HMS Trincomalee – Historic ship celebrates 190 years
HMS Trincomalee, the oldest Ship afloat in the UK, celebrated her 190th birthday on 12 October 2007, and many who have been involved in her remarkable rescue and restoration at Hartlepool gathered during the evening to mark this important maritime occasion.
James Atkinson, Chairman of the HMS Trincomalee Trust, the charity that owns the Ship said, 'The story of the Ship is one of remarkable survival throughout her long and varied life. She has served the country in the far waters of the West Indies and the Pacific whilst also being a training ship for both the Navy and for youngsters in British waters for more than a century. Having been restored to her original condition, she is now the flagship of Hartlepool's renaissance.'
General Manager, Bryn Hughes said, 'HMS Trincomalee is one of the most important ships surviving today. She is the last of the frigates of the Nelson era, the only survivor of the anti slave trade patrols of the 1840s in the Caribbean, and is today recognised for her unique maritime importance within the Core Collection of Historic Ships of the UK. For a Ship that was built for a short military career, tracing the decades of her 190 years in a range of service is an amazing story. This is a special day and we shall be hoisting flags, cutting a cake and reminiscing over nearly two centuries of activity from her launch in Bombay in 1817.'
HMS Trincomalee was based at Hartlepool between 1862 and 1877 as a drill training ship and returned in 1987 to be restored in an outstanding programme of work that lasted from 1990 to 2001. Today she is the centrepiece of Hartlepool's Maritime Experience, the high profile maritime visitor attraction, where the Trust is planning to develop an exhibition of the Worlds of HMS Trincomalee as well as adding to the interpretation within the vessel in time for the 2008 season.
The birthday celebrations are being sponsored by the Friends of HMS Trincomalee, the Trust's supporters organisation. Chairman of the Friends, Ian Purdy said 'The Friends is delighted to be involved as the last decade has seen yet another transformation for the Ship. The restoration work has effectively secured her future – now as one of Britain's most important surviving vessels that is drawing visitors from all over the country and from overseas as well.'
- Ends -
Adapted from Press Release originally issued by the HMS Trincomalee Trust on 5 October 2007
HMS Trincomalee Trust
Jackson Dock, Maritime Avenue, Hartlepool TS24 0XZ
Tel: 01429 223193 Fax: 01429 864385 Email: office@hms-trincomalee.co.uk
Note to Editors:
Attached to this Press Release is an article about HMS Trincomalee, which may be used as additional Press material.
See also
- See National Register of Historic Ships record for HMS Trincomalee
HMS Trincomalee (Supplementary article)
It would be difficult not to think that the story of the survival of HMS Trincomalee is not fiction.
Her survival has been remarkable and this year she celebrates her 190 th birthday. She is an icon of the wooden walls of the Nelson era and has come back from the brink of extinction on numerous occasions and is today afloat at Hartlepool in the North East of England. HMS Trincomalee is the oldest ship afloat in Europe and the second oldest in the world.
Her story began in Bombay where she was built for the Admiralty by the East India Company. She sailed back to England and was immediately put into ordinary for the next 25 years as she was not required. The ship was then called up for action. Being built of teak the ship was able to survive much better than an oak ship in very warm water as well as cold. The metal ships did not have enough coaling stations for them to be useful at that time. So she began her first commission on the North American and West Indies Station in 1847. During the three years at sea she was involved in anti slave trade patrol and HMS Trincomalee is the only surviving ship to have any connection with the abolition of this trade. She also patrolled the seas and acted as a deterrent to ensure Britain could maintain its trading commitments.
Her second commission lasted 5 years from 1852 to 1857 and this time she was sent to the Pacific Station based at Vancouver Island. Fishery protection, disaster relief, hydrographic work, ensuring that settlers were not harmed by the local tribesmen were all in a days work for the captain and crew.
On her return to England she was again put into ordinary and it seemed that her days were numbered. By 1862, however, there were social and technological changes that were transforming the Navy and the old wooden walled ships were being used as drill ships for naval volunteers and reservists. So it was that Trincomalee came to Hartlepool which was then a new and emerging port in Britain with new docks and a new railway. The ship stayed in Hartlepool for 15 years becoming a centre not only for the training of reservists but acting as an important part of the social fabric of the town.
She continued this role in Southampton from 1867 to 1895 when again it did look as though her usefulness was coming to an end. So it came to pass that the ship was sold to a breakers yard in 1897.
But once again a saviour appeared. Geoffrey Wheatley Cobb who had made his money in the South Wales coalfields was keen on sailing ships and used Nelson's old ship Foudroyant for the training of disadvantaged boys in the art of seamanship. In order to do this he used his own money. After staying on board for some time and when they were old enough, some of the boys went on to join the Navy proper. In 1897 Foudroyant was wrecked on the beach at Blackpool and so Cobb asked the Admiralty if there was another wooden ship he could buy to continue his work. He was told that Trincomalee had gone to the breakers yard. In the nick of time he went to the yard at Cowes and bought Trincomalee. He changed the name of the ship to Foudroyant in memory of Nelson's flagship. His work continued until his death in 1931 but the sail training continued but under the direction of the Society for Nautical Research.
In 1942 the then named Foudroyant was re-commisioned by the Navy for the training of young recruits to the Navy for signalling training. These boys were called the Bounty Boys from the first ship that was used for this purpose, being HMS Bounty.
In 1947 the Navy no longer had a need for the old ship. The committee looking after the ship held a vote as to what was to be done and by 8 votes to 6 they decided to try again to introduce sail training but this time to groups of youngsters such as Sea Rangers, Sea Scouts and pupils from schools. So by 2 votes the ship was once again saved from the deep.
1986 was a troubled year for the Foudroyant Trust, who were then looking after the ship at Portsmouth. Numbers of youngsters from schools and groups were declining and the ship was in a poor state of repair. Should this now be the time that the old ship was scuttled?
The committee made a very bold decision. Restore the ship to its former glory in order that people would once again tread the timbers of an old frigate. But where?
Plymouth, Portsmouth and Hartlepool were interested in taking the ship. Hartlepool was in the throes of major re-development under the auspices of the Teesside Development Corporation and with the help of the local authority it succeeded in bringing the ship back to Hartlepool to act as an icon for the renaissance of the town – to be the flagship of a new beginning just as it had been the flagship of a developing port in 1862. Hartlepool with its history of ship building also had a workforce who had recently restored the first ironclad ship, Warrior, which was destined to be returned to Portsmouth. So the workforce remained and worked on restoring Foudroyant – which in 1992 reverted to its original name of HMS Trincomalee.
The HMS Trincomalee afloat as the centrepiece of Hartlepool's Maritime Experience has succeeded in being the flagship of that renaissance and once more lives to fight another day.
The Ship is open to the public throughout the year and is also available for functions, weddings and filming.
HMS Trincomalee Trust
5 October 2007