News: Bartlett Blog

In Cornwall, a county with close maritime connections, there had always been an interest in aspects of weather, the collection of weather information and the subsequent burgeoning of meteorological science. Here we take a look at how Falmouth was at the forefront of developments, building two observatories during the nineteenth century and doing much to encourage the science and services of meteorology.

The Barlett Maritime Research Centre & Library is home to over 20,000 volumes – a unique resource accessible by our volunteers, staff and members of the public. As the collection grew so did the need to make it accessible and in the latest Bartlett Blog we look at how this was achieved.

It’s 9.57am on the 15 June 1972 and the Robertson family’s yacht has just been hit by three male killer whales and is sinking fast. They’re in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with just a handful of rations, a life raft and their dinghy Ednamair. Their fight for survival has begun.

Contained within 25 heavy leather-bound volumes are the records of the Falmouth Harbour Committee’s weekly meetings. Much of what they reveal is everyday stuff – port arrivals, problems with the steamer and reports of stolen goods but occasionally some exceptional event will stand out. In this Bartlett Blog we highlight one such sad tale.

In December 2020 HMS Tamar was commissioned as a new patrol vessel for the Royal Navy. In April 2021 the ship came to Falmouth for maintenance and whilst here became the first ship the Royal Navy had painted in ‘dazzle’ livery since 1945.

In 1799 Bernardo Riquelme, a young man in his early twenties, born in Chile and educated in England since 1794, was in Falmouth awaiting a voyage to Lisbon. The voyage to Lisbon was the first step in his ultimate return to Chile but with little money and uncertainty what became of him?

This month sees the opening of the Coastguard 200 exhibition at National Maritime Museum Cornwall and this blog is dedicated to the rescue work of HM Coastguard on their 200th anniversary

The Royal National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck was the forerunner of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and William Broad of Falmouth was one of the earliest recipients of the Institution’s Gold Medal for a rescue at sea. This month’s Bartlett Blog explores the background to the heroic rescue, the rescuer, and the award from the Royal National Institution.

The Stribley Collection of photographs is the result of Roy Stribley’s lifelong passion with keeping a photographic record of shipping in the River Fal. It consists of 32 albums of images of shipping in the River. Now in the care of the Museum, work began in October 2015 to digitize the Collection.