The female shipwright

by Mary Lacy Review by Joanna Bellis

This is a tale of that old cliché, running away to sea. The difference here is that the escapee is an 18th-century young woman, who reinvents herself as ‘William Chandler’ and keeps up the deception successfully for some 13 years. This is Mary’s own account of her adventures, taking in life on a warship and 7 years’ study to train as a shipwright.

The narrative is most engaging in the glimpses it gives of the time’s sensibilities. Mary’s disguise allows her to experience at first hand the privations of life at sea. The regular beatings, hard drinking and physical illness she encounters as a ‘man’ compare vividly with her previous life of polite conversation and drinking tea in the company of ladies. That Mary avoided discovery seems astonishing; perhaps a blind eye was turned because she was a well-liked companion and hard worker.

Mary obviously wrote her account with a view to publication and what could have been sensationalist falls the right side of lurid. Even though it is written in the style and grammar of 1773, this is still easily readable and enjoyable today. Perhaps, however, we should take the story itself with just a little pinch of (sea) salt.

Hardback book Published by National Maritime Museum ISBN 9781906367015 Price: £8.99

Not enough room to swing a cat

by Martin Robson Review by Jon Jones

The English language is one of the most expressive and widely used in the world. Author Martin Robson ‘nails his colours to the mast’ here, proving that speakers of this tongue have naval slang to thank for making it all the more colourful.

Not enough room to swing a cat (that’s a cat o’ nine tails, a whip) is both fascinating and funny, explaining how many everyday sayings were born from a life on the sea. Readers will be ‘taken aback’ with some real gems. For instance, ‘to fathom something out’ reasonably enough comes from the practice of measuring water depth, ‘being in the doldrums’ recalls the equatorial regions of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans where sailing ships can lose propulsion, but ‘sweet FA’ implies that onboard rations consist of an 8-year-old girl murdered by a psychopathic solicitor’s clerk!

Suffice to say, not all sources prove pleasant and there’s some very blue language here. Also, don’t expect an exhaustive A–Z: it’s organised by subject matter. So definitely not one for the scholar or faint hearted but it does make excellent ‘heads’ (toilet) reading.

Hardback book Published by Conway Maritime Press ISBN 9781844860739 Price: £7.99

The story of Lowestoft lifeboats, part three: 1924–1968

by Stuart Jones Review by Claire Vandvik

Complementing parts published in 1974 and 1996, this book covers the period of Coxswains Spurgeon and Burgess. You couldn’t ask for a more thorough and detailed account of all their lifesaving endeavours. The facts and figures are balanced by log-book entries and contemporary excerpts that provide a real insight into the men themselves. We are told, for example, that upon receiving his Silver Medal for Gallantry, Albert Spurgeon urged HRH The Prince of Wales to visit his town with the promise: ‘We have some very nice ladies in Lowestoft Sir, I am sure you would like them.’

Between them, these two men and their crews saved many lives. Their story is sure to satisfy those with a keen interest in lifeboats or Lowestoft local history.

Paperback book Published by the Port of Lowestoft Research Society ISBN 9780950531144 Price: £6.00 (incl p+p, cheques payable to PLRS) This and previous parts available from: PLRS, 2 The Gardens, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, NR33 8LQ

The miracle of the Kent

by Nicholas Tracy Review by Alison O’Neill

This is the true story of the loss of the Kent, one of the greatest ships of the East India Company, on her voyage from Gravesend to India in 1824 – the year of the RNLI’s founding.

In a raging storm off Biscay, as a sailor inspects the hold for damage, a spark from his lantern ignites a cask of spirits and fire spreads rapidly through the ship. Two hundred miles from shore and with no other vessel in sight, the crew and passengers face an impossible choice – stay aboard a burning vessel or plunge into the ferocious sea. What happens next is quite remarkable and leaves the reader reeling from the contrasting feelings of horror at the plight of the casualties and joy at their prevailing hope of survival.

Tracy’s account is crammed with historical and technical detail. Some readers may find this distracts from what is a most amazing human story of seamanship, leadership and endeavour. However, it does give context and, through first-hand accounts from survivors, the reader learns much about life onboard a merchant ship in the early 19th century. Although at times difficult, this is a thoroughly inspiring read.

Hardback book Published by Westholme Publishing ISBN 9781594160721 Price: £18.95