The National Maritime Museum Cornwall holds an archive of boat plans, documents and photographs relating to the maritime history of Cornwall and the development and use of boats. Some of the archives are small – barely a single photograph – others are very large. Below is a small sample of the main archives at fonds level with a brief description. You can view the archives by making an appointment with our curator via email to: enquiries@nmmc.co.uk.
Copies of documents or photographs for personal research can be supplied, subject to a small fee and normal copyright law.
| Fonds ID | Fonds | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 0340 | Buchanan A H | There are more than 1400 sets of drawings of which about 90% have been catalogued. Many of the rolls of plans were badly damaged in storage before being received. Enquiries can be accepted and copies of specifications for individual designs can be traced |
| 0360 | Blandford P | Varied collection of plans, photographs, correspondence, articles and manuscripts for published work |
| 0301 | Seabird | Full set 8 sheets of plans for West Lancashire Yacht Club centerboard dinghy One design SEABIRD of 1899. Fully catalogued |
| 0531 | Cowley B F | This archive of documents relates to HMS Falmouth Crossing the Line in 1939 and the D Day landings |
| 0532 | Row E | An archive with material relating to the sailing events held at Torquay for the 1948 Olympics, papers relating to the Gull Class Owners’s Association and other information relating to the proposed construction of a Cadet Dinghy |
| 0533 | Whittaker M | A collection of three albums, an envelope of assorted documents and photographs, and bound documents. Part of a wider collection which includes objects such as a cap badge, two flags and a bone folder (OC137). Marion Whittaker was a Wren based in Falmouth during WW2, who distinguished herself when she removed vehicles full of petrol from a burning garage. Part of the archive relates to her career in WW2 and other albums are relevant to her world wide travels to Europe, South and North America in the late 1930s |
| 0535 | Finn Festival 2012 | Finn Festival May 4 – 18 2012 – Official Programme |
| 0536 | The Penaliggon archive | Joseph Penaliggon was a ship owner from Newquay, with humble beginnings who operated out of Fowey. These documents relate to his family, and his career and include insurance policies, photographs and bills of sale. The ships which Joseph was closely associated with include: Ocean Belle, and Agnes Cairns |
| 0537 | Frank Dye and His Wayfarer Dinghy “Wanderer” | |
| 0538 | Shave T | This is a collection of seven black and white photographs relating to the Royal Air Force Falmouth No. 1102 Marine Craft Unit in the Second World War and 1950s |
| 0539 | Torrey Canyon photographs | This is a collection of five black and white photographs depicting the wrecking of the Torrey Canyon oil supertanker in March 1967 off of the coast of Cornwall. A major rescue effort to deal with the oil spillage was not entirely successful, as a number of sea birds and other creatures were killed |
| 0540 | Falmouth views | Three photograph comprising two views of Falmouth Docks and one of the River Fal at King Harry’s Reach |
| 0541 | Clarke J | This collection includes 50 photographs of boats in Cornwall and 132 of other areas mostly photographed by John Clarke, together with 30 photographs of maritime paintings and 20 photographs of ships models. The first nine pages of a draft of John Clarke’s Final Year Thesis for the Royal College of Art entitled ‘The Evolution of Ornamentation in the Ship’ are also included in this collection |
| 0542 | St Denys tug photographs | 29 photos of the tug, all annotated on the back, most with date |
| 0543 | Rhoda Mary schooner | Collection of material related to Rhoda Mary, SW trading schooner built by John Stephens at Point in 1868 Photographs of her as wreck in River Medway (photocopies), Notebook and sketches D McGregor? (Photocopy). See also CRO MSR/FAL/21 6/68 |
| 0544 | Ben Ainslie Olympics 2012 | Two first day covers celebrating the 2012 Olympics |
| 0546 | Peters W F | William Francis (Frank) Peters (02.09.1902 – 11.06.1995)- St Mawes One Design memorabilia Collection contains; 3 framed photos, several smaller photos, box of 35mm transparencies, order of funeral service. Wooden stamp “W Peters”.
Frank Peters designed and built Aileen in 1923, the highly successful forerunner of the present day St Mawes One Design and a boat that is now in The National Maritime Museum Cornwall’s collection. He had been part of a family which had built boats in St. Mawes at Freshwater Boatyard for some two hundred years. Indeed the firm was very well known for having built most of the original pilot gigs used so extensively particularly around the Isles of Scilly |
| 0549 | Silhouette | Silhouette Owners Int. Ass. Journals & Members’ Lists x60 booklets from Dec 1968 – Oct 1973 (series incomplete) |
| 0550 | Alec Rose booklet | ‘Alone around the world’. This publication details Alec Rose’s single handed sailing journey around the world in 1968. Unlike today’s sailors Alec funded his trip himself, without sponsorship |
| 0551 | Bill of Lading for Packet Ship Prince Frederick, 1738 | This Bill is dated 14 October 1738 and relates to the cargo of the packet ship, Prince Frederick. Three different versions of this bill were made out, which allowed for the cargo to be dispatched at alternative points. The Captain of the ship is listed as Robert Lovell and the bill is signed by him. Lovell went on to become High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1759 |
| 0552 | May T J A | Collection of four items, including a handwritten indenture of apprenticeship in the name of Thomas James Arthur May to an iron shipbuilder of Falmouth, dated 2 August 1900, with an envelope dated 21 June 1900. The third item is a poster for the Padstow Regatta, dated 30 June [no year given] |
| 0553 | Bond D | Three black and white images relating to the Prince of Wales cup race in 1938, which was won by diinghy sailors, John Winter and Peter Scott, who invented the first trapeze for use on their International 14, Thunder and Lightning. The photographs show the award ceremony at the Royal Cornwall Yacht Club and also feature a young David Bond, gold medal winner of the 1948 Swallow class race in the Olympics |
| 0555 | CMM | A collection of ex-display items from the Cornwall Maritime Museum, Bell’s Court, Falmouth |
| 0556 | Phillips N | A collection of mounted 35mm tranparencies (approx 265) photographed between c.1960 and c.1990 by Nigel Phillips of Falmouth showing various oil tankers. The majority of the vessels in the images were BP owned and their histories have been researched |
| 0557 | Ramsey A | This is a single item fond containing the discharge certificate for Allen Ramsey who was serving aboard the sailing vessel Waterwitch |
| 0558 | Official opening of the Queen Elizabeth Dry Dock in 1958 | This album contains thirty black and white images illustrating the Duke’s visit to the docks, and depict him meeting the Mayor of Falmouth and directors and staff of the docks. During his visit, the Duke also spent some time on the water in a craft named ‘Bentfield’, before listening to an address by H.A.J. Silley of Silley, Cox & Co. The album, with a red leather covering and gold inscription, was produced by The Falmouth Docks and Engineering Company to celebrate the occasion. See also 0581 for more images |
| 0559 | Ben Asdale | Newspaper cuttings dated 5 January1978 relating to the wreck of the Ben Asdale, a vessel wrecked off Maenporth, near Falmouth |
| 0560 | May Luard | Photographs of the May Luard Catamaran Dinghy, a prototype to be used for air sea rescue. Images are from 1942/43 and are shot in Falmouth harbour and at R.A.F. Station Eval, Cornwalls coastal command base. There is a photo album by the designer/s containg images of a mock launch from an aircraft, erection of the vessel and the craft at sea with crew members. There are also 11 loose images of military canoes and dinghys in design and testing phases |
| 0561 | Hockridge R W | 100+ Archive Items associated with Reginald William Hockridge’s career in the Merchant Navy from his time as an apprentice |
| 0563 | Bluebottle charts | Set of charts relating to voyages in Bluebottle. These charts were owned by Clive Smith, ex-skipper |
| 0564 | Admiralty 14ft Dinghy | Tender documents supplied to boat builders tendering for the build and supply of an Admiralty standard 14 ft. sailing dinghy. The documents are dated 1937 and the archive contains the typewritten specification sheets running to 12 pages detailing the “Specification for Building a 14ft Sailing Dinghy”, the specification for the “Manufacture of the Sails”, the build drawings showing the “General Arrangements, Lines and Offsets” and the drawings for “Details of Fittings & Sketch of Rig”. This is a complete archive that could be used to build this dinghy |
| 0565 | Schumuly | This catalogue contains a brief history of Schermuly and other key people involved, information on directions of use and the different sets available |
| 0566 | Gorran Haven harbour | Set of four documents (one letter and three plans) relating to repair work to Gorran Haven harbour wall |
| 0568 | Daniel J N | This collection of documents relates to the career of John Norman Daniel during WW2, including his time serving as Harbour Master in Penzance, and a period spent overseas in India in the colonial service. Items included in the collection are plans for dredging the entrance to Penzance Harbour, a number of regulations and memoranda relating to merchant shipping in the Port of Madras during WW2, and a report on the safety and security of the port area in Madras during the war. Other documents, such as invitations to freemason Lodge meetings and a Madras City Police dance, give a glimpse into the social life of British personnel in India during this time |
| 0570 | Tall Ships 1966 | Tall Ships Falmouth 1966 related material |
| 0571 | Falmouth Packet Station | A Statement of Facts, in support of the claims of Falmouth Harbour to be retained as a Packet Station, 1 June 1843. Includes many memorials from interested persons keen on retaining the Packet Service at Falmouth. A section on The History of Falmouth as a Packet Station since its commencement in 1688. Report of West Indian Mails and tables of comparison between Falmouth and Southampton of arrival of mail from the West Indies and ongoing despatch to Birmingham, Manchester and London. Also contains chart of Falmouth and Report on the Harbour of Falmouth by Henry H Price, Civil Engineer, January 1835 with chart of Survey of Inner Harbour of Falmouth and Longitudinal and Transverse Sections of the Inner harbour, Falmouth |
| 0573 | Jet Boats Film 16mm | Reel of film depicting Jet Boats. Duplicate from 16mm on 5 inch reel reel bearing the number 5753 in a carboard box labelled “TRITON, S8 mm, Duplicate, Optical, Length 110 colour, from 16 mm Original Film, Ref No H129, Copy -Film Service, Colour-Technique Ltd., Cinematograph Film Laboratories. Magnetic Stripe by E.V.T Magnetics, Tel 01-303 7440” |
| 0574 | St Denys photographs | 13 colour prints and 19 colour negatives (small format) of the Tug St Denys in Falmouth at Custom House Quay, taken by Pat Webster in the 1980s |
| 0575 | The ‘Barham Bibles’ | It is thought that these volumes of books of the Bible were first used by James Bull, commander of the Falmouth Packet Grantham, from 1778-1797. The front cover is embossed ‘James Bull Sen.r’. Inside this volume reads, ‘Major Bull 56th Reg.t’. John James Bull was born around 1822-23 and served in the Army around 1840-1870, becoming a captain in 1851 and a detached Lieutentant Colonel by 1871. These volumes were used by the Bull family as part of their worship and are important to the Falmouth Packet story |
| 0577 | Illustrated History of Flushing | A small booklet detailing the History of Flushing including small illustrations. The book was published in 1940 |
| 0578 | Chain Locker PH | This is a single item archive, of a black and white photograph of the interior of the Chain Locker Public House in Falmouth, photographed in 1947 |
| 0579 | Watchet Harbour | Four black and white postcards of Watchet Harbour |
| 0580 | Moore C | Six photographs of work by Charles Moore, the figurehead carver from St Just in Roseland |
| 0581 | Queen Elizabeth Dry Dock, | Collection of 87 officially commissioned original photographs covering the construction of the Queen Elizabeth Dock at Falmouth from start to finish from 1956-1958. They were taken by R & H Green and Silley Weir Ltd., of Plaistow for The Falmouth Docks & Engineering Company. The condition is excellent throughout, the photographs being completely undamaged, bright and very detailed. A copy of the commemorative booklet ‘Queen Elizabeth Dry Dock, Falmouth’ is included in this archive. See also 0558 for album of images |
| 0582 | Harris R | 3 black and white photographs of wrecked vessels salvaged by the Harris Brothers of Falmouth includes two of the Ponus GH Oct 16 |
| 0583 | Whear A N | Traditionally, sailors at sea used a ditty box or bag to keep vital possessions and memorabilia such as photographs of loved ones, letters from home, keepsakes and so on. This collection contains a ditty box owned by Alexander Whear in the early 1900s during his naval career. The collection includes its associated contents (photos and other items), as well as other family memorabilia |
| 0584 | Rendle C | An album of copies of photographs addressed to the English and French troops occupying Slesvig, with introduction giving a short history of Slesvig followed by 19 scans of photographs. The photographs centre largely on Copenhagen (also Sonderborg and Flensborg), showing troops and scenery |
| 0585 | ‘D’ Class Cruiser | B/W photograph of a D Class Cruiser, pre 1939/45 war. Entering Portsmouth. Possibly Despatch or Diomede. Including crew forward |
| 0586 | Anderson P | Certificate of Discharge for a sailor on the ship Penpol of Falmouth (P Anderson, a steward, born in Zante) |
| 0157 | Silley Cox | Booklet containing Port rules for Silley Cox & Co Ltd, Falmouth, May 1969. Printed as 4 double side pages plus inside front and back cover (includes disciplinary code) |