Copyright 2021 © All rights reserved The Newlyn Archive, Admiralty Boathouse, 23 The Strand, Newlyn, Cornwall
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A Special Portrait
The portrait is of Richard Nicholls who was a Newlyn fisherman. He had two fishing boats, PZ 486 Auld Lang Syne which was built for him in 1891 and PZ 663 Speedwell, which was built in 1908 and had a steam engine. The old sailing lugger PZ 486 was one of the boats that went to Whitby every year. His granddaughter has sent a wonderful story of how this portrait came about. Richard was in Whitby and got into conversation with the artist Charles H Thompson (1870-1946) who was painting on the quay. He invited Thompson down to Newlyn and the artist repaid him by painting his portrait. Sadly, we are told that the artist outlived the fisherman who died two or three years after his portrait was painted.
New to the Archive
Rachel Scott has kindly donated her great grandmother’s postcard book to the Archive. Her great grandmother Bertha Winterbon was a trained nurse and a member of the Friends Ambulance Unit and served at the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Dunkirk during the First World War. She must have worked alongside Ernest Procter who was a Quaker and therefore a Conscientious Objector. The postcard book contains copies of some of Ernest Procter’s war sketches as well as photos of hospital personnel and postcards. An account of Ernest Procter’s War by David Tovey can be found in The Flagstaff Issue No 44 Winter 2019
The Brothers
A Newlyn resident, Jonathan Banks, has rescued an historic Penlee lifeboat from a boatyard in Kent and returned her to Cornwall. She now lies in the Gweek Classic Boatyard and awaits restoration. In 1919 three sisters in Torquay funded the lifeboat and named it ‘The Brothers’ after their nephews who had drowned in an accident in Cambridge. The Brothers was built in 1922, was first called out in January 1923 and was in service at Penlee for eight years until 1931, saving 62 lives. She later began a new life as a dive support boat in Dover before ending up in a boatyard in Rochester. Her owner was unable to restore her due to failing health and she was rescued at the eleventh hour by Jonathan and returned to Cornwall in September. His intention is to get her back into the water as a working boat.
A fundraising page at www.gofundme.com/f/SaveTheBrothers has been set up for anyone wishing to donate to help fund the restoration work. The hull is largely original, but there is a daunting amount of work to be done, much of it expensive.
JUST PUBLISHED
Henry Martin's painting is reproduced in a new book that the Archive has published. The book, Walk Newlyn, costs £5. Order Forms for the new book are available on the Website.
Picture: Henry Martin, Breakneck Alley, private collection.
We were surprised at how much has changed in Newlyn since earlier walk books were published and we were keen to showcase this alongside the important historical landmarks recognised in earlier books. The new book makes ‘walking Newlyn’ accessible to more people by splitting it into three separate walks round each of the historic districts of Old Newlyn – Newlyn Town, Street-an-Nowan and Tolcarne. We have been able to illustrate the book with images from old Newlyn so that visitors can imagine more easily how the village has developed. We have also reproduced some paintings of the Newlyn Colony Artists by kind permission of Penlee House Gallery where the original paintings may be seen.
Walk Newlyn, published by Newlyn Archive, August 2020. ISBN 978-0-9567528-5-7. Price £5.
Artists at Gwavas Terrace
The Tonkins cottage was on the southern corner of Gwavas Terrace which consisted of a number of dwellings. There was a small strip of garden at the front and two front doors; one led to the Tonkins cottage and the other to that of their nearest neighbour. The other dwellings of Gwavas Terrace were accessed at the side and back of the Terrace. On the landside there were orchards.
The Tonkins’ cottage was rather larger than the other cottages in the Terrace, being roomy enough for two visitors. However, as with all cottages in Newlyn in the 1880s, there was no running water and sanitation relied on the night soil cart, and the only light was from a paraffin lamp or candles and there was no light in the streets at all.
The front door of the Tonkins cottage opened into a hallway. There were doors on either side to the parlour and front room, and a kitchen at the far end. A staircase rose to the three bedrooms on the floor above. At the far end of the kitchen, there was a window and a door into the linhay. The linhay was a paved yard surrounded by neighbouring cottages, whose upper storeys projected over it, so that only its centre was open to the sky. The sheltered portion served as a store-place. The linhay at Gwavas Terrace could be accessed directly from the street by means of a covered ope, which was a dark passage or tunnel running down the side of the house. This was part of the Tonkins’ cottage, although the flying freehold above formed part of the cottage, next door.
There was an upper room above the covered part of the linhay at the Tonkins’ cottage, called the sail loft, which smelled of cutch, tanned nets, tar, and creosote and contained the nets that were out of season or being repaired. This is where Thomas Cooper Gotch made a rough studio in the early 1880s and was used by artists Stanhope Forbes (who stayed at the cottage when he first came to Newlyn in 1884) and Walter Langley. Thomas Cooper Gotch painted some of his most significant early work while staying at the cottage, including Hiding from Granny, 1883 and The Sailor’s Farewell, 1886, both painted in the linhay of the cottage.
NEWLYN QUIZ 3
In 1879 Gwavas Terrace was the home of the childless William (a fisherman) and Annie Tonkin. They rented rooms to some of the first artists of the Newlyn Colony. NAME THE ARTISTS AND THEIR PAINTINGS.
The Tolcarne Inn c1912
The painting by Alec Walker shows Jessie Bray and Grace Thomas behind the bar of the Tolcarne Inn. Jessie Bray owned the Tolcarne in the late 1800's. Her daughter Grace Thomas took over from her until the St Austell Brewery bought the Inn in the 1960's. During the early years, many Newlyn artists drank there, including Alec Walker, who first came to Newlyn in 1912. Grace Thomas was a good friend of Derek Tangye and is mentioned in his books. Thanks to Grace’s granddaughter Lizzie for the information.
YOUR SECOND NEWLYN QUIZ
NAME THE INN, THE LANDLADY AND HER DAUGHTER.
This painting was done by Alec Walker c1912 and shows the landlady and her daughter behind the bar of a famous Newlyn Inn. The Inn is very ancient and situated next to the sea.
The Tolcarne Inn c1912
The painting by Alec Walker shows Jessie Bray and Grace Thomas behind the bar of the Tolcarne Inn. Jessie Bray owned the Tolcarne in the
Cliffside Stores
Michael Hitchens, currently in lockdown in Spain, thought the woman in the doorway of the grocery and vegetable shop looked like his grandmother Hannah Deeble
NEWLYN ARCHIVE PICTURE QUIZ
Here at Newlyn Archive, we are finding new ways to keep our friends involved. Below, we have displayed part of a photo from our digital
A Vaccination for Smallpox
Vaccination Court was one of the small courtyard complexes off South Fore Street, Newlyn Town. In local folklore, it was linked with the cholera outbreak
Epidemics in the Past: Cholera
Newlyn, like other places in Cornwall suffered during the great cholera epidemics of the nineteenth century; the disease spread quickly because of overcrowding and lack
Postponement of the Open Day
In view of the ongoing crisis involving the Coronavirus (Covid-19) we have postponed the Open Day that was due to take place on Saturday 28th
Open Day Saturday March 28 2020 – Postponed
TRADES TO DO WITH FISHING Due to unforeseen events we have moved the Newlyn Archive Open Day from Saturday 21/3/2020 to Saturday 28/3/2020. The Open
A Morning in the Boathouse
It is always rewarding when people visit the Archive in order to carry out research. Monday morning was a particularly busy day and here we
Sports that put Newlyn in the Limelight: Open Day 12th October 2019
65 people attended the Open Day at the Centre in Newlyn. The promise of poor weather didn’t help attendance and there was some competition from
The Sports that put Newlyn into the Limelight. The Next Open Day October 12, 2019 at Trinity Centre 10am to 3pm.
Newlyn is mainly associated with fishing. The regattas of old Newlyn were certainly important events for the fishermen. It is said that Newlyn Fishermen were
Great Voyages that started in Newlyn: Open Day September 21st 2019
The exhibition highlighted three main journeys. The display of the voyage of The Spirit of Mystery included a hair raising first person account by Pete
Great Voyages that started at Newlyn
The next Open Day is at the Trinity Centre, Chywoone Hill on September 21, 2019 Great voyages that started at Newlyn include the voyage of
Great Honour for Friend of the Newlyn Archive
The Newlyn Archive was set up in 2009 and Ron Hogg was a founder member and has been the Treasurer since then. Friends of
In Memory of Linda
A ceremony to erect a copper plaque in memory of Linda Holmes was held at the Boathouse on Friday, 16th August 2019. A large number
Open Day Saturday 15th June 2019: Shops that have Come and Gone
150 visitors came to enjoy, reminisce and share ideas about the shops that used to be part of the community of Newlyn many years ago
The Laura Knight Visit 16th May 2019
Above: Members of the Laura Knight Society on the Cliff, Newlyn The Newlyn Archive hosted a group of 32 members of Dame Laura Knight
A Remarkable Archive Outing
On the first sunny day of Spring 60 Friends of the Archive and invited guests, varying in age from eight to eighty, enjoyed a rare
Open Day 23 March 2019 ‘From the Balcony to the Lighthouse’
Figure: 34 PZ in front of old boathouse on the Green Slip before the South Pier was built
St Peters Players disbanded
It was with great sadness that Patrons of St Peters Players learned that the motion ‘The St Peter’s Players, Newlyn be formally disbanded’ was carried
New Edition of Newlyn at War
The Archive has re-published with some corrections and minor alterations its very successful first publication, Newlyn at War. The price has risen since the first
Archive benefits from Co-op funding
On Saturday 24 November 2018 the Community Fund Team from our local Co-op invited members of the Archive to join them to celebrate receiving the
Cape Cornwall School Visit on Wednesday 21st November 2018
On Wednesday 21st November 2018, the Newlyn Archive hosted a group of students from Cape Cornwall School along with their teachers and the author JR
New Premises for the Cornwall Record Office
On October 15, 2018 Richard Cockram, Ron Hogg and Brian Newton visited the new location to which the Cornwall Record Office will be transferring in
Open Day Report: ‘Families that were the Backbone of Newlyn’, 13 October 2018
On the weekend that brought us Storm Callum, the Archive held its final Open Day of 2018, representing 15 families with varying histories and occupations.
The Tidal Observatory Book Makes its Mark
Historic England and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently visited the Newlyn Tidal Observatory to make a preliminary assessment of the
Open Day, October 13 2018: Families that were the Backbone of the Town.
The Basket Maker, June Hicks It has been very difficult to select material to feature in this Newlyn Archive Open Day Exhibition because so many
Sylvia Ruth Simpson MBE
Ruth Simpson welcoming Elizabeth Bolitho to the Open Day ‘Fishing at Newlyn’, 11th February 2010 We are very sad to announce the death of
Newlyn Fish Festival 2018
It was fitting that one-time Ordnance Survey man Ray Lloyd represented the Newlyn Fish Festival in 2018, the year the festival was cancelled due to
The Newlyn Tidal Observatory
The Newlyn Tidal Observatory Compiled by Richard Cockram, Linda Holmes, Ron Hogg and Frank Iddiols Edited by P Lomax Published by Newlyn Archive 2018
Thank you Wherrytown Co-op
On Friday 22 June 2018 the Wherrytown Co-op hosted a fund raising event selling cakes and running a tombola to raise awareness of the three
Open Day 16 June 2018
There were 138 visitors to this open day, ‘Getting There and Getting Back’, and it was very enthusiastically received. Many conversations could be heard of
Open Day, Saturday 16 June 2018 10 am to 3 pm: Getting There and Back, transporting goods and people.
This Open Day looks at the role of transport in enabling business to progress. How did the fish that was landed get to people’s
The Mystery and the Badcock Family – An afternoon event at the Boathouse on Sunday 20th May 2018
The photograph shows the Badcock family in front of a model of the Mystery in the Boathouse, the home of the Archive. Linda Holmes, third
Open Day: Resue at Sea. March 24 2018 10am – 3pm
This was a popular well attended Open Day celebrating the bravery of the RNLI volunteers from the late 19th century through to the present day.
Archive Open Day, March 24, 2018
The lifeboat Elizabeth and Blanche 2 returns to Newlyn Harbour after the rescue of the full crew of 13 men
A sad farewell to David Barron’s Shop
The dark green wooden shop located in the centre of Newlyn close to the War Memorial is no longer in existence. On Monday 5
New at the Archive: Fishfinders
During the Second World War the Navy developed a new technology to find enemy submarines underwater. This was called ‘ASDIC’, and was based on the
Happy New Year 2018
The collage above celebrates the final opening of the Boathouse in 2017, when Friends of the Archive provided light refreshments for visitors and there was
November 2017
Above: David Tredinnick, Chairman of the Newlyn Archive with film-maker Shauna Osborne-Dowle at the launch of the film ‘Boathouse Diary’ at the recent Open Day.
Open Day Newlyn in Uniform
The last Newlyn Archive Open Day this Year is ‘Newlyn in Uniform’. It will be held at Trinity Centre, Newlyn on Saturday October 21, 2017
Report on the Open Day
Christopher Laughton took this wonderful photo of the Archive Open day at Trinity on Saturday 6th September. 114 visitors visited the exhibition which was about
At the Boathouse, August 2017
Above: A morning at the archive. Visitors with Maurice Bishop, Dave Barron and Sean Perrott. So much has happened since the last posting in June.
Open Day Review June 2017
On a very warm Saturday, June 16 2017, the archive held its most recent Open Day ‘100 Years Ago’ at Trinity Centre, Newlyn. Much of the
Reviews April 2017
The photo shows the 34ft long Ripple SS 19 leading Rippling Wave SS 628 out of St Ives prior to World War I when fishing
Boathouse Launch March 2017
On Friday March 24 2017, the Newlyn Archive celebrated the launch of its project ‘Delivering the Admiralty Boathouse for Heritage’ at its future home, The
Open Day ‘A Hundred Years Ago’
The Open Day focusses on events that happened ‘A Hundred Years Ago’ in 1917 and in the years of the Great War. The pen sketch
Open Day April 1 2017
The next Open Day ‘On the Other Side’ is on Saturday April 1 2017 at Trinity Centre, Chywoone Hill, Newlyn from 10.00-3.00. The topic ‘On
February 2017
We would like to share the first letter addressed to the archive at its new home in the Admiralty Boathouse, which appropriately was a Friend’s
Delivering the Admiralty Boathouse for Heritage 8/1/2017
Most regular readers of this webpage will know that we are moving the Archive to the building vacated by Newlyn Post Office, which the Newlyn
Newlyn Archive November 2016
It was the focus of the last Newlyn Archive Open Day of 2016, the topic puzzled some and enthralled others, ‘They Came, they Stayed and
At the Newlyn Fish Festival, 2016
The Newlyn Archive was present at the Newlyn Fish Festival this year in the Admiralty Boathouse (the old post office) with thanks to Rob Parsons
A Busy Period July-August 2016
Above: Visitors at the Newlyn Archive Open Day To-ing and Fro-ing The third Open Day of the year, ‘To-ing and Fro-ing’, on July 16 2016,
Open Day 30/9/2016-1/10/2016
The photo above shows the erection of a second shed at the Seaplane Base at Sandy Cove in 1917 by the local builder George Curnow.
To-ing and Fro-ing
The photo of WJ Olds, Butcher in his horse-drawn cart outside the Kings Arms, Paul is just one of the many examples of T0-ING and
News for May 2016
We had another very successful open day last month. The Building of Newlyn Harbour was held at Trinity Centre on April 4 2016 and was
The Building of Newlyn Harbour
Inspiration to develop Newlyn Harbour came from a number of people whose interests ranged between concern for the well-being of fishermen to commercial interest concerned
March 2016 News
The photos were taken at the last Open Day ‘The Great Storms’ on Saturday February 13, 2016, when we had a record 272 people visiting