Blog Archive
Trade and Tragedy in a West-country Seaport
This talk was given by Alex Lewis on 27th October 2018Alex expertly introduced us to a snapshot of a few years of the Fowey Harbour Board ledgers from the tail end of the 19th Century, where all the shipping movements were recorded, with cargoes, destinations, Captains names, and a whole lot more.
This information leads to a multitude of other tracks of investigation, and Alex followed a couple of these paths, delving into the lives of the Ship Owners, Captains, their families, and the local traders who often had a small share in the Ship.
This revealed it was often a tough life aboard, and a worrying time ashore, with tragedy never far away.
An excellent talk illustrated with many unique slides.
28/10/2018
