British Yachts and Yachtsmen – the Biographies

28 March 2023

The arrival of HMS Beagle

The voyage of HMS Beagle, captained by Robert Fitzroy and containing the young Charles Darwin is justly famous. At the end of a five year circumnavigation, […]
17 March 2023

A Smuggler’s Cottage?

Finding real evidence of smuggling is difficult. The trial of Charles Carter in 1793 contained tantalising reports of spaces or caves which had been found under […]
15 March 2023

When Falmouth avoided a big bang

A chance remark in a funeral eulogy led to the discovery of a first-hand story from 1972 when Falmouth narrowly avoided a potentially disastrous explosion caused […]
21 February 2023

D’Alvimart – An unpleasant shipmate?

The French Revolution brought challenges for anyone with royalist connections. One such was Gaetan D’Alvimart who is mentioned in a letter written by Captain McLeod of […]
20 February 2023

Tracking the Mystery

The story of how seven men sailed a 37ft lugger, the Mystery, to Australia is a familiar story in Cornwall. A recent discovery is a copy […]
11 December 2022

A Broad appreciation …

Volunteer Linda Bachelor tripped over a lovely thank you message from 1806 recently, tracking how an unsolicited thank you may have led to a benefit to […]
29 November 2022

Windfall Yachts database

We have added a database of Windfall yachts to our DataBank. This contains summary information about these German-built yachts, culled from the definitive book by Mike […]
7 September 2022

Red herrings, time-wasters and digressions …

You know that feeling when you trip over something fascinating when you are meant to be looking for something else? Well we do this all the […]
16 August 2022

Hoods Boys and the taking of Diamond Rock

Just occasionally, a happy team experiences a magic moment when everything seems to go right. The early months of 1804, aboard HMS Centaur, 74, under Commodore […]
5 April 2022

The Ceuta papers

We need your help. We have a series of mystery papers probably written in early 1810 which turned up in a car boot sale in Falmouth […]
26 October 2021

Access our Databank

The Bartlett holds upward of fifty different databases on maritime subjects, many of which are growing daily thanks to the work of the tireless volunteers. Our […]
10 May 2021

Weathering the Storm

A new referreed article has been published in Troze, our associate online publication. It looks at the first few decades of Falmouth as a Trust Port. […]
12 August 2018

St. Albans, The Duke of, William Amelius Aubrey de Vere Beauclerk

Tenth Duke of St. Albans. Was born in 1840, and educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge. He purchased his first yacht, the Pilgrim(120-ton schooner), in 1863, […]
12 August 2018

Stone, R. J. Andrews

Owner of Venture, 42-ton auxiliary yawl. Clubs: Erith, Graves­end, Royal Temple. Address: 10, Cleveland Row, St. James’s. Vessel: Venture
12 August 2018

Strathcona and Mount Royal, Lord, G.C.M.G., F.R.S., LL.D., D.C.L., P.C., D.L.

Was born in 1820, and educated in Scotland. He entered the service of the Hudson Bay Company, and has been one of the leaders of Canadian […]
12 August 2018

Sutherland, Duke of, K.G

Was born in 1851, and succeeded the late Duke in 1892. He has been a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron since 1878, when as Marquis […]
12 August 2018

Thellusson, Charles

Was born in 186o, and educated at Eton. He commenced yacht­ing on his father’s yachts, the Aline (216 tons), Guinevere (308 tons), and Boadicea (400 tons). This latter boat was built in […]
12 August 2018

Thompson, George Black

Was born in Dublin in 1837, and educated at Trinity College, Dublin. He is one of the most popular yachtsmen in Ireland, having devoted a great […]
12 August 2018

Thornycroft, Sir John I., LLD., F.R.S.

Was born in 1843, and educated at Glasgow University. He founded the shipbuilding works at Chiswick in 1866, and has succeeded in introducing many improvements in […]
12 August 2018

Tilford, Frank

Is owner of the s.y. Norman, 213 tons, which was designed by Messrs. Gardiner and Cox, and built in 1895. The Norman is one of the handsomest steam yachts […]
12 August 2018

Towers-Clark, Major J.

Was educated at Harrow, and entered the Royal Dragoons. He bought from Mr. Stewart Clark the famous yacht Vanduara, and owned the Velzie, 20-rater, designed by Mr. G. […]