T French crabber, Pasteur, became stranded on the Hanjague Rock on the 12th September 1938. She became stranded when the wind dropped and she drifted ashore, fortunately to be refloated on the next high tide. Description of wreck, from Richard Larn, Cornish Shipwrecks: The Isles of Scilly (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1971), p.151.
Primrose, Wrecked inside Low Lee Buoy 23rd August 1906
The Primrose was a Liverpool coaster, who wrecked on August 3rd 1906. She rammed her bows on the reef in thick fog and by the morning her stern had risen twenty feet in the air, poised for her final plunge into deep water. Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 1971), p.184.
Ansgir, wrecked off Mousehole, December 12th 1920
One of the largest ships to wreck on the Cornish Coast, the Ansgir, was one of many vessels of the German Merchant Marine. Completed a dew weeks after the Armistice of 1918, she was created by A K Ges Neptune of Rostock, on the Baltic. She was a large, single funnelled, two masted steamer of 6,483 tons gross, 4,068 tons net, with a deadweight capacity of around 9, 500 tons. She measured 438.5ft in length, 57.1st in beam and 28.1 ft in depth, and her single screw was driven by a four cylinder diesel engine of 476 nhp. At the end of the war, she was taken over by the Ministry of Shipping, who placed her under the management of Gow, Harrison & Company of Glasgow. Her German crew brought her over to Leith Roads where, on August 12th 1920, the Ansgir hoisted the 'red duster'. Captain James D Gemmel took command of her and she went out to Hampton Roads, Virginia, where she loaded coal for Rotterdam. This safely delivered her next port of call was Dartmouth and here on September 29th 1920 her crew were paid off. As customary, they all signed on afresh next day, and the Ansgir crossed the Atlantic again and at Baltimore took on coal for La Pallice. On arrival at the French port, Captain Gemmel was informed that the Ansgir had been awarded to the Japanese as part of their war reparations and he was ordered to proceed to Barry and take on bunkers for the voyage to Japan. On the morning of December 12th 1920 the Ansgir sailed from La Pallice in water ballast for Barry. The weather was hazy, with a blustery south-west wind which promised to freshen strongly before nightfall. Ushant was sighted at two o'clock in the afternoon and an hour later Captain Gemmel set course for the Wolf Rock light. The wind increased to a hard quartering gale towards dusk and visibility was seriously impaired by heavy rain and patches of foggy drizzle. At 8pm the third mate joined Captain Gemmel on the bridge for the eight twelve watch and both men and the lookouts kept constant watch for the Wolf and the Longships lights. The steamer rolled on through the heavy seas, gradually getting closer to the Cornish Coast, but by eleven o'clock no lights had been sighted. Half an hour later, the captain decided to put about, but hardly had the order been given to turn to port than the watch below were hurled from their bunks as the Ansgir struck the rocks a few hundred yards west of the coastguard lookout on Penzer Point, near Mousehole. Captain Gemmel rang down for hard astern, but the steamer was driven broadside to the cliffs within minutes, the waves breaking over her as high as her funnel. She rolled so violently that it seemed as if she would turn right over, and the boats could not be launched. A long wooden hold ladder was put over the side and down it went 19-year-old Geoffrey Davis, an apprentice from Birmingham, clad in lifejacket and with a rope about his waist. Two more volunteers followed him and hung on to the line while he jumped clear of the side and struck out for the rocks. Waiting for him were three Mousehole fishermen who had been tending their boats in the harbour when, seeing the steamers lights heading towards Penzer Point, they had raised the alarm in the village and then run all the way up the steep Raginnis Hill and along the clifftop lane to the scene of the wreck. The Mousehole men had a hard struggle to haul him out and one nearly swept into the sea, but they managed to regain the rocks and pull Geoffrey Davis in with them. More men arrived from the village and the line the apprentice had brought ashore was used to haul in a stouter rope, one end of which was secured to Ansgirs poop and the other looped around a pinnacle of granite. The the crew started to come ashore one by one, handing themselves along the line. Meanwhile the Mousehole LSA company had left their rocket-cart by the coastguard lookout and were manhandling their apparatus down the cliffs. They reached the rocks to find that twenty of the crew had already come ashore along the line and soon rescued the remaining twenty-five by means of a quickly rigged line for the their breeches buoy. Dawn found the Answer still broadside on to the cliffs, listing heavily to port, with her bows facing Lamorna. She was badly damaged and in spite of the being almost new had to be sold for scrap, and was broken up by the Western Marine Salvage Company of Penzance. In April 1921, she took a severe pounding from a westerly gale, but it was not until the late winter of that year that the Ansgir finally vanished from below the Penzer cliffs. It is still possible to find her plates and steel work jammed in the rocks below the point, and diligent search at low water can produce the occasional memento of one of the largest steamers ever wrecked between Penzance and Land's end. Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: Charles and David, 1971), p. 196-198.
Coloured photo of 'Nefeli' ex 'Osborne Queen' wreck
'Nefeli' ex 'Osborne Queen' wrecked off Dollar Cove, 5th November 1972, the Lizard due to fire destroying the radar, she became a total loss
First and last House in England, Land's End
Suevic, wrecked on Maenheere rocks, The Lizard, March 15th 1907
The Suevic was homeward bound from Australia, carried a crew of 141, plus 382 passengers, and one stowaway; her cargo was general, and included frozen meats, butter, and copper bars. She was on her way to Liverpool via Plymouth when an error of navigation and bad visibility combined to put her ashore on the Maenheere rocks. Two days after she went ashore, a railway company steamer arrived alongside to disembark the passengers, luggage, and was followed later by every available lighter and coaster in the West Country. On March 20th, in calm conditions, unloading of the cargo into the smaller vessels began and was completed exactly one hour before the weather deteriorated on March 27th. Divers inspected the hull, but the Suevic was so badly damaged in the forepart that explosives were used to detach the bow section from the remainder. The after portion, containing all the valuable machinery, boilers, and passenger accommodation, then floated free and virtually undamaged, was towed to Southampton and dry docked. A new bow section was built at Belfast, then towed to Southampton where the two ends were malted and the Suevic was re-born to sail again. So confident of success were the owners that they advertised her next sailing for January 14th 1908, while the bow section was still on the stocks at Belfast. During the First World War the Suevic served as a troopship, and in 1929 she was sold to a Norwegian whaling company. Re-named the Skyttern, she survived as a whale factory ship until April 1st 1942 when her crew deliberately scuttled her in the Skagerrak rather than let her fall into German Hands. Description from Richard Larn and Clive, Cornish Shipwreck: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Carter, 1971), p.127.
Wreck of the William Cory off Pendeen 1910. 1910..
Damage to the Penzance Promenade in the Ash Wednesday Storm.
Damage to the Penzance Promenade in the Ash Wednesday storm of 1962. 1962..
Coloured photos of Spitfire at St Just 1988 restored by Nick Grace at St Merryn Padstow. 10/19/1988.. Western Morning News cutting 1988 of the death of Nick Grace in car crash
Wreck of Tripolitania, wrecked at Loe Bar, December 18th 1912.
The 2,297-ton steamer Tripolitania of Genoa sailed from her home port on December 181th 1912, in water ballast for Barry Dcoks, under the command of Captain Elia Reppito, and when deep in the Bay of Biscay encountered the worst storm to sweep the Channel for fifty years. Gusting to over 100 mph, the WSW gale caught her high-riding hull as it would saild, and by 6 A.M on Boxing Day, when the Wolf Rock was sighted, she was in grave difficulities. She scraped past the Land's End Cliffs, and though water was pumped into her holds to force her deeper into the sea, she drove on. By noon the Tripolitania was inside the Lizard and, knowing she was doomed, Captain Reppito called the crew on to the bridge and told them that he was going to beach on Loe Bar. At full speed she surged up the coast, then the wheel was put hard rescue to arrive the Italians flung a roper over the bows and though the first man who slid down was swept away, twenty-seven others got safely ashore. During the next few ays the Tripolitania was driven farther up the bar sands, but she was little damaged and the work of refloating her began. Scores of labourers dug away the sand which continually built around her, coffer dams were erected and channels cut back to the sea. Months passed, and she still remained on the bar. In August 1913 hopes of salvage were still good, but on November 4th a south-west gale and high spring tide destroyed a year's work in a night. By dawn she had wallowed her way 300 yeards further inshore and settled down even deeper; Tripolitania was launched on the Mersey in 1905 as the Drumgarth, for John Heron & Co of Liverpool. She later became the Lord Cromer, and in December 1911 passed to Luigi Pillagura of Genoa. By a coincidence, her last captain before she was sold to the Italians was Captain J.J Beckerleg of Marazion, whose home was only half a dozen mile from Loe Bar. Description from Richard Larn and Clive Carter, Cornish Shipwrecks: The South Coast (Newton Abbot: David & Charles, 171), p. 163.
Colour post-card Cornish Folk Singer Tell Mann at Mousehole
Colour post-card Cornish Folk Singer Tell Mann Mousehole Harbour in the background. c1960..
P H 75 REGINALD on rocks Scilly 1902 stored wi
P H 75 REGINALD on rocks Scilly 1902 stored with Collins Gibson prints W 0160. NO NEGATIVE OR PRINT
Two images of Rosehill House Grounds Gardens, Heamoor, Penzance
Group of photos of Rosehill House Grounds Gardens and Croquet Lawn Heamoor Penzance. See also M.2359 - M.2365
Manuscript pages from John Ralfs Manuscript 'Flora
Manuscript pages from John Ralfs Manuscript 'Flora of West Cornwall' pages 236. stored in Artwork and Archive neg Catalogue. NO NEGATIVE OR PRINT
Copy of postcard of Penzance Docks inner harbour.
Copy of postcard of Penzance Docks inner harbour looking towards the Dolphin Tavern. Trinity House vessels (steam)
Copy of postcard of the Newlyn Bolitho Gardens near the sea front
Copy of postcard of the Cornish Reviera Express inPenzance Station
Copy of postcard of the Cornish Reviera Express in Penzance Station bottom of Market Jew Street busy with carts. c1900.. Steam Engine Victorian Costumes Pram seat shelter The Longboat Inn
Copy of postcard of Mount Prospect Britons Hill
Copy of postcard of Mount Prospect Britons Hill described as a Polytechnic Residence.
Robert Morton Nance (Mordon) installed as Grand Bard
Robert Morton Nance (Mordon) installed as Grand Bard by Dr J Hambley Rowe (Tolzethan) Padderbury Tor. 1930..
Procession of Bards Padderbury Tor. 1928
Cornish Bards meeting , Padderbury Tor. 1928/30..
Cornish Bards meeting Padderbury Tor. 1928/30..