Collection: National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Collection-level records:

• Collection overview (Cornucopia)

  Maritime Collection

  The most significant part of the collection is that relating to the Falmouth Packet Service which operated out of Falmouth from 1688 to 1850. The growth of Falmouth as a port was as a direct result of the decision to base the Post Office Packets in the town. The collection is particularly strong on contemporary material relating to the Bull family, one of the most successful packet captain dynasties, including a model of Bull’s ship The Duke of Marlborough and his presentation sword (on loan from the National Maritime Museum). There is also an original mail bag from the packet ship Crane, the last to be built, and a fine model of the same ship. Other important items include a wooden crest reputedly from the packet Hanover and an original packet letter. The collection includes material relating to all aspects of Cornwall’s maritime history, but with a specific focus on Falmouth and the river Fal. In comprises ships’ timbers and cannons; models; material relating to the export of copper, tin and other minerals from Cornish ports; tugs; trade and navigation; smuggling; shipbuilding and sailmaking; fishing and folklore; coastal defences; naval history, peace and war; emigration; tourism; shipwrecks and lifesaving; and the art of the sailor. From 1689 until about 1850, Falmouth was the western base for the Post Office Packet Service and material relating to this form a core part of the collection. After the decline of the packet service and the laying of trans-Atlantic cables, Falmouth became the pre-eminent British port for ships to call for Orders. A pattern maker’s chest and contents is symbolic of the large workforce once employed in Falmouth Docks. Other notable artefacts include tin and copper ingots representative of the sea trade; a St Day brick used as ballast; an early model of a brig, a shipwright’s adze, many other tools of the shipbuilding industry and ships’ timbers recovered from wrecks and houses. There is also a fine collection of navigation instruments, including several telescopes, relating to the overseas trade in which Cornwall played an important role. The important industry of pilchard fishery is represented by model fishing boats, barrels and a pilchard pressing stone. Other aspects of fishing are represented by an oyster dredge and ring, nets, crab and lobster pots, baskets, fish hooks, geels, grapnels, floats, oilskins, and a full size open boat of c.1900. Sailmaking is illustrated by a sailmaker’s bench and accoutrements such as thread, wax and a sailmakers palm.

  Subjects

  Communications; Maritime (delete); Maritime; Postal Service

  Photographic Collection

  There is a rich photographic archive of aspects of Cornwall’s maritime history.

  Subjects

  Photography

  Archives Collection

  The collection comprises documents relating to all aspects of Cornwall’s maritime history. There are some Lloyds Registers and specialist material relating to the Packet Service, as well as a core collection of reference books.

  Subjects

  Archives

  Source: Cornucopia

  Date: Not known, but before 2015

  Licence: CC BY-NC