The Shipwrights

…A shipwright is a ships carpenter who helps build, launch and repair wooden vessels. A professionally trained shipwright, however, can work with anything from small boats to large naval vessels.

In the 1800’s a shipwright would have crafted a bow, hull, keel, masts, and the ribs of the ship or boat by using tools such as an adze and a draw-knife. Fitting wood decking, cutting & bevelling shores for dry docking of ships was also part of the trade. They were very proud and specific about their craft. At sea they were responsible for ship stability including the securing of cargo and for loading and accounting of freshwater as well as fire-fighting and damage control. Generally a very busy man even on modern ships and I would guess extremely busy in the days of sail.

At that time the fishing industry was at its height, when pilchards were landed and cured here, and cured fish of many types, as well as wheat, barley, oats, cheese and minerals were being exported. A considerable variety of goods was also imported from Ireland, France, Wales, Scandinavia and Russia. Shipments of copper ore were made to Bristol and slates were also exported, many of them from the nearby Camel quarry.

Padstow in the 1860s was also a busy port for passengers emigrating to Canada, in particular to Quebec, which gave Padstow shipbuilders access to Canadian timber, some of which was carried in the same ships on return journeys.

By the 19th century a number of ship-building yards had been established along the banks and in the shallow creeks of the Camel river at Padstow.

Fig. 2 The Pub in Padstow

There were 5 ship-building companies in Padstow called John Cowl and Sons, Rawl, Stribley, Tredwen  and Willmett. It is not known which yard that William was employed but it could possibly have been with the the Rawl or Willment yard.

The Willmett’s shipbuilding activities ended in Padstow in 1867 with the building of the schooner Amanda and William was listed 4 years later, as living in Cardiff, Wales in the 1871 census. In all, the Willmetts built fifteen ships at Padstow between 1861 and 1867.

William married Margaret Huskisson Stubington of Soberton, Hampshire, England which could suggest that William went to the Portsmouth Dockyard looking for employment prior to Wales.

William and Margaret raised 9 children, the first was born in Hampshire and the next eight were all born in Cardiff, Wales.

In Cardiff in1839, the Bute West Dock was built followed by East dock in 1855. The Roath Basin was dug in1874 followed by Roath Dock in 1887. This is probably where William worked as he was living in Roath in 1881. In this modern dockyard, each shipwright undertook work anywhere in workshops, aboard ships or in any associated buildings, structures, or equipment.

Their work included manufacture, erection, repairs & alteration to ships structures, ships plating and welding. Installation of ventilation trunking systems, thermal & sound insulation, and the fitting out of compartments including the laying of deck coverings.

Fig. 3 Padstow Harbour circa 1900

Samuel Fradd was born on 03 Apr 1853 in Padstow, Cornwall, England (Christened 17 May 1853). He lived in Padstow, Cornwall, England between 1861 and 1871. He lived in 15 Dumbarton Street, Portsea, Hampshire, England in 1881 (He was living with his sister and brother-in-law Mary and David Hart). He married Mary Jane Thorne on 02 Apr 1882 where they lived in Portsea, Hampshire, England up until 1901 when they moved to Portsmouth, Hampshire, England in 1901. He died in 1931 having sired some craftsman. 

Fig, 4 1901 Census Record

THE SHIPWRIGHTS

Samuel Fradd, Shipwright, Hampshire, Portsmouth 1891; Alfred Fradd Naval Shipwright, Hampshire, Portsmouth 1891; Gary Kenneth Fradd, Shipwright, Sydney,1983