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Sailors

Richard Hendy, sitting in his armchair

Richard Hendy, mariner, 1926-2024

With sadness I heard that Richard Hendy had died early in December after a short illness. For the relatively brief time I knew him I was privileged to call him my friend. We met...
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Sappho a steamship belonging to Bristol Steam Navigation Company

The Master of the last Sappho

“The Master of the last Sappho” is a sequel to “Sappho and her sisters” about the little steamships with the fancy classical (recycled) names which belonged to the Bristol Steam Navigation Company. In a...
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A bunch of bananas being offered to a girl from a sailor on a boat at Bristol Harbour

The Life & Sea-faring Times of Richard Hendy, Mariner

Richard Hendy is a Bristol man who spent much of his life at sea, starting as a galley boy (aged 14) in Atlantic Convoys (oil tankers) with the Norwegian Merchant Fleet. After the war...
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Norton James’ official MN card stating him to be a “Man of Colour”.

Domille Lucia James – A story of a black Bristol woman for Black History Month

Please Note: This post contains words which are no longer acceptable but were commonplace during the 2nd World War when these incidents occurred. I cannot say that DOMILLE LUCIA JAMES is inspirational; in fact,...
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Evening Post Letter

Bristol’s derelict Seamen’s Church

I recently wrote to the Bristol Evening Post voicing my concern for the plans regarding the Seamen’s Church in Prince Street, Bristol. The letter appeared on 2 March 2023 “The recent piece in the...
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Aboard a Hulk

A Sea-Faring Family – the PINES of Bristol, Liverpool and Australia

A large part of the fun of family history is making contact with distant relatives that you never knew you had. This is especially so nowadays with the joys of the internet and this...
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The Missing: Letters from the War, 1803-1815

A Man of War is a most miserable place,” so says 14 year-old sailor James Harding from St George, in 1810, as if we didn’t know from numerous films and TV. In the later...
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George Underhill & son Andrew

The Bristol Mercury of 22nd July 1854 carries the following announcement: “Birth, July 15th at Limekiln Lane, to the wife of Mr George Underhill, varnish maker, a son. This makes the 30th child that Mr Underhill has...
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Abel Hibbs, c1761-1852

“The solitary survivor of the wreck of the ‘Royal George’ is now living at St George’s, Gloucestershire. His name is Abel Hibbs aged 91. Until lately he was a hale old man but is...
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Bristol versus Napoleon

Below are lists of soldiers and sailors who: Survived and returned from the Peninsula Wars – ‘Some Came Home’ Were lost in battle, including an example of ‘friendly fire’ – ‘On Active Service’ Were...
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