tons net )
194 feet length; 27 feet 1 inch breadth; 13 feet 2 inches
depth;
powered by a 2 cylinder engine by Maudslay of Blackwall;
Built at Blackwall ( London ) by Money and Wigrams in
1847;
( one of a four-ship fleet ) taking mails between
Holyhead and Kingstown.
She was purchased by the City of Dublin Co., in July
1851,
1858 Chartered to run the mails between the Isles of
Scilly and Penzance
until 1859 when she was sold to the London and North
Western Railway Co.
December 1861, at Liverpool, she was sold as a Blockade
runner.
She made four runs ( two each, in and return ) and on
the fifth ( inwards, attempting to reach Charleston ) run she was captured ( as
well as the British steamer ANGLIA ) by the Federals 24th
October 1862 at Bull's Bay, South Carolina.
By the 23rd January 1863, she had been sold by
the Prize Court and registered at New York as the GENERAL
BANKS.
During the year 1863 she had again been sold a number of
times,
ending up registered at Nassau; as the FANNY AND JENNY ,
now 508 tons gross 297 tons net; Captain Coxetter ;
later in the year, making two more runs against the
Blockade,
but driven ashore by the USS FLORIDA Wrightsville Beach,
Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina; off New
Inlet 8th February 1864 ( inward bound ).
The ship was reported salvaged by the owner and the ship
continued in the ownership of Augustus John Adderley
until 1914.
SCOTIA /
GENERAL BANKS / FANNY & JENNY
1863,
Registered Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas : 508tons.
There were two vessels involved in blockade running with the
name of
Scotia. The second ship to bear the name was built by Tod & McGregor,
Glasgow, in
1845 for Otto Henry Kaselack and captured 1st March 1864, coming out of
Wilmington.
There were a number of vessels at this time named
“GENERAL BANKS” and “FANNY
AND JENNY”;
It is therefore unclear as to whether or not
the entries and references actually are relating to one and the
same ship,
let alone the authenticity of the legend of the Jewelled Sword
and its Fate.
There are many other references in Civil War Records,
but here are a selection.
Civil War
Naval Chronology 1861-1865.
ORN Vol. 13 & Vol. 9 and
Stephen Wise’s "Lifeline of the Confederacy"
Delaware Prisoners of War
"SCOTIA" 24th Nov 1862. Hi Seas. Bulls Bay.
Steamer. ("FANNY & JENNY")
William A. Beeson - Seaman
The largest number of prisoners is made up of blockade-runner
crews. The crew was likely to be foreign sailors sailing under the British
flag. As long as they did not return fire they were usually released (sometimes
to crew the same ship for the Union.). The Captain, Pilot and Supercargo
(owners' agents, etc.) along with any Confederate military personnel were
forwarded to Union prisons. The civilian captains and mates were held as
witnesses for the Prize Courts while military personnel were held as regular
POWs.
March 1st 1864 U.S.S. CONNECTICUT, Commander Almy,
took blockade running British steamer SCOTIA with cargo of cotton at sea off
Cape Fear, North Carolina.
Then from a diary entry
28th
July 1864 “Hot and dry.
Made a call in the morning on Mrs. Kelly, a cousin. At eleven o'clock took
Steamer SCOTIA (a captured blockade runner which now runs from Portland to
Augusta) to Gardiner. Arrived there at 3 o'clock.”
During the American Civil War, some British sympathisers
purchased a jewelled sword worth $2,500 in 1864 as a present for Confederate
General Robert E. Lee. This sword was placed on the British blockade runner
FANNY AND JENNY for the run through the Union blockade. The FANNY AND JENNY a
727 ton, 497 bulk tons iron steamer, was built in 1847 in London, England. The
FANNY AND JENNY had also been known as the SCOTIA and GENERAL BANKS. While
running the earlier Union blockade as the SCOTIA she had been captured.
Feb 10th 1864 U.S.S. FLORIDA, Commander Peirce
Crosby, forced blockade runner FANNY AND JENNY aground near Masonboro Inlet,
North Carolina. Immediately thereafter, Crosby sighted blockade runner EMILY
aground nearby. Unable to get either steamer afloat and under fire from a
Confederate Whitworth battery, Crosby burned them. The Florida managed to capture several
of the FANNY AND JENNY’s crew, and while a few did escape, the
Captain and the purser drowned before Confederate shore batteries drove the
Florida away. FANNY AND JENNY carried an
assorted cargo including a quantity of coal, she sank in only twelve feet of water. EMILY carried a cargo of salt. On FANNY AND JENNY was also
found a solid gold jewel-studded sword scabbard inscribed: "To General
Robert E. Lee, from his British sympathizers." Crosby reported that
information given him by the captured crew members of FANNY AND JENNY indicated
that ten blockade runners had sailed from Nassau for Wilmington ". . .
during this dark of the moon. Three have been destroyed, and one put back,
broken down, leaving six others to be heard from."
The sword is reportedly lost.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
1858
- 1872 LITTLE WESTERN - ON 19050
Steam
Schooner 2 cylinder Iron Screw.
Built
1858 Renfrew; James Henderson & Sons
115
( 148 ) tons gross; 67 tons net;
115ft
9ins length; 18ft 5 ins breadth; 9ft 4ins depth
Owner
: Captain F B Tregarthen
Wrecked
on Southward Wells Reef, 6th Oct 1872,
attempting
to give assistance to a disabled brigantine.
Captain
Tregarthen opened the first hotel on Scilly in 1848.
My grandfather
Francis ( Frank ) Thompson used to say his father ( Archibald Thompson ) told
him that the Little Western sometimes only ran when supplies were to be brought
from the mainland, so some visitors had a longer stay on the islands than they
had planned.
1861 Census
(Little Western) Isles of Scilly
William
Woodcock,Crew,M,47,Seaman,Tresco Scilly
( 66 Ton Screw
Steamer. Master: F.B. Tregarthen )
Robert
Jenkin,Crew,M,43,Seaman,Tresco Scilly
Richard
Copenhoun,Crew,M,36,Engineer,Glasgow Scotland,
Richard
Frances,Crew,M,26,Stoker,Newlyn Paul Cornwall
1871 Census Isles of ScillyLittle Western - Screw Steamer Passenger : 66ton No. 19050Francis T Hicks,Master (Ashore), ScillyBenjamin Bryant,M,35,Engineer,Rotherhithe SurreyRichard Francis,M,35,Stoker,Newlyn West CornwallAlfred Williams,M,30,Steward,Tregony CornwallDaniel Richards,M,36,A B Seaman,Mousehole CornwallJohn Edwards,M,28,A B Seaman,Penzance Cornwall The Little Western was the Isles of Scilly’s First Steam Packet boat and made about three voyages from Scilly to Penzance and back each week; each voyage took four hours.
~~~~~~~~o~o~~~~~~~~~
1871 – 1872 EARL
OF ARRAN Steamship; Relief vessel.
Former Clyde excursion vessel.
Builders: Blackwood & Gordon, Paisley, Scotland 1860
Propulsion type: Paddle, double steeple 2 cyl engines
Owners: 1860 Ardrossan Steamboat Co,
Owners: 1871 West Cornwall Steamship Co
Service dates: 1871 - 1872
Tonnage: Gross 144 tons; Net 77 tons
143 ft 5 ins long, 18 ft 5ins wide; 8ft 5 ins depth
This little steamer was built for use between Brodick and
Lamlash.
In 1871 she was sold for use between Penzance and St
Mary's in the Scilly Isles but had only a short career.
Wrecked 16th July 1872. One of the passengers
on the trip, a Mr Stephen Woodcock, advised the Captain that he was a sailor on
one of the pilot boats and could show the Captain a short cut. Unfortunately
this short cut between St Martin's Island and the Eastern Rocks was
unsuccessful and the ship foundered on Nornour Rock. Whilst there was no loss
of life or cargo the ship was proclaimed a total loss.
List
mainly compiled from one made
by
my great grandfather Archibald Thompson
and
continued ( up to the first Scillonian )
by
my grandfather Francis Orlando Thompson
of
St Mary’s, Isles of Scilly
My
Thanks for
The
kind help of the Captain and Crew of the ship, Mariners-L;
Thanks
too for material and help from
Chris
Marrow ( of the Syllingar )
and
Mike Tedstone
for
his kind permission to use his article
“The
Ship with Five Lives”
as
well as The Isles of Scilly Steamship Company,
Roger
Banfield and the Isles of Scilly Museum
Other
material from
West
Country Passenger Steamers by Grahame Farr
Raymond
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