- 1860-1876 Edward Woodville Ricketts
Edward Ricketts was a member of RTYC 1845-1890 and shown as the owner of MERMAID up to 1875 (possibly 1877). He lived at Twyford House, Ryde, IOW, as did his brother – Lt C R Ricketts RM, who was an RTYC member himself 1857 – 1876/7.
After his wife died in 1883 he moved to Barmouth, Merionethshire, where he died, 20th April 1895. He is buried on Hayling Island, Hampshire.Mermaid is recorded as having sails by Charles Scovell, 82 High Street, Southampton and flying a sea-green distinguishing flag for racing. A crew list for Mermaid is deposited in the Southampton City archives and dates from 1864. It records Edward Ricketts as managing owner and master of the vessel. The crew consisted of James Spraggs of Hayling Island, fisherman, aged 35; James Henry Goldring of Milton, fisherman, aged 14; and George Jessop of Southampton, fisherman, aged 19. It was common at this time for fishermen to crew yachts in the summer as they were practised at getting a good speed out of their boats. The list states that Mermaid was used for pleasure and sailed between Selsey Bill and The Needles. In 1866 Hunt’s Universal Yacht List gives E. Ricketts as owner and J. Spraggs as captain of Mermaid.
The RNLI record that James Spraggs was awarded a silver medal for gallantry in 1862 in what is termed a shore-boat case – i.e. no lifeboat was involved. On the 17th October 186, when the Portsmouth sloop Cygnet sank near the Hampshire coast on the Woolsiner Bank, off Hayling Island, her crew of three men was seen clinging to her rigging with the sea washing over them. The sloop had become unmanageable after encountering a heavy gale, struck a shoal, was overwhelmed by heavy seas and began to break up. Captain Goldring made an unsuccessful effort to reach the casualty in his smack; he then launched her small 13 foot long skiff and with two of his crew rescued the three men who had been marooned for over five hours. The three men from the smack Ferret (William Goldring, Master; David Farmer and James Spraggs) were all awarded the RNLI Silver Medal on 6th November 1862.
2. In 1877 Mr Ricketts sold Mermaid to Captain George Staunton Lynch Staunton, late of His Majesty’s 14th Hussars. He was born in Florence, Italy, as a British Subject, in 1840. He was the son of Henry Cormick Lynch (Captain in the East India Company), of Galway, Ireland, and Charlotte Margretta Lynch, of Crickhowell, Wales. All his siblings were born in Italy between 1840 and 1850, except for Amy Georgina Lynch, who was born at 2 Hougue a la Poire, St. Peter Port, Guernsey. At this time he was known as George Staunton Lynch, but by 1861, at the age of 21, he had added the extra Staunton to his name and was described as a landed proprietor, but was still living in the family home, at Leigh House, Havant, Hampshire.
George married Margaret Hasler Kirkpatrick in September 1870 and they went to live at the Royal Hotel, South Hayling, Hampshire, and he is described as a landowner. Later he lived for at least three decades at Purbrook House, Purbrook, Cosham, in Hampshire. He was a County Magistrate and a substantial landowner in South Hayling. In the 1881 census he is recorded as living with his wife Margaret, a daughter and five sons. His domestic staff consisted of a governess, a cook, a parlourmaid, a nurse, an under nurse and a housemaid. Subsequent censuses show a constantly changing household staff.
Capt. Lynch-Staunton was a member of The Royal Yacht Squadron from May, 1869, and a number of his vessels are on the Squadron’s yacht list: Sibyl, a schooner of 120 tons, registered in Cowes in 1869; Gertrude, a schooner, 68 tons, registered in Cork in 1871; and Sorceress, a cutter, 34 tons, registered in Southampton from 1878 to 1882. Mermaid does not appear on the list. Capt. Lynch-Staunton was also a member of the The Royal Southern Yacht Club. He had Mermaid’s sails made by Lapthorn and flew a white flag with a red cross when racing.
3. In 1877 Mermaid was sold to Lt. Frederick George Innes-Lillingston of Coillimore House, Lochalsh, Ross, Scotland.
He was born 15th June 1849 at Balmacara House, Lochalsh, Ross, Scotland, and christened on the 28th August. He married Frances Elizabeth O’Brian on October 3rd, 1871 at Holy Trinity, Paddington. In 1881 they were living at 25 Waterloo Crescent, Dover, Kent. The following year he sold Mermaid. Mermaid is listed in Lloyds Register as being owned by Lt. FG Innes-Lillingston from 1877-1882. By 1891 they had moved to Bartley Lodge, Bartley, Hampshire and were attended by ten servants. From there they moved to Bute Court, Torquay, where Frederick died in 1904.
He was born 15th June 1849 at Balmacara House, Lochalsh, Ross, Scotland, and christened on the 28th August. He married Frances Elizabeth O’Brian on October 3rd, 1871 at Holy Trinity, Paddington. In 1881 they were living at 25 Waterloo Crescent, Dover, Kent. The following year he sold Mermaid. Mermaid is listed in Lloyds Register as being owned by Lt. FG Innes-Lillingston from 1877-1882. By 1891 they had moved to Bartley Lodge, Bartley, Hampshire and were attended by ten servants. From there they moved to Bute Court, Torquay, where Frederick died in 1904. He became a member of The Royal Yacht Squadron in May, 1873, and, like Capt. Lynch-Staunton, had a number of yachts on the Squadron’s list: (Capt. Lynch-Staunton’s) schooner Sibyl from 1873 to 1876; SS Iolair, 65 tons, registered in Greenock, from 1877to1878; the yawl Lavrock, 60 tons, Southampton, in 1878; the cutter Alerte, 56 tons, Cowes in 1885; and the yawl Kirmew, 71 tons, London, from 1891 to 1895. It is noted that he had “rendered yeoman’s service on the Sailing Committee” of the R.Y.S. He was also a member of the Royal Southern, the Dorset, and the Portsmouth Corinthian yacht clubs. He flew a blue flag with a white St Andrew’s cross when racing Mermaid.
Lt. Innes-Lillingston owned Mermaid at the same time as he owned the steam yacht Iolair. Mermaid does not appear on the R.Y.S. list, but we can see he had some racing success in her. In the Hamble River Regatta held on September 18th, 1878, Mermaid took the second prize of £5, being beaten by E. J. Sartoris’s yacht May.
‘The course was from station-vessel off Hamble, up round a mark-boat moored near Holly Hill, thence down round the Calshot lightship, and the West India buoy above Netley, and back to station vessel, twice round, leaving all on the starboard hand, with the exception of the Hamble River buoy, which, in passing out, must be left on the starboard, and returning in on the port hand. They started at 11h. precisely, with after canvas set, and in a nice north-westerly sailing breeze. It was a reach up to the Holly Hill mark, and Mermaid took the lead, May being second, Hagarene third, and Rowena fourth. They were all of a heap at the mark, and Rowena overlapped the Hagarene in rounding, but the latter, probably fearing the mud, did not give way, and Rowena had to put her helm hard down to keep clear. The tiller of the latter broke off, and she went stem on to the Hagarene amidships. Her bowsprit got under the others boom, her bobstay broke, and snap went her bowsprit close off. The Hagarene then got on the mud; two of her men were so much alarmed by the collision, that they jumped overboard, and stayed for half-an-hour. Rowena, which but for this misfortune would have a good chance of a prize, having to compete with yachts on tolerably equal terms with herself, brought up off the Hard, where the other afterwards joined her, both being of course now out of the race. The Mermaid came down past the station-vessel first, leading by about ten seconds, but the other soon overhauled her, and kept the lead throughout. At the end of the first round, excluding time allowance, she led by 6m. 47s.; and to show at what an equal pace the vessels sailed, it may be mentioned that though May lost her topmast on the second round, she gained twelve seconds on the other.’ (Report from Hunt’s Yachting Magazine.)
A more impressive success is recorded by the inscription on a clock in the possession of George Lillingston (grandson of the above) which reads: “Won by Cutter Yacht ‘Mermaid’ Lieut. Lillingston, R.N. at Hamble Sept. 19th 1878”.
Two years later in the Southsea Regatta held on August 16th, 1880, Mermaid took the first prize in the race for yachts of 11 to 20 tons. For this race the entries were: Gadfly, 20 tons, Capt. E. Sutton; Fingal, 20 tons, Capts. Rasch and Kennedy; Constance, 15 tons, F. H. Arles, Esq.; Mermaid, 13 tons, F.G. Lillingston, Esq., RN.; Cynthia, 15 tons, F. Lapthorn, Esq.; Waveney, 17 tons, Capt. J. S. Smith; and Playmate, 12 tons, T. M’Cheane, Esq. (Report from Hunt’s Yachting Magazine.)
4. John Morant bought Mermaid in 1883 and kept her for 5 years. John Morant (1825-1894) lived at Brockenhurst Park, Lymington, Hampshire. Like the Ricketts family, the Morants had moved to Jamaica shortly after the British had seized the island in 1655. By 1754 a John Morant owned 4,631 acres in Clarendon and 3,582 acres in Vere, the sugar plantations being called The Bog, Ballards River, Chateau and Penders River. It is recorded that in 1824 John Morant (the father of Mermaid’s owner) owned 487 slaves on his Jamaica plantations. The family bought the Brockenhurst House estate in 1770 and it became known as Brockenhurst Park in the later nineteenth century.
5. In 1888 Mermaid was sold to John Weston Foakes M.D. of 45 South Street, Grosvenor Square, London. He died in September 1888 at the age of 65 and Mermaid passed to his widow.
6. Mrs Bessie Sarns Foakes, who kept the yacht for a number of years.
7. In 1896 Charles Smith of Park Lodge, Truro Road, Woodgreen, London bought Mermaid and kept her for 10 years. Charles Smith had been a bank clerk, as had been his father,Robert, but when he owned Mermaid he was a self-employed insurance broker. Up till 1896 Mermaid’s home port is given as Southampton, but, in that year, Charles Smith had her registered in London under part 1 registry, with the official number 105,779. He entered Mermaid in a race held by the Royal Burnham Yacht Club in June 1896. Mermaid was first across the line, but spent five minutes aground on Foulness Island and was unplaced. Charles Smith belonged to the Royal Burnham Yacht Club and the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club.
8. From 1907-1908 Mermaid was owned by George Pardy of 2 Blomfield Villas, Uxbridge Road, Middlesex. He was a member of the Royal Burnham Yacht Club and the Royal Temple Yacht Club.
9. There is no record that we have found yet as to what happened to her during the First World War and immediately after. By 1922 Mermaid is recorded as belonging to
A. Boyes of Stanley Park, Brightlingsea, Colne. He was a member of the Colne Yacht Club, the Royal Temple YC, and the Walton and Frinton YC.
10. In 1924 Arthur Leslie Jasper of Wenlocks, Blackmore, Chelmsford was the sole owner of Mermaid, but jointly owned by 1927 by A. Leslie Jasper and S. I. Veale. They were members of Colne Yacht Club.
Arthur's grandson, James, has provided the following information. "Yes, my Grandfather owned the Mermaid and then jointly owned it with Stafford.Veale. Stafford was an artist and I have a picture of the Mermaid drawn in pencil.
The Mermaid is sailing and at sea however it is obviously in balck and white.
I have no means of photographing the picture to send to you coupled with the fact I am at present a real techno phobe.
The anecdotal evidence is that Alfred (my Grandfather) and Stafford used the Mermaid to do petty smuggling (as well as to enjoy sailing).
I believe they sailed the river blackwater. My father was kept on the boat as a young baby (in a drawer) and when his mother and father went ashore to a party in Mersea his mother mentioned that she had a baby on board and didn't know what to do with it (she came from a wealthy family and had servants) so some people in Mersea offered to look after the baby and he was raised on and off by them in Mersea while his mum and dad lived a carefree existance."
Whilst working on Mermaid Chris found an empty bottle which had held baby food. The bottle has these moulded letters on it "MELLINS INFANTS FOOD LONDON".
11. In 1928 for two years Mermaid is owned soley by Stafford Ives Veale (1890-1961), a marine and poster artist, of 33 Chancery Lane, London.
12. In 1931 Arthur E. Hagg of Maloola, Marsh Lane, Stanmoore, Middlesex is recorded owner. He fitted Mermaid with a Morris-London 4-cylinder petrol motor, made in America. In 1933 he registered Mermaid II with Lloyd’s, as a 40 foot auxiliary ketch, designed by W. S. Parker and built in Lowestoft by G. Secret, in 1930. Arthur Hagg is probably the same Arthur Hagg who designed the Tiger Moth and Albatross aircraft for De Havilland and his lightweight composite wood structures were used in the Mosquito bomber. He went on to design plywood motor boats for the Walton Yacht and Launch Company. Coincidently Vickie's parents once owned a Hagg designed petrol twin engine motor wooden motor boat. Arthur Hagg was a member of the Little Ships Club.
13. In 1934 Mermaid is advertised for sale on 2nd November by Capt. Martin, House Boat, Dell Quay, Chichester as follows:
AUXILLARY CUTTER ‘‘Mermaid’’, 40ft. by 10½ ft., 9 tons reg., 24 h.p. engine, recently overhauled professionally and in perfect mechanical order, starter, two petrol tanks (30 gallons), self-reefing gear, sleeps five in comfort, 6 ft. headroom, electric light, four vi-spring mattresses, large-size stove, copper water tanks, flush w.c., wash-hand basin, very complete inventory in excellent condition throughout, including paintwork, £300.
There is no record of what happened to Mermaid during the Second World War and presumably she was in storage somewhere ashore.
15. For the years 1946-50 Richard Hopkins of The Oaks, Lacock, Chippenham, Wilts was the owner. He was a member of the Parkstone Yacht Club, at Poole.
16. For the next six years, 1950-56, Mermaid was owned by Richard James Ross of 60 Waldegrave Park, Twickenham, Middlesex. Mermaid was berthed at Moody’s Yard, Bursledon, Hampshire. Mr. Ross worked at Thornycroft’s and appears to have spent much time repairing Mermaid. Many years later in 1997 his niece, Mrs Patsy Pope wrote a letter to the Classic Boat Magazine describing Mermaid's current condition and that she was in danger of being destroyed.
17. In 1957 Mermaid was bought for £400 by Daphne Bradley, who married Frederick Clive Goodley (a police officer) of 78 Whitworth Crescent, Bitterne Park, Southampton, where Mermaid was berthed in the yard. Sue Fitt, nee Goodley, e mailed that her "very earliest memory is being shut below decks while the sails were furled away.... For a brief period she was home to myself and my two older brothers as well as mum and dad." Mermaid is recorded as belonging to Mr Goodley from 1958 until 1959. He is said to have added the dog-house described as ‘like a bus shelter’.
18. Cdr. Cyril E. Colbournof Caldecote Hall, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, bought Mermaid on 2nd April 1959 and owned her until 1967. He was a member of Christchurch Sailing Association and the Royal Naval Sailing Association. He bought Caldecote Hall in 1953, renting the main part of the house to St Chad’s school. The school’s principal very quickly got into arrears with the rent and the Hall was put on the market for £15,250 on 27th April 1955. The following day a fire destroyed the west wing and Cdr. Colbourn settled in an apartment in the east wing. An article in Country Life identified Cdr. Colbourn as a property developer.
He wrote concerning Mermaid in a letter to Julian Tregonning dated July 24th 1989. ‘She carried me in comfort to the Mediterranean and Southern Atlantic and once to New York. Picking the weather of course.’ ‘I sold it, not because it was on its last legs, but because the children grew up and lost interest and so I lost my crew and so changed to a motor cruiser and now business commands all my time. I retired from the R.N. sixteen years ago.’
19. 1968-69? R. W. Taylor of 24 Laleham Avenue, Mill Hill, London NW7.
20. 1978?-83 Capt. Christopher Rodskjer of 9 River Walk, Bitterne Park, Southampton, bought Mermaid for £100. He laid her up for two years at Camper and Nicholson until he retired and then sailed her to France and in the Solent. He is believed to have covered the decks with plywood and canvas, rebuilt the dog-house, removed the engine, and rigged her as a ketch for single-handed sailing.
21. 1965-69 RW Taylor is listed as the owner in Lloyds Register.
22. 1983-88 Saul Thomas owned Mermaid. He worked at Weir Quay Boatyard, Bere Alston, Devon and lived on the boat there. He fitted a Yanmar diesel engine with a new sternchute through the port quarter. Saul is working again at WQB as a shipwright.
23. 1988-89 Michael Plumtree of 8 Devon Consols, Wheal Josiah, Gullworthy, Devon. He bought Mermaid and entered her into Sotheby’s Marine Sale with an estimate of £4,500-£6,000. This was the first and only time Sotheby’s had attempted to sell classic yachts. Mermaid sold for £3,500.
24. 1989-96 Julian G. Tregoning of Redwood House, West Lavington, Midhurst, West Sussex owned her and began researching her history, hence the correspondence with Cdr. Colbourn. This Mr Tregoning very kindly sent on to us when he heard of our project.
25. 1996-97 Tim Lawrence of 1 Stopford Place, Stoke, Plymouth, Devon, bought Mermaid for £1 as Julian Tregoning was not able to progress with her restoration. Mr. Lawrence then accrued debts to Weir Quay Boatyard where Mermaid was moored and was forced to sell her.
Weir Quay Boatyard has undergone a transformation too under its new owners, Mike and Lisa Hooton. It now has 120 swinging moorings, and operates as a traditional boatyard.