Description

Immediate dispatch from Somerset. Nice older book in good condition. Pages in great bright condition. No notes or highlighting. Cover has some marking. See images. Fantastic book.

About the book >.>.> This monograph relates the story of the Westcott family and their maritime interests over these years and incidentally provides a lively account of the trading activities of West Country sailing craft much of the material for which the author has obtained first hand from people who served in the vessels or were closely acquainted with them. There is also a brief but fascinating review of commerce on the River Tamar over the centuries and of the importance of Sutton Pool as Plymouth’s commercial harbour dating back to the 14th century. The statistics of each of the Westcott vessels are given together with such information as it has been possible to discover about the working life of the vessels. One of the Westcott ships was the FRANCES AND JANE the last square-rigged merchant sailing ship to be registered at a home port in Britain. The final chapter of the monograph gives two first hand accounts one by the author who sailed in her of some of the last voyages of this barquentine. The National Maritime Museum feels that this carefully studied record of an era in West Country maritime history is well worthy of a place in its monograph series. It is a model exercise in local maritime industrial history. (LL)