We are also sad to record the death of long time member, Bob D’Arcy Andrew, at the end of last year. He was also a staunch supporter and trustee of the Braunton museum. His memorial is his book, reviewed in our March 2008 newsletter, on Braunton sailing vessels.

Another loss was the death in January of Richard Scott. Richard was a member of the “schooner circle”. His funeral in Limerick was marked by the Kathleen and May in Braunton, flying the Irish flag half mast. He will be sadly missed.

Other members who have passed on are Barbara Entwistle, Derek G. Allen, and John Blackwell. The Society is the poorer for their passing.

The Cornish Maritime History conference returns this year to be held as before at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. The speakers range in theme and period from medieval Newlyn to the modern demands of a Cornish business operating in the global economy.
Further details...

After years of 'reproductive' use, many of the MacGregor plans are frail, and will have to be assessed for conservation purposes. This assessment will not go ahead until the new building (for housing the museum and allied documents, including the MacGregor collection) is completed in 2009. It may be that the plans will be photographed and made electronically available after the assessment.

This information was supplied by Ms Cathy Wrigley, Visitor Liaison Officer at the SS Great Britain (tel 01179 260680).

• A bumper crop of seven book reviews
• Letters bringing attention to the threatened loss of important parts of our maritime heritage, but also news of a member's newly built replica vessel.
• The many items on the Heritage news page include updates and photos of the topsail schooner Amistad, and of the Western Lady formerly of Torbay and now operating on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset, based at Swanage.

A brief obituary of Robin Craig will follow in the next edition of South West Soundings.

The maritime information held at their Exeter office includes shipping registers, crew lists and harbour commissioners' records amongst others.

More information is in this letter from SWMHS member Colin Green.

This online petition has been set up to draw the government’s attention to the fate of this unique local icon, and help keep her in her home port of Bideford, Devon.

Before the project goes live the organisers are asking for information to populate its website and to test the submission forms that will be used.

An anchor recording day, to try out the forms, is being held at Poole Museum, Dorset UK, on September 29th this year.

Further information about the project and how to participate can be seen in this leaflet (Word document 500KB).

Their book on the local Holman Family of shipbuilders, owners and insurers, by David Clement has been added to our Members' Publications page.

Also, his list of published works has been added to our Members' Publications page.

• Two articles
• Two meeting reports
• Six book reviews
• Four letters

An option that has not been considered by the Museum Trusteees is conservation without full restoration, which would retain the historic material at a fraction of this cost, while making the vessel available for study as a static exhibit ashore.

This vessel is of National Importance to the British Isles as being representative of the vessels which developed the emigration trade to Australasia. The application to demolish the City of Adelaide should therefore be rejected and the Trustees be asked to consider alternative schemes for the future viability of this vessel.

Here are supporting documents (Word format)
Justification for rejecting this proposal
Letter from our Chairman objecting to the proposed demolition

The application has been advertised and those who wish to make their views known should send them as a matter of urgency to:
Mr Tom Parish
Development Control
(Application 06/00488/LBC)
North Ayrshire Council
Cunninghame House
Irvine KA12 8EE
Scotland

• Two articles
• Three meeting reports
• Eight book reviews
• Six letters

• Search historical trade and local directories
• Search British Parliamentary papers since 1688
  

He is now actively seeking contributors for this book. Each contributor will get a copy of the book (c. £25) plus the offer of buying copies at a third off, and to purchase any other publication the publishers have/will produce at a third off.

Subjects to be considered include shipping, fisheries, trade, ports, harbours, surveying, navigation, environment, privateering, smuggling, shiphandling, shipbuilding, steamships, emigration, seaside resorts, welfare, Royal Navy men and their families.

If you have any questions please Adrian know: Email

Adrian Webb
'Staverton'
19 Kirke Grove
Taunton
Somerset
TA2 8SB

Appreciations of their lives appear on our Letters Page

• A search facility, above the menu at the top left-hand corner of every page.
• Contents lists for the early editions of Soundings which are not online - Articles and Meeting topics.
• A membership application form which can be downloaded ready to print out.

Entries extracted from Lloyd's Register of Shipping, and lookup service http://www.reach.net/~sc001198/Lloyd's.htm

Our links page has been updated to show these changes.

The Society is the poorer at his passing.

Click on the Publications link on the left.

Two new links for your perusal:

• Access to Archives
• SS Shieldhall

Have you ever wanted to know what life was really like in Nelson's navy?

A recently published book (all proceeds to charity) looks at the life of one of the author's distant relatives, who served under Nelson in the Napoleonic Wars.

To quote from the forward: "....the tale that he tells will delight all devotees, like myself, the era; and it is refreshing to get a ‘lower deck’ view of life on board a ship in Nelson’s navy especially as Samuel was in the thick of the action – and was taken by the French along with his shipmates in HMS Berwick off Corsica. The author’s description of the total dismasting of the Berwick and her subsequent jury-rigging is replete with technical detail, for which the author is to be congratulated."

www.press-gang.net

A website by Helen Doe, one of our members, has been added to the links page.

Tales of the Maritime Heritage of Cornwall

The forums are ready and waiting for your input. After some discussion it was decided to make these open to allcomers, instead of just members of the SWMHS.

It is also possible to comment on articles, reviews and meeting reports. At the bottom of each article there is a form that will add your comments to the database. Your comment will be shown in the forums, as well as at the bottom of the article itself.

The forums can be found here, or from the link on the left.

After 2 years it has been decided that an overhaul of the site was needed. To this end, you now see the design before you. We have also changed servers, which means the site will be easier to maintain and update, hopefully leading to both events happening more often.

Some Forums will also be making an appearance.

Any questions or comments, email the webmaster.

Dave Hills has taken over from David Bailey as the Internet Co-ordinator.

All members, we can now send out the regular meeting notices and information letters by email. If you would like this service, email the Internet Co-ordinator.