Mercury

[Seajet]

I recently came across this shot among my old photo's, and thought it may be of vague interest, hardly a classic here but I'd have loved to see her in original form - presumably broken up a while ago.

T.S. Mercury, based upon the 1885 Barque 'Ilava', which must have been a very interesting ship originally.

It seems Mercury as she was renamed was set up by philanthropist Charles Hoare to give boys from a less than priveleged background a schooling and chance of life in the Victorian Royal Navy; 100 boys were accomodated.

She was moored briefly at Binstead, I.O.W, and carried out a cruise ( pre -conversion I trust ! ) to Villefranche in 1888.

She was then moored on the Hamble outside Mr.hoare's house, where shore buildings gradually came along.

She ceased training use in 1968, and at some stage moved to Portsmouth, where I took this photo' in the mid 1970's.

I can only imagine what conditions aboard must have been like...

 

[Casey1]

The following from Wikipedia may be of interest: 'HMS Gannet was a Royal Navy Doterel-class screw sloop launched on 31 August 1878. She became a training ship in the Thames in 1903, and was then lent as a training ship for boys in the Hamble from 1913. She was preserved in 1987 and is now part of the Core Collection of the UK's National Historic Fleet.' The establishment was called TS Mercury but the ship retained her hame of HMS President whi9ch was acquired whilst in the reserve fleet.

CB Fry was the headmaster of the training ship for some time and Baden Powell organised a scout camp aboard in 1909 but the space was oversubscribed so part of the camp was held in Bucklers Hard. From this camp the Sea Scouts were formed.

 

[jhr]

I recently came across this shot among my old photo's, and thought it may be of vague interest, hardly a classic here but I'd have loved to see her in original form - presumably broken up a while ago.

Au contraire she's at Chatham and restored to her former glory. I remember her on the Hamble, as a kid.

More info here and here.

 

[Seajet]

I think you're referring to Gannet, one of two other ships along with the actual Mercury/ Ilava pictured here which eventually formed the Mercury establishment, at least that's how the various pages on the 'net read to me !

 

[jhr]

I am referring to the Gannet, but that's the boat in your photo and the one that was moored on the Hamble until the Sixties.

Look at the hawse pipes in your photo and in the pic. of the Gannet - it's the same boat.

 

[Seajet]

You're quite right,I was spoofed by a couple of misleading websites ( 'Hamble Interactive' & another I can't even get to now past all the pop-ups and rubbish ).

Well I'm delighted she was saved and restored anyway !

I usually avoid going East, but I'll have to visit Chatham.

 

[oldfrank]

Got the same shed on top as Unicorn at Dundee. Presumably original? Understand they were designed to keep the rainwater out and help preserve the boat and seem to have worked.

 

[Seajet]

Original ? Have a look at the links on jhr's post, above; it put me straight !

 

[prr]

Gannet

Great to see her again, looking as she should! I remember her looking very dark & gloomy moored at Rotten Row, Portsmouth. On one of her inside bulkheads she had painted in large lettering "In god we trust." gave us the creeps.

 

[Seajet]

Funny you should say that; it was a long time ago, but I clearly remember a creepy, sinister air about her, maybe because she was about as close as one might like to get to a ghost ship; I'd suspect a lot of unhappy souls had been aboard over the years.

 

[jhr]

Found this the other night, on the Pathe News archive site (you have to sit through an irritating advert first). I suspect you're right about the unhappy souls.

Interesting stuff.

 

[Seajet]

Interesting indeed, you did well to find that !

A blast from the past re. the various sailing dinghies too.

I'm not usually too bothered by such things, I was a guide at Tangmere Military Aviation Museum which is most definitely haunted, and yes I did experience it myself as most of the staff ( and some visitors ) did - completely benign feeling, but I must say it would take a pretty strong incentive to get me to spend a night aboard Mercury...

We've all heard stories of previous, departed owners 'staying aboard' their old boats, and 'spirit guides' helping people out of tough spots, do many owners of classic boats come across this ?