Thursday 5 September 2013

Early Owners and Masters

A list of known Shamrock's owners and masters from before the 1970's restoration.
This information was originally researched and compiled by Alan Viner of the National Maritime Museum.
Date Owner(s) Shares Master
1899
4th September
Tom Williams
Lighterman of Torpoint
64 Tom Williams
1907
27th May
Tom Williams
Fred Williams
Lighterman of Torpoint
32
32
Fred Williams
First Registry of vessel closed July 14th 1919. – Registered anew after structural alterations and the addition of a motor as a sailing vessel with an auxiliary motor.
1919
3rd October
William Betty
Merchant
Saltash
William Betty
Merchant
St Germans
Robert Telford
Merchant Saltash
Joint


64


owners








James Garland
1920
20th January
William Betty
Robert Telford
Joint
64
owners


James Garland
1926
15th February
Ethel Steed
Widow of St Germans
64 Richard Hoskins
1928
4th May
Steed Bros.
Notter River
Quarries
64 Richard Hoskins
1932
23 June
Charles Dunn
Company Secretary
Saltash
Arthur Russell
Accountant of
Bodmin
Ethel Steed
Widow of
Plympton
21


22


21
William Trebilcock




1936
1st November
West of England Road
Metal Company
64 William Trebilcock
1962
17th July
E. Richardson
Horticulturist
Falmouth
64

21st July Costal
Prospecting Co
London
64 Ernest Stephens
Second registry of vessel closed 6th August 1963. – After the installation of two diesel engines registered anew as a twin screw motor ship.
1966
2 May
Richard Curnow
Engineer of
Helston
64

1973
28th April
Robert Fildew
Driver of
Plymouth
64

1974
11th February
The National Trust
Westminster
London
64


For the purposes of registration, a ship is divided into 64 shares; most maritime nations (the United States being an exception) follow this custom.

Why 64 Shares?
As normal there appears to be more than one explanation.
The three that follow seem to be the most popular.

1. The fact that ships traditionally had 64 ribs

2. Under Queen Victoria ship owners were taxed 36% and left with the remaining 64%.

3. Or maybe it's part of the easy maths way to divide up a unit
1
1/2
1/4
1/8
1/16
1/32
1/64
Originating in the earliest trading days when the owner wanted to split the risks of voyaging between his financial friends. No decimal or % business in them there days!
All the "sixty-fourth" shares were sold off and could be split again by the new purchasers, but so long as all the fractions added up to 1, the risks were properly shared out.

On a lighter note

This week has seen the arrival in the boat shed of one of Rob Roy sailing canoe's direct descendants.


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