Norman Court (clipper)
Encyclopedia
Norman Court was a composite built clipper
ship, designed by William Rennie, measuring 197.4 ft x 33 ft x 20 ft, of 833.87 tons net. The ship was built in 1869 by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow
. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale it was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymyran Bay, between Rhoscolyn
and Rhosneigr
, Anglesey
. All bar two of the crew were saved by lifeboats from nearby Holyhead
. Andrew Shewan was captain of the Norman Court from its launch until he retired in ill-health in 1873, following an extraordinarily difficult passage from China. His son, also Andrew Shewan, who had previously sailed as first mate, became captain. It was this son Andrew Shewan who recounted many tales of the ship and of the clipper ships in his book Great Days Of Sail: Reminiscences of a Tea Clipper Captain, published in 1926 when he could plausibly claim to be the last surviving tea clipper captain. He died in December 1927.
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
ship, designed by William Rennie, measuring 197.4 ft x 33 ft x 20 ft, of 833.87 tons net. The ship was built in 1869 by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale it was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymyran Bay, between Rhoscolyn
Rhoscolyn
Rhoscolyn is a village located on Holy Island, Anglesey, Wales. It is just over five miles south of Holyhead and is the most southerly settlement on the island...
and Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr is a village in the south-west of Anglesey, North Wales. It is situated on the A4080 road some 10km south-east of Holyhead, and is on the Anglesey Coastal Path. From the clock at the centre of the village can be seen RAF Valley and Holyhead Mountain...
, Anglesey
Anglesey
Anglesey , also known by its Welsh name Ynys Môn , is an island and, as Isle of Anglesey, a county off the north west coast of Wales...
. All bar two of the crew were saved by lifeboats from nearby Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
. Andrew Shewan was captain of the Norman Court from its launch until he retired in ill-health in 1873, following an extraordinarily difficult passage from China. His son, also Andrew Shewan, who had previously sailed as first mate, became captain. It was this son Andrew Shewan who recounted many tales of the ship and of the clipper ships in his book Great Days Of Sail: Reminiscences of a Tea Clipper Captain, published in 1926 when he could plausibly claim to be the last surviving tea clipper captain. He died in December 1927.
External links
- The Final Voyage of the "Norman Court"
- Story of the wreck of the 'Norman Court' at Cymyran
- Painting of clipper ship Norman Court, San Francisco Public Library
- The Wreck of the Norman Court - Worsley Sub-aqua club page with photographs of the wreck - approximate location of the wreck