Annie Jane ~ PZ.614 ; 1897-1907
Percy ~ PZ.614 ; 1907-1916
Percy ~ WY.? ; 1916+
The Annie Jane, one of the finest first class Mount’s Bay luggers and built at Newlyn at the turn of the nineteenth century, was one of a pair ostensibly built by Mr. William Peake, on the Old Green, at Tolcarne, Newlyn. The other was the lugger Albania, whose story is told elsewhere in this series of Penzance Fishing Boat Histories.
The local newspaper attributed both boats to Mr. William Peake, but I’m convinced that they were built by his sons, Henry and Joseph. The two luggers may have been built as joint construction products, or each of the brothers may have built one in competition with the other. Whichever, from their registered dimensions they appear to have been built from the same model, and must have been near identical twins. Within a couple of years completing these boats, the brothers parted rags, with Joe Peake forming a new firm at Tolcarne, alongside the river.
Under construction during the summer of 1897, local correspondents to The Cornishman briefly noted their completion and launch at the end of November, but don’t ask me why the paper printed these reports – which appeared in the same column of general Newlyn news – in this disconnected way. –
NEWLYN: MESSRS. PEAKE, of Newlyn, have about completed the two fine fishing-boats they have had in course of building at Tolcarne. Both are regarded as first-class craft.
MESSRS. John Tremethick and Sons’ new fishing boat was successfully launched from Messrs. Peake’s Newlyn building-ground and brought into harbour on Tuesday.
AN ADDITION TO THE FISHING-FLEET. – Mr. W. Peake, boat-builder, Newlyn, has recently completed two 23-ton fishing-boats. They are two of the finest in the fleet, being just over 51 feet in length. One of them, the Albania, was successfully launched at high tide on Tuesday, and the other, the Annie Jane, will be floated to day (Wednesday).
Cornishman, Thursday, November 25th 1897
This pair of 51½ foot mackerel-drivers were registered at the Penzance Custom House on November 20th 1897, a few days prior to their launch.1 Who actually placed the order for the Annie Jane is not known, but when she was registered her sole owner was recorded as Mrs. Jane Bennetts, while the Albania~PZ.613, was built to the order of John Tremethick, senior, who was her registered sole owner. Both parties hailed from Newlyn, but Mrs. Bennett’s links with fishing still need to be determined. While title to several luggers was vested in the names of the wives of what were really owner/skippers, there was no suggestion of Mrs. Bennetts’ husband [if any] having an interest in the new boat. Virtually complete when launched, the final outfitting of these boats, including the fitting of steam-capstans and their boilers, were carried out in Newlyn harbour. Steam capstans were an essential mechanical aid on the bigger mackerel-drivers, enabling them to set longer trains of nets, increasing their catching power and earning potential. In reporting this final stage of completion one of the Newlyn correspondents was confused as to the name of the owner of the Annie Jane, and the Albania’s actual name. –
NEWLYN: THE two new fishing boats recently built at Newlyn for Messrs. Tremethick and Triggs, by Messrs. Peake, are named Albania and Annie Jane respectively.
THE TWO NEW BOATS, Tasmania and Annie Jane, recently launched at Newlyn, are being rapidly prepared for the forthcoming fishing season at Plymouth. They are to be supplied with steam-capstans and all the latest improvements and will, in all probability, be in Plymouth by the next “darks”. The registered numbers are 613 and 614 respectively.
Cornishman, Thursday, December 2nd 1897
The fact that the Annie Jane was skippered by Henry Love Triggs, while the Albania was skippered by John Tremethick, junior, and this may have contributed the mis-identifications in the above reports. The Plymouth herring season was just underway, and the ‘darks’ were the moonless period when drift net fishing tended to be more successful.
She was primarily a mackerel-driver but well suited to drifting for herrings as well. The winter herring season off Plymouth was a potentially rewarding off-season fishery for the Mount’s Bay luggers but bad weather was an ever present hazard in December.
THE GALE: The herring fleet at Newlyn went out on Monday evening in a gale, which increased rapidly, accompanied by rain. The fishermen were compelled to run for harbour in hot haste, and the Ballinbreich Castle, which sailed for Hayle, was unable to get round the Land’s End, and had once more to seek for the shelter of the harbour. Yesterday the wind blew wildly and a heavy sea ran. For the first time this season the south cone, indicating continuance of bad weather, was hoisted. The Annie Jane, a brand new boat, started for Plymouth, notwithstanding, and she was the object of much curiosity to the fishermen who crowded the piers to see her go out. At about half-past three flashes of lightning and peal of thunder accompanied the storm, and the lightning struck the topmast of the trawler Jubilee, snapping it asunder and sending it to the deck. The spar appeared as if burnt …
Western Morning News, Wednesday, December 15th, 1897
Having aroused an interest in the Annie Jane, with expectations of triumph or disaster, the reporter – or rather the correspondent – then forgot all about her. We then don’t hear of her until the following December.
On Wednesday evening news reached Newlyn that pilchards seans had been shot at Cadgwith. Consequently some boats were soon got ready and the Annie Jane and Alice left almost simultaneously for that place, about 40 seconds between the two boats at a-starting.
Cornishman, Thursday, December 8th, 1898
And then, when an exciting race is implied – nothing more.
During the late mackerel season in 1899, the Royal Navy, who were notionally keeping the peace in Mount’s Bay, caused damaged to some of the mackerel drivers’ fleets of nets, and compensation was sought from the Admiralty.
COMPENSATION. – The owner of the Newlyn fishing-boat J. J. C., Capt. Cattran, has been awarded the sum of £2 as compensation for damage done to the mackerel nets by H.M.S. Leda. The owner of the fishing-boat Annie Jane has been granted £1 10s. as remuneration for damages done. The claim of the fishing-bots Two Brothers and Contest were not recognised. The owner of the Annie Jane has refused to take the £1 10s., but the other owners are satisfied.
Cornishman, Thursday, June 22nd, 1899
Later that year the bigger boats were fishing in Irish waters. –
Fair reports continue to reach friends at home from Newlyn fishermen at Baltimore and Kinsale. Mackerel are fairly plentiful and prices rule high.
Cornishman, Thursday, September 14th, 1899
But …
ILL AND FAR FROM HOME. – The Annie Jane, Mr. Love Triggs, arrived at Baltimore of Monday morning, having on board Mr. John Francis, a member of the crew seriously ill.
Cornishman, Thursday, September 14th, 1899
Again there was no follow-up to the story, and we are left in doubt as to whether of not John Francis survived whatever illness he was suffering from.
It was about this time that the Annie Jane became the subject of one of Stanhope Forbes’ masterpieces, Good bye! Off to Skibbereen, which was exhibited in the Royal Academy Exhibition in 1901. It was amongst several previewed on ‘Show Saturday,’ at the Passmore-Edwards Art Gallery, Newlyn, in the March. While the scene was of considerable interest, the featured lugger was of no particular note to the Cornishman art correspondent – ‘Longfellow, Junior.’
In place of honour, in the middle of the principal wall, hung “Good bye,” by Mr. Stanhope A. Forbes. It depicts one of the scenes in which he revels – a common phase of every-day life transferred to canvas with exactitude, skill, and not a little of the touch of picturesqueness which imparts beauty to a composition of the kind. The scene is laid in Newlyn harbour, out of which a fishing-boat is passing. On the decks are a number of toilers of the deep, a couple engaged in hoisting the brown sail, and the rest in making the craft snug to meet the seas. Only one is idle, and that a boy, who is leaning over the side, waving his cap as a farewell greeting to the occupants of a small punt. In the latter the principal occupant is a woman, evidently the mother of the lad, who is waving a handkerchief to him. An old man, clad in the attire of a fisherman, is skulling the boat, and a girl sits in the stern. In the background rises a forest of masts, further away the houses, unevenly piles on the edges of the cliff, appear, succeeded in their turn by the green, hedge-bordered meadows. It is an evening scene and the contrasting colours are cleverly manipulated. The reflections in the water are natural, as is the sombre sky, flecked here and there with the last golden tints of the sun on the clouds. But the principal strength lies in the treatment of the atmosphere and the natural tints which prevail throughout. Throughout it is eminently characteristic of Mr. Forbes’ style, and it cannot fail to add to his reputation.
Cornishman, Thursday, March 29th, 1901
A monochrome copy of the painting was later published in The Sphere.2
During the 1901 spring mackerel season in Mount’s Bay, we learn a little of her fishing power, but this was the last year before the East Coast steam drifters made their appearance in this western fishery.. –
REMARKS ON THE MACKEREL FISHERY. – Wednesday and Thursday proved red-letter days for some of Newlyn’s fishermen. On the first named several boats landed catches of mackerel from 4,000 to 3,000, which realised from 28s. to 26s. per 120. On the following day some of these were again successful, and from 5,000 down were among the catches. One exceedingly fortunate boat, the Annie Jane, £90 to £100 worth of mackerel. The quality was splendid. The fish were fine, and more to the purpose, fresh. Thursday night’s weather was severe and kept many boats in harbour, but some drove, and on the early morning of Friday had arrived with from 4,000 down. The Lizard waters are the desirable ones just now.
Cornishman, Thursday, April 18th, 1901
And, in another column of the same paper, a slightly different account. –
A SUCCESSFUL NEWLYN BOAT. – The Annie Jane is the mackerel craft which has, so far this season, done best at the mackerel fishery. Ever since the season commenced she has done unusually well. Her last catch was on Thursday, when she landed, when she landed the largest catch for the day – 8,000 – and got an excellent price for the fish. Up to now, this season, over £200 has been made by the boat; this will mean a handsome profit to those interested in her.
Cornishman, Thursday, April 18th, 1901
Above average earnings for the share-fishermen, but hardly a handsome profit for the owners!
She was over in Irish waters again in the early autumn of 1901. Whenever the boats were away from home there was much anxiety as to the safety of boats and men, and some reports did little to relieve anxieties:
UNFOUNDED RUMOUR. – A rumour gained currency in Newlyn on Saturday evening that the Annie Jane, Mr. Love Triggs, had been lost in collision at Kinsale, Ireland. Fortunately this was a false report. Telegraphic communication elicited the fact that the Annie Jane has been struck by some craft in Kinsale harbour, but the damage was trifling.
Cornishman, Thursday, October 3rd, 1901
As well as making some good catches, by 1902 she had also earned a reputation of being a fast sailing lugger.
NEWLYN: WHICH IS THE FASTEST? – The mackerel season draws to a close and the general talk of the men on the pier, bank. Cliff, and different other places, is – which is the fastest boat in the Mount’s-bay fleet. It is pretty generally acknowledged that the Annie Jane, PZ.614, Capt. Triggs, is the fastest boat in the Bay, for as she goes and comes from the ground she outsails everything that goes to sea, whether from Newlyn, Mousehole, of Porthleven.
Cornishman, Thursday, June 5th, 1902
As has occurred back in 1898, in the late autumn of 1902, there was another significant enclosure of pilchards in the seines down on the Lizard, and some of the big luggers made a few extra pounds in conveying loads of pilchards from the seines to the curers in the main fish-curing harbours.
THE BIG PILCHARD CATCH AT COVERACK: Mevagissey quays have presented a scene of great activity since Thursday, midday, over 200 hogsheads of pilchards, about 500,000 fish, have been brought from the Coverack seine for W. Robins and Sons, fish-curers, and purchased by them out of the seine at 13s, to 14s, per 1,000. The fish are of splendid quality, and were brought from Coverack in five boats, one of them being the Annie Jane, the largest boat in Mount’s Bay. Every available horse and cart has been employed during the past twenty-four hours conveying the fish to the stores, and a large number of men have been employed. About 200 hogsheads were also brought to Mevagissey from Cadgwith seines for Mr. N. Pollard, and Dunn and Sons, fish curers, price 14s. per 1,000.
One boat carried from Coverack to Newlyn 100,000 pilchards, while several other Newlyn boats obtained loads at £15 per load for Mevagissey and Porthleven.
Western Morning News, Saturday, October 25th, 1902
During the following spring mackerel season she made another notable catch, though poor weather again disrupted the general fishing.
Not a few of our townsfolk [Newlyn] are speculating on “What might have been?” if the weather had been fine during the past week. Undoubtedly there was a very large school of fish off the Bay. And indeed it seemed as if fish were abundant in almost every place where a net was cast. But the fishing was sadly interfered with by the terrible stormy time experienced. Some of the local boats were fortunate enough to do extremely well on more than one night. Probably the highest catch by the local fleet was that of the Annie Jane which had over ten thousand fish on Monday night. There are many men who have been quite out of luck, not having caught anything for the week. This applied to the East and West Countrymen alike. Prices have been very good. They have varied from 18s. to 25s. per 129.3
Cornish Telegraph, Wednesday, April 1st, 1903.
But, the herring fishery off Plymouth that winter proved a great disappointment, even for the Annie Jane.
The fishing season at Plymouth has this year been anything but successful with the exception of a very few boats. The stormy weather of last week kept the greater part of the herring and mackerel fleet in harbour. On three nights a few boats ventured out, but moist of them were compelled to return, and with those that risked shooting in such weather the result was very slight. It is a matter of much regret that the ravenous dog-fish has reappeared in large quantities. The Annie Jane with some four of five Mousehole boats returned from Plymouth on Saturday evening, and on Monday night several more arrived.
Cornishman, Thursday, January 21st, 1904
Little more was heard of the Annie Jane for the rest of 1904, but she was again in the news in April 1905.
Losses of nets with the Mount’s Bay mackerel fleet are still being experienced. Last week’s losses were serious, and on Tuesday night the Newlyn lugger, Annie Jane, Captain Triggs, lost the whole of her fleet of nets with the exception of eight [pieces], in all about 50 nest and 50 lengths of foot-line, valued at £130.
The Newlyn mackerel drifter Samuel Plimsoll suffered the loss of all the nets and warps on Thursday night on the mackerel ground. As the crew [as share fishermen] provided the nets and warps themselves, and are all poor men, the loss will be felt very much. We understand that an appeal for help is to be made.
Cornish Telegraph, Thursday, April 20th, 1905
Fishing nets and their associated gear were essential elements of the fishing industry, but as they were constantly subject to heavy wear and tear, and other damage, they were virtually uninsurable. On this occasion a public appeal was launched:
NEWLYN FISHERMEN’S LOSSES: The crews of the fishing boats Annie Jane, and Samuel Plimsoll, of Newlyn, having recently sustained very serious losses of nets and warps to the value of £140, the local committee which has been appointed for the purpose make an appeal for subscriptions to enable these poor and deserving men to purchase new gear.
Subscriptions may be forwarded to Mr. Alderman J. H. Tonking, Penzance, chairman of the committee, Mr. Anthony Sullifan, Newlyn, the treasurer, or Messrs. Charles Strick, and W. J. B. Smith, Newlyn, the local secretaries.
The following gentlemen have already sent donations: – Lord St. Leven, £5; Messrs. Thomas Bolitho and Sons, £10; Mr. Clifford J. Cory, £5.
Cornishman, Thursday, April 27th, 1905
The fund was reported to have received appreciably contributions over the next few weeks, with subscriptions from politicians, gentry and merchants, as well as the general public but no final accounting appears to have been published in the papers.
To date, everything seems to have pointed to Henry Love Triggs being an effective skipper of the Annie Jane, but in the autumn of 1905, it became apparent that Capt. Triggs had fallen out with his mother-in-law. For many years, from 1885 to about 1899, Henry had commanded Mrs. Bennetts’ smaller lugger Sunbeam in the pilchard seasons. But he had been replaced by others since, and then John Stevenson came into favour with his mother-in-law, and was given command of the Annie Jane. It all ended up in the County Court.
DISPUTE BETWEEN NEWLYN FISHERMEN – JUDGE GRANGER’S HUMOUR.
At the Penzance County Court, on Tuesday, before His Honour Judge Granger, Henry L. Triggs [Henry Lug/Love Triggs], fisherman, of Tolcarne, sued J. Stevenson, fisherman, of Newlyn, for 21s., for the share of two nets and a pair of boots.
AN AMUSING CASE.
Plaintiff: I am suing defendant for 30s. and 7s. for a pair of boots.
His Honour: You are only suing plaintiff for 21s. according to the plaint.
Plaintiff: I am misrepresented.
His Honour: I must therefore amend accordingly.
Plaintiff told a story to the effect that he was master [1886-1899] of the Sunbeam [PZ.100], a pilchard boat, the property of his mother-in-law [Jane Bennetts]; but by some people ‘creeping’ differences had cropped up and he was not now master of the boat. Some people crept in, and where they put their little finger they got in their whole body. (Loud Laughter)
His Honour: I know some people are clever in that way.
Plaintiff: My mother-in-law wished me to leave the boat, and I am suing defendant for the share of two nets. I had eleven nets working on the Sunbeam, and I only received a share from nine.
His Honour: Did your mother-in-law put defendant in command of the Sunbeam?
Plaintiff: No, sir. When I spoke to him I did not receive ‘ordinary civility’.
His Honour: It is money you want, you know, not civility. (Laughter)
By Mr. Borlase: Defendant turned him out of his mother-in-law’s boat. Defendant should not be a wicked man, because he was the treasurer of the Salvation Army. Plaintiff had a temper, but every body had their own tempers. (Laughter) It was not true that people had to watch him for fear of his murdering his wife. Plaintiff was master of the Sunbeam and he made arrangements with Stevenson to lend him eleven nets. That was in the early part of July – just at the commencement of the pilchard fishery. Plaintiff had previously been on a mackerel boat belonging to his mother-in-law, but defendant was not on board as master. He was master under him. (Laughter) There was no row between plaintiff and his wife, but between him and his mother-in-law. He had heard of a man named Robert Thomas, but he (plaintiff) did not say he would murder his wife. The boat went to sea and the six weeks’ earnings were divided, and he was paid for nine nets. He complained that he should receive money for eleven nets, and his wife was present when he complained, but he did not know whether she took any notice of the matter or not. (Laughter)
Mr. Borlase: Can you call any witnesses? – Yes, I could have brought some, But I have not.
Mr. Borlase: Did he settle with you for the week you took away the nets? – He threw the money on the table and ran away. (Laughter)
Mr. Borlase contended that defendant imagined that the claim for £1 1s. was for boots and 14s. for the nets.
Plaintiff: The boots were old and rather leaky, and therefore I sold them. I afterwards bought a new pair. He gladly jumped at the boots for the money.
His Honour: Do you wish to call any witnesses? – That is my case.
His Honour: How do you make up the 30s.? – I am suing defendant for two nets for the season at 15s. per net.
Mr. Borlase, for the defence, contended that there was no agreement. The facts of the case showed that plaintiff was formerly master of the Annie Jane [PZ.614], or acted on behalf of Mr. Bennetts. But it was quite true that he sold Stevenson an old pair of boots for 7s. After some time plaintiff ceased to be master of the boat through some family trouble. Things went smoothly for some time, and in the month of July the pilchard boat Sunbeam was fitted for sea and Stevenson was made master of her [this was not entered in her register]. Plaintiff leant defendant eleven nets to be used, and the arrangement made was to the effect that Stevenson was to work them and have a share of two of the nets. That arrangement was carried out, and the earnings were divided each week, and Triggs did not say a word about Stevenson retaining the shares of the two nets. Some time later there was a disturbance, and Triggs took away his nets in the middle of the season. That week’s share of the fishing of the nine nets was £2 14s.; deducting 14s. for barking, Triggs was paid £2.
Defendant, sworn, said he was the master of the Sunbeam, and he had formerly worked on the Annie Jane. He did some work for plaintiff in connection with some sails, and they agreed to cry quits for the pair of boots in question. There was a disturbance during the past summer, and he (defendant) tried his best to make things pleasant.
Plaintiff: You did your best to make matters worse.
His Honour: Don’t interrupt defendant in his evidence.
Defendant (continuing) said the Sunbeam was fitted out for the pilchard fishery. He persuaded plaintiff to put his nets on board, and the arrangement made was that Triggs should have the share of nine of the nets, and he (defendant) the other two. They made that agreement in the presence of plaintiff’s wife. The earnings for the pilchard prosecution were divided every week, and plaintiff had his share of the nine nets. He thought the amount claimed by plaintiff was made up as follows : 7s. for the boots, and 14s. for the nets.
His Honour: Do you wish to ask the defendant any questions.
Plaintiff: Yes, I wish to ask him to speak the truth. (Laughter) Turning to defendant : I hope you will speak the truth, as you are the treasurer of the Salvation Army. (Loud Laughter)
His Honour: Don’t make a statement, but ask him any questions on his evidence.
In summing up, His Honour remarked that he had come to the conclusion that the idea of the two nets was entirely an after thought on the part of the plaintiff. The story told by Stevenson as to the agreement was, in his opinion, correct. The next point he had to consider was whether the defendant was entitled to deduct 14s. for barking. He was of the opinion that the plaintiff was not entitled to recover the amount. He was not satisfied as to the arrangements with the nets, and he would give judgement for the plaintiff for 7s. for the boots with costs.
Cornishman, Thursday, October 19th, 1905
There was no record in the fishing boat registers of John Stevenson ever being skipper of the Sunbeam, though there was of him having command of the Annie Jane in July 1906 – if only for a couple of months.4 Coincidentally with the publication of the above County Court hearing, Mrs. Bennetts published the following notice asserting her ownership of the boats.
Then, at the close of the 1906 mackerel season, Mrs. Bennetts’ two boats were advertised for sale.
Mrs. Jane Bennetts had clearly had enough of fishing boats, and this advert ran for four weeks. Unfortunately for her, in view of the overwhelming fishing power of the visiting east coast steam drifters, this was not a good time in which to try and sell sailing fishing boats. No acceptable tender was received for either boat, and a little later they were put up for auction.
On Saturday afternoon, the mackerel driver Annie Jane, of 51 feet keel;, and the 32 feet keel lugger Sunbeam, were offered for sale on the Wharf by Mr. Howell Mabbott. There was a good attendance at the auction, but bids were decidedly scarce, £100 and £110, and the reserve of £240 being put in, the luggers was withdrawn from sale. The Sunbeam failed to draw a single bid.
Cornishman, Thursday July 5th , 1906
While there had been no acceptable offers made on the day, a private agreement was eventually reached. On September 8th, ownership of the Annie Jane passed to Harry Percy Laity (32) [known as Percy], and his father George Laity (58), of Fore St., Mousehole, with Harry Percy Laity as her skipper.
The mackerel lugger Annie Jane, recently put up by auction, and withdrawn through the reserve not having been reached, has been acquired by private contract, by Mr. George Laity, of Mousehole. The Annie Jane returned to Newlyn with a ‘load’ on Tuesday, and several parts of a ‘load’ earlier in the week. Another lugger, John Barnes’ Children’s Friend, has been disposed of at Mousehole to Mr. George Dennis.
Cornishman, Thursday, September 13th, 1906
The pilchard seiners of the western coves were also quite successful that year.
MOUSEHOLE. – The Mount’s Bay drift fishing has considerably fallen off during the last fortnight, owing principally to the fish having been enclosed by the seans. In the first place the Sennen Covers were the lucky ones, then the Porthgwarra men shot their sean and enclosed fish which were take up, and shortly after the sean was again shot, enclosing a larger shoal, the fish being brought to Newlyn by boats from Newlyn and Mousehole. Following this news came from Million, and again the boats were off for loads. The Mousehole boats which got loads were Boy Ben, Jonadab, Annie Jane, and Volunteer.
Cornishman, Thursday, September 20th, 1906
A few days later and the season was on the flux, and the bigger Mousehole luggers were off to Ireland.
MOUSEHOLE. – A few boats left on Wednesday for the Irish mackerel fishery, the Jonadab, Annie Jane, and Gleaner left on Thursday.
Some fishermen are trying their luck at Pollack fishing with favourable results, realizing from 45s. worth down per boat.
The summer pilchard fishery seems pretty well at an end. Several boats have shot their nets every night for the week, but scarcely any fish. Several of the smaller boats have been dismantled and the nets taken out, previous to the boats being hauled up on the bank.
Cornishman, Thursday, October 18th, 1906
By ‘dismantled’ they just meant removing the masts, spars, sails, for the winter lay-up.5
No informative reports were received from Ireland that season, and by the first week in December a couple of the bigger boats had ventured up to Plymouth, but it seems that the Annie Jane was now fishing from Mousehole.
MOUSEHOLE. – The Ben Macrae [Ben-ma-Chree] and Edgar left for the herring fishery at Plymouth on Monday. Many thought they were ill-advised to leave just now, when fish are so numerous in the Bay, but a rumour on Tuesday said the Macrea had landed 4 lasts of herring.
Herring are being obtained in very large quantities, indeed it is said the boats have been more heavily laden than for 20 years past. On Tuesday the fishing in general was very exceptional, anything from 1½ lasts down to 4 and 5 thousand were landed. Among the larger amounts taken were 4 lasts by the Annie Jane, and 1½ lasts by the Telephone.
Cornishman, Thursday, October 18th, 1906
And the following week:
MOUSEHOLE. – Some good shots of herring have been obtained by Mousehole boats during the week. The boat Annie Jane, lately purchased from Newlyn, by Mr. Percy Laity, was the first to secure a big haul, which turned out fifty five thousand. The next day several boats had good fishing. Our Maggie, 35,000; Smiling Morn, 30,000; Monarch, 25,000; and others with from 10,000 down to nothing. During Tuesday night a violent gale arose which drove the boats to harbour. In some cases the nets were fouled causing great damage. The boats Hopeful and Humility had their nets rolled together with both foot-lines so tightly as to resemble a big rope. Some of the boats lost their nets entirely.
Cornishman, Thursday, December 20th, 1906
On February 15th 1907, a few months after the removal of the lugger Annie Jane to Mousehole, George and Percy Laity renamed her as Percy, while retaining her current fishing number – PZ.614, and she continued to work under sail out of Mousehole for the best part of another ten years.
However, here I close this account of the Annie Jane, and her story as the Percy is continued in a subsequent account in this series of fishing boat histories.
| Registered dimensions | 20/11/1897 | 19/07/1906 |
|---|---|---|
| Length of Keel (ft.) | 47.0 | 47.0 |
| Length (ft.) | – | 50.4 |
| Breadth (ft.) | – | 14.8 |
| Depth (ft.) | – | 7.0 |
| Tonnage – Tons Gross | 23.95 | 33.0 |
| Tons Net reg. | 23.95 | 33.0 |
| Crew – Men | 6 | 6 |
| Crew – Boys | – | 0 |
Tony Pawlyn
31 May 2020