The Rise and Fall of the Pilotage Trade in the Isles of Scilly 1800-1900

Dissertation abstract of MA in Maritime History by Sara Stirling

 

Pilotage in the Isles of Scilly had been participated in at least since the seventeenth century, but only became a full-time occupation at the beginning of the nineteenth century with the development of Britain as an industrial power. The inhabitants of the Islands had lived in poverty for centuries, turning from one passing industry to another, the only success, prior to pilotage, coming from smuggling, which was finally stopped by the Preventative force at the turn of the nineteenth century. The pilotage trade came under the regulation of Trinity House in 1810, when only a minority of the men working as pilots were granted licenses, causing conflict that was to last to the end of the century. With seventeen cutters and over one hundred and thirty pilots working from the Islands during the peak of the trade, around 1860, incoming shipping was on the increase and the port of St Mary’s was booming. The pilots were ordering larger and faster cutters in order to remain competitive and the industry was looking as if it was destined to last. However, this peak was short lived and by the 1870’s, with the increase of the use of steam and iron, the face of shipping was changing and the pre-industrial Islands were not able to keep up with the pace of progress. With the larger, iron ships not requiring the shelter and services of the Islands, shipping was now bypassing Scilly in preference for the modern facilities of the mainland ports and the pilotage trade was in decline. The Scillonian pilots fought to keep their profession alive, sailing day and night in search of ships to guide into their Isles, but by the 1880’s, outrun and outnumbered by the Falmouth pilots who were taking the last of their trade, they gave up the fight and discarding their cutters turned to the new industry of the Islands, growing flowers.

 

What Factors Influenced the Design of Revenue Cutters between 1770 and 1850?

Dissertation abstract of MA in Maritime History by William Stirling

It is inevitable that a proportion of a taxed population seeks to avoid the encumbrance. In Britain import and export duties were increased at the beginning of the eighteenth century in order to pay for foreign military campaigns; at the same time the nation’s international trade proliferated. International trade bought prosperity and increased demand. As a consequence of reluctance to pay customs duties, significant quantities of goods were smuggled into the country. This general trend continued (with fluctuations) until the mid nineteenth century. In order to minimize loss to the Treasury the coast and the sea were patrolled. By 1770 the entire coastline of Britain was effectively policed by a fleet of cruisers. The start date of 1770 was determined by available evidence, while the date of 1850 was selected as a result of a Committee of Inquiry which proposed the use of steam instead of sail for the propulsion of revenue vessels. There were approximately 500 revenue cruisers in service between these dates, the majority of which were cutter rigged. There were on average 50 cutters in service each year, six of which were new. This study is focused upon the cutter rigged revenue cruisers, described as revenue cutters. Revenue cutters at the beginning of the period under examination retained characteristics of an eighteenth century ship, which imparted a clumsy appearance to these small vessels. By 1850 these craft were elegant and swift sailing cutters that have been described as the precursor of the clipper. A particularly broad spectrum of influence affected the design of the revenue cutter during this evolution. As a result of their quasi-naval role, design of the cutters was subject to both naval and merchant influence. At times the Admiralty dominated the design process. Other periods were completely without the sphere of Admiralty influence, vessels being commissioned by the Board of Customs from established packet, smuggling vessel and yacht builders. Mixed influences from the Admiralty, the Board of Customs and the merchant builders (the three principal protagonists of the design process) had a significant impact upon the evolution of the revenue cutter. This dissertation is an attempt to unravel and clarify these mixed influences. 

 

 

Family History

Admiral Barlow & Connections to Nelson

Admiral Sir Robert Barlow  Knight Commander of the Most Honorable Military Order of Bath; Fellow of the Royal Society; late Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard. It is not known when Barlow entered the Navy although he served with credit under Earl Howe and Lord Musgrave during the American War of Independence. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in November 1778. He assisted the capture of La Minerve, a French frigate (32) on 4th January 1781 and accompanied the grand fleet to the relief of Gibralter in 1782 as first Lieutnenant of the Courageux (74).  From 1786 until 1789 Barlow commanded the Barracouta cutter and cruised with success against the smugglers. In 1790 he was promoted to the rank of Commander and appointed to the Childers (16). In this brig he resumed his station on the coast of Cornwall where he captured ‘several fine vessels laden with contraband goods, one of which was a new cutter of one hundred and fifty tons…’ On the 2nd January 1793, a few weeks previous to the declaration of war by the French Nationalists against Great Britain, the Childers was fired upon whilst reconnoitring the port of Brest. Imagining the national character of his vessel was in doubt, Barlow hoisted his colours whereupon a heavy crossfire was opened upon the brig from adjacent forts. Providentially a breeze sprang up and the Childers was able to stem the tide to safety. She was hit by only one shot, a 48 pound ball which struck a canon and split into three. This was the first act of decided hostility against Great Britain and on the 15th of the following month Captain Barlow captured Le Patriote privateer, the first armed vessel to be taken from the French Republic. Later in 1793 Barlow was appointed to the repeating frigate Pegasus (28) and fought at the Glorious First of June with the artist Nicholas Pocock on board. In 1795 Barlow was appointed to the frigate Phoebe (44). On 10th January 1797 he captured the French corvette L’Atalante. On 21st December 1797 he discovered and immediately pursued an enemy’s frigate; the difference in point of sailing between the two ships being inconsiderable the Phoebe sustained much damage in her masts, sails and rigging from the Frenchman’s stern guns. At the moment when Captain Barlow was about to commence the attack, his opponent hove in stays. The Phoebe, being under a crowd of sail, and the night extremely dark and her commander not aware of the enemy’s intension to practice this manoeuvre a few minutes necessarily elapsed before he could get fairly alongside. The French ship surrendered and proved to be La Nereide (36).

 

Subsequently, Captain Barlow captured L’Hazard laden with spices and ivory from Senegal valued at 10,000l.sterling, three French privateers and L’Heureux, a flush decked ship of 22 brass 12 pounders. On the 19th February 1800 Barlow discovered an enemy frigate close to Ceuta sailing under a press of sail to the Eastward. At 7.30pm she was brought to close action with the French Commander resolutely opposing Captain Barlow’s exertions until his ship was almost a wreck, ‘with 5’ water in her hold, several of her guns dismounted and her decks encumbered with dead and dying men.’ At length she surrendered and proved to be L’Africaine(44) 315 men besides 400 troops under the command of General Des Fourneaux. She had several thousand stand of arms and a great quantity of ammunition from Rochefort bound to Egypt. The Frenchman’s loss amounted to 200 men and 143 wounded. The Phoebe’s loss 1 man and 12 wounded. For this action Barlow was knighted on 16th June 1801 and soon after appointed to the Triumph (74), in which ship he served on the Mediterranean station until the end of 1804 when the Triumph returned to England and was put out of commission. In 1805 Barlow obtained the command of the London, a second rate, from whence he was removed to the Barfleur, a ship of the same class, and nominated a first Captain of the North Sea Fleet under Lord Keith. In the summer of 1806 he was appointed Deputy Comptroller of the Navy until he became Commissioner of Chatham Dockyard in 1808. He was created an extra KCB in 1820 and superannuated with the rank of Rear Admiral in 1823. Sir Robert Barlow was the eldest son of William Barlow of Bath and was born of Hilare in London on the 25th  December 1757. His youngest brother George Barlow was Governor General of India and created a Baronet in 1803. Barlow’s son, Robert Barlow (born 1788), served in the East India Company and Barlow’s daughter married William Nelson, Horatio Nelson’s brother. Robert Barlow is the very Great Grandfather of William Nelson Charles Stirling and Alfred Nelson Barlow Stirling of Stirling and Son.