Maritime Pilots and Pilotage

“Allowing ships to better come into their ports without peril.”

By Linda Batchelor

This blog post offers fascinating insights into the vital maritime service of pilotage that continues to ensure ships can ‘better come into their ports without peril’.

In October 2024 Falmouth Harbour’s new £1.6 million pilot boat Atlantic arrived from the builders, Holyhead Marine in North Wales. The Atlantic is a replacement for the pilot boat the LK Mitchell named after the Falmouth Pilot, 49-year-old Captain Laurence Kerr Mitchell, who died in September 1974 after trying to board the distressed P & O Ferry Eagle in bad weather in Falmouth Bay. Whilst the LK Mitchell, which has served Falmouth Harbour for many years, is bound for Scotland the Atlantic now joins Arrow to provide Falmouth Harbour’s pilot services. These boats are part of the long history and the continuing provision for pilots and pilotage in Falmouth and the United Kingdom.

Atlantic and Arrow in Falmouth Harbour October 2024

Falmouth Harbour

Falmouth is the third deepest natural harbour in the world and the Falmouth Pilotage area covers Falmouth and Gerrans Bays, the Carrick Roads and the Rivers Fal and Helford. Falmouth Harbour is a Trust Port. There are no shareholders or owners, income is to maintain the port. A Board of Commissioners with statutory powers and duties was created by Act of Parliament over 150 years ago. The Order for the Maintenance and Regulation of the Harbour of Falmouth in the County of Cornwall was part of the Pier and Harbour Orders Confirmation Act 1870 (No 2) 33 & 34 Vict. It states that There shall be a body of Commissioners for carrying this order into execution which Commissioners and their successors are hereby, for the purposes of this Order, incorporated by the name of “the Falmouth Harbour Commissioners”.   

One of the Board’s primary responsibilities, among others, is to ensure safety and compliance for the harbour and therefore safe and efficient pilotage is a critical role in the operations of the harbour. Fal Pilot Services is the service arm of Fal Harbour which fulfils this role.

Falmouth Harbour, NMMC.

Maritime Pilotage

Pilotage is one of the oldest branches of the maritime profession. The Oxford Dictionary defines a marine pilot as “a person who is qualified and usually licensed to conduct a ship in and out of a port or in specified waters”. In the United Kingdom the Merchant Shipping Act 1894 section 742 defines a pilot as “any person not belonging to a ship who has the conduct thereof” and the Pilotage Act 1987 governs the training and management of maritime pilots and pilotage in harbours in the UK.

The history of maritime pilotage describing the work and functions of a pilot can be traced to ancient Greece and Rome. Early references used the term lodesman as a person guiding ships inshore and the word pilot came into English in the early 16^th century with origins in  Greek and Latin. Pilots would often be fishermen or seafarers who had gained knowledge and experience of local waters with an understanding of conditions such as tides, hazards and geography. Initially there was only assurance by reputation as to ability or competence and little or no regulation. In England that came with the creation of the Brotherhood of Trinity House.

Establishment of Trinity House

In May 1514 a Royal Charter established the new Corporation of Trinity House to regulate pilotage on the River Thames. The Charter was in response to a petition in the previous year from a guild of mariners to King Henry VIII concerned about the state of pilotage and the safety of ships and mariners on the River Thames. The Charter granted such regulatory power to the Master Wardens and Assistants of the Guild Fraternity or Brotherhood of the Most Glorious and Undivided Trinity of Saint Clement in the Parish of Deptford Strond in the County of Kent. The Corporation was to be governed by the Master, four Wardens and eight Assistants elected annually. The first Master was Sir Thomas Spert, master of the Mary Rose and the Henri Grace a Dieu.

The Henri Grace a Dieu. Depicted in the Anthony Roll circa 1546

Deptford was a small fishing settlement on the Thames at Deptford (Deep Ford) Strond or Strand (Beach) until its development into the first Royal Dockyard, established by Henry VIII in 1513 to repair, develop and build ships for the navy. The name of the Corporation was related to the Church of Holy Trinity and Saint Clement and Deptford was the ideal site for its first headquarters, Trinity House.

Trinity House later moved to Ratcliffe and Stepney and in 1660 moved again to Water Lane at Eastcheap in the City. The building was destroyed in the Great Fire in 1666 but was rebuilt only to be destroyed again in 1715. In 1796 the headquarters moved to the present site on Tower Hill and a new building was designed with a neo-classical facade by the architect Samuel Wyatt (1737-1807) which survived until bombed in 1940. The building was completely gutted and much of the historic contents was destroyed but by 1953 the building was restored and continues to this day as the imposing headquarters for the Corporation of Trinity House.

Trinity House 1799. Thomas Malton jnr. (1748 – 1804). Government Art Collection

Although initially the Corporations powers were concerned with pilotage on the River Thames those powers and responsibilities evolved and developed with the aim as stated by John Wharmby, Clerk to the Corporation in 1746, “to improve the art and science of mariners”. This has included pilot licensing, marine surveying, the provision of buoys and beacons, a statutory duty as a Lighthouse Authority and as a charitable body providing for the welfare of seafarers and other connections.

Governance of Trinity House

The Charter of 1514 set up the Guild or Brotherhood of shipmen and mariners of “the Most Glorious and undivided Trinity of Saint Clement” and initially the Corporation was governed by thirteen members. In 1604 a Charter of James I added eighteen more members raising the governance to thirty-one Elder Brethren, which is still the number today. The motto on the Trinity House Coat of Arms “Trinitas in Unitate”, (Three in One) is a reference to this original semi religious connection of the Guild as is the title of Brethren.

Elder Brethren are appointed from amongst eminent figures such as Master Mariners or Naval Officers or others in the maritime sphere. They constitute the Court of Trinity House and retain their title for life. There are also over four hundred Younger Brethren appointed from various maritime sectors including 12% from Pilots and Harbour Masters. The office of Master has extensive powers. Today the Master is usually a member of the Royal Family and those powers are exercised by the deputy master. The present Master is Princess Anne. The office has also included other eminent figures such as Samuel Pepys when Secretary to the Navy and the Duke of Wellington.

Trinity House – The Present Day.

Role of Trinity House for Licensing Pilots

A prime concern since the establishment of the Corporation in 1514 has been the safety of shipping and seafarers and began with the responsibility for the guiding of ships by experienced pilots along the River Thames. As a result of its petition to King Henry VIII the Brotherhood of Trinity House was given the general power to regulate pilotage on the River Thames and from 1604 exclusive pilotage licensing power on the river. It was established by subsequent charters and legislation as the principal piloting authority for London. By an Act of 1808 this was confirmed and included forty outports on the South and East coast of England such as Southampton and Harwich but not Liverpool, Bristol and ports in the North East of England such as Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Kingston-upon-Hull.

This role ceased after the Pilotage Act 1987 when the powers passed from Trinity House to the Port of London Authority and various local harbour authorities such as Falmouth Harbour. Trinity House remains the Authority for deep sea pilotage.

Licensing of pilots by Trinity House was the responsibility of the Pilotage Committee made up of four Elder Brethren. Records of licensing and examinations for licensing for pilots date from 1808. Pilots were not directly employed by Trinity House but were self-employed and required to renew their licence annually.

Trinity House also examined boys from the Mathematical School at Christ’s Hospital who would be bound as apprentices to ships’ Captains and candidates from the Upper School of the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich. The latter would be destined for navigation officers with the rank of Master in the Royal Navy. One such candidate was Daniel Pender from Falmouth who was part of the exploration and mapping of the coastal waters of New Zealand and of the Vancouver Pacific coast of Canada.

Provision of Marine Safety

The powers of the Corporation of Trinity House were extended by the Seamarks Act 1566, passed in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The Corporation was enabled to set up “beacons, marks and signs for the sea” to allow ships to “better come into their ports without peril”. This evolved into buoyage, marine surveying and in 1609 the establishment of the Lowestoft Lighthouse, lit by candle power. In 1698 the first Eddystone Lighthouse was constructed as the first rock lighthouse in Europe. By 1732 the first Light Vessel was positioned on Nore Sands at the entrance to the Thames.

Some lighthouses were shore based whilst others were constructed offshore and some lighthouses were privately owned. The Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall the most southerly positioned in England and the second oldest working lighthouse in the UK, was originally built in 1752 and owned by Thomas Fonnereau before Trinity House took over control in 1771. In 1836 the Corporation was given the power to purchase and acquire all private lighthouses. It now has the statutory duty as a Lighthouse Authority with the responsibility for sixty-six lighthouses.

Lizard Lighthouse, Cornwall.

Originally a private lighthouse built in 1752 and taken over by Trinity House in 1771

The Corporation opened a depot and riverside buoy workshops in 1803 at Blackwall where the River Lea entered the Thames. Six district depots were established at Holyhead, Swansea, Harwich, Great Yarmouth, East Cowes and Penzance. Michael Faraday was appointed as scientific advisor to the Corporation and worked at the Blackwall Depot experimenting on power sources for lighthouses.

Trinity House

Trinity House has always been active in the building, operation and the development of this aspect of maritime safety and its lighthouses, light vessels and other “marks and signs” are now remotely controlled and managed by modern technology .

A Charitable Body

Throughout its history the Corporation has been involved in Charitable enterprises. It maintains almshouses in Deptford, Mile End in London and at Walmer in Kent. It also disperses monetary grants and pensions, provides training for cadets in the Merchant Marine and is involved in many aspects of safety at sea.

The Corporation has had constant involvement in many aspects of maritime life, regulating  and contributing to marine safety and developing technology and with a remit that continues to make it a valuable and relevant asset today.

Pilots and Pilotage in Falmouth

Falmouth developed as a settlement from 1613 on land owned by Sir John Killigrew of Arwenack Manor. The settlement flourished and in 1661 was granted a Charter by Charles II establishing the town of Falmouth which with the advantage of a deep natural harbour and a safe haven for ships developed into one of the major ports in England . In 1688 the town was established as a Packet Station for the Post Office Packet Service carrying mail, diplomatic dispatches and bullion and passengers to and from Europe and later the Americas, both North and South, and the West Indies. The port flourished and was dominated by the Packet Service and all its attendant services such as boat building and maintenance and victualling until the Service ended in 1851. Over time and existing to the present day, a flourishing dockyard also developed alongside a statutory Falmouth Harbour Commission managing Falmouth as a Trust port.

Falmouth has been involved with maritime concerns throughout its history and from its earliest days one of those concerns has been the need for pilots and pilotage. Pilotage services became compulsory by the Pilotage Act 1808 but there has been a long history of Falmouth pilots before and since that time.

The 1808 Act confirmed Trinity House as the Piloting Authority for London and created forty Outports or Pilotage Districts, also within Trinity House pilotage authority. Not only were pilotage services compulsory in these areas but licensing of pilots was also required with the appointment of Sub Commissioners of Pilots in each district to examine pilots. Falmouth was designated by the Board of Trade as an Outport with compulsory pilotage and pilot licensing. The first Pilot’s Licence for Falmouth was issued to Henry Vincent of St Mawes on 2 December 1808.

The Pilot Walter Langley Penlee House Gallery

Recommendation for a licence required that a candidate had been a Mate for three years or a Master for one year of a square-rigged vessel. Pilots had to renew their licence every year and to pay three guineas annually to Trinity House and they also had to enter into a £100 bond. Pilots acting for less than three years were not able to pilot vessels drawing more than 14 feet of water making for the distinction between first and second class pilots. Pilots were not required to wear a uniform until 1899 but from 1808 a physical description of each pilot was included on the back of his licence so that his identity and his capacity were available for scrutiny on presentation of his services to a ship’s Captain.

Pilots would reach ships waiting at sea or in port or harbour approaches in sailing vessels or rowed craft. Since pilots were self employed the ability to reach a ship quickly whenever and wherever to provide pilot guidance was fundamental to their earning power. The vital requirements for pilot vessels were speed, agility and seaworthiness. By the eighteenth and nineteen century the pilot cutter under sail or a rowed pilot gig were the vessels often used in many areas of Britain including Falmouth. Sometimes these vessels were owned by a family, a group of pilots or a commercial enterprise such as Lloyds agents.

Vincent, c1900. NMMC.

Built for the Vincent family of St Mawes in 1852 and retired in 1922 this was one of the longest serving and best documented of the Falmouth pilot cutters.

The design of Pilot Cutters evolved from single masted fishing boats from the seventeenth to the nineteenth century. They were gaff rigged wooden boats with a deep hull shape and a long bowsprit. They were custom built, many by Trethowans of Flushing, with variations depending on ownership, crew size, pilot accommodation and environment of use. Falmouth cutters were used to take pilots out to ships and merchantmen in the Western Approaches where conditions could be harsh. As the Atlantic gateway the demand for the port was frequent and later cutters could carry up to eight pilots and remained at sea until all the pilots had been placed.

Pilots and crew aboard the Pilot Cutter Vincent in Falmouth Harbour. National Maritime Museum Greenwich, Falmouth District Pilot Boat Association.

Gigs were six oared open rowing boats often used to do pilot transfers from a cutter to a ship at sea and some cutters carried or even towed a gig. Gigs were also used for in harbour transfers and other pilotage tasks and a pilot might sometimes take an oar. These boats were also required to be swift and seaworthy. In 1790 William Peters set up a boat building yard at Polvarth, St Mawes and established a reputation for the excellent qualities of the gigs built. Many of today’s racing pilot gigs rely on Peters designs.

H4H Valiant – The Great Cornish Gig Project – NMMC Launched in 2016 the Cornish Pilot Gig was built by wounded, injured and sick armed forces personnel as part of a National Maritime Museum Cornwall project.

Vessels used by pilots were required to have black sides with a white painted upper strake next to the gunwale. The vessel flew a vane or flag which was horizontal bands half red and half white with the white band uppermost Later in the nineteenth century sails had to carry a port letter and licence number.

Falmouth Pilotage Today

Trinity House was closely involved in these matters of pilotage until they passed to various local harbour authorities by the Pilotage Act 1987. Falmouth Harbour is such an authority and as a Competent Authority provides pilotage for the Falmouth Pilotage Area which spans the area from Black Head to the Dodman. Pilotage directions bespoke for Falmouth require by law that vessels of certain sizes and characteristics must take on a pilot. Falmouth Pilot Service operates as the service arm of the Falmouth Harbour which is a Trust Port.

Falmouth Pilotage Areas, Falmouth Pilot Services.

The pilots are Master Mariners with extensive seagoing experience, licensed to captain the largest ships in the world. The Service has two pilot boats, crewed by the Pilot Boat Team. Arrow was built in 2006 and Atlantic the new eco fuel powered boat arrived in Falmouth in October 2024. These two pilot vessels will maintain the 24-hour all-weather service with over 1,000 boarding and landings of pilots in a year.

The first cohort of licensed pilots in Falmouth reflected the fact that Trinity House and pilots themselves had long been a vital part of the system of pilotage, evolving and developing the needs of the service both nationally and locally. The Statutory requirements introduced regulation and control over the profession to emphasise good practice and to guarantee greater marine safety, which is still a dominant aim today.

Further Reading:

Bartlett Research Centre and Library – Records and References

The Bartlett Research Centre and Library at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall houses a diverse collection of maritime reference book, periodicals and archive material including extensive written records of Falmouth pilots and online journals and articles.

Maritime Views 

Falmouth’s Annus Horribilis – Aspects of the work of Falmouth Harbour Commission by Tim Beattie

Aspects of the work of Falmouth Harbour Commission including their legal dispute concerning Trinity House/Admiralty buoys at the harbour entrance.

The career of Daniel Pender a Royal Navy Navigation Officer from Falmouth – Daniel Pender “A very nice Middy” 1832 -1891 by Linda Batchelor

The career of Daniel Pender a Royal Navy Navigation Officer from Falmouth

Troze

Falmouth Pilots of the Early Nineteenth Century – Troze Volume 8 Issue 1 by Tim Knight

A comprehensive study of these early licensed pilots using records held by the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, the National Archives and the London Metropolitan Archives.

Falmouth Harbour Commission Website

Falmouth Harbour Commission

Falmouth Pilot Services Website

Falmouth Pilot Services

The Bartlett Blog

The Bartlett Blog is written and produced by the volunteers who staff The Bartlett Maritime Research Centre and Library of National Maritime Museum Cornwall. This blog post was written by Linda Batchelor, a Bartlett Library volunteer.

The Bartlett Maritime Research Centre & Library holds a Collection of over 20,000 volumes and offers access to one of the finest collections of maritime reference books, periodicals and archival material. The Bartlett Blog reflects the diversity of material available in The Bartlett Library.