Not to help the dancers find their way! Over the past year I’ve been working with the Sunderland ship model and ship portrait collections. In that time I’ve become unnaturally interested in a feature of some Sunderland-built ships from the 1880s and 1890s – a compass on the top of a 15 foot pole.
Oil painting of ss Cogent 1884
Detail of painting of ss Cogent showing the pole compass on her bridge
For hundreds of years seafarers using wooden ships used magnetic compasses to help them navigate. Once ships began to be made of iron, the magnetic field of a ship’s structure caused the compass needle to deviate. To prevent disaster something had to be done to counteract the effect of the hull. Adjustable iron balls were placed either side of the compass to reduce the influence of the iron hull.
Model of a binnacle compass by James Morton on display in Sunderland Museum
Before she proceeded to sea, a ship would be ‘swung’ through all the points of the compass. The deviation of the compass was recorded and used to create a chart. This provided the helmsman with the precise adjustment needed for each heading.
The strangest modification, seemingly only in use for a short period in the 1880s and 1890s, was the pole compass, or in German Pfahlkompass.
Builders model of the Sunderland-built ship ss Euterpe 1886
Detail of the model of ss Euterpe showing the pole compass and ladder on the bridge
As one might expect it was a compass mounted at the top of a pole situated on the bridge or some other piece of deck as far from the hull as possible. The pole compass appears in marine dictionaries of 1885 and 1890 but had disappeared by 1900. To read the compass somebody had to climb up the ladder that ran to the top of the pole. I can imagine it was not a popular task if the sea was rough!
Oil painting of the Sunderland-built barque Lota 1892
Detail of the painting of the barque Lota 1892 showing the pole compass just forward of the mizzen mast, out of the way of the sails and rigging
I don’t know why pole compasses had such a short life, but I find myself looking for them on every model and ship painting that crosses my path. The new Public Catalogue Foundation website: www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/ could easily become a guilty pleasure but one I’ve resisted up to now.
Anybody out there seen examples of pole compasses from before 1884 or after 1892?
Dear Ian,
I’m afraid I have no information to give you re. pole compasses, but would like to ask your assistance in your Maritime capacity at Tyne and Wear Museums. I am trying to find out about a Rigging business that was owned by my GreatGreatGrandfather Thomas Moore b 1809, Sunderland and then run by his son John George Moore until it was sold on or closed early 1900′s when iron ships came in. According to one family member they think the premises were just alongside the Wear Bridges , southside opposite where the old Sunderland Echo building stood. T&WM may have business registers that you could direct me to,if so I would be obliged.
Best regards
Tom
Hi Tom,
You had me excited there for a minute because I thought I’d found another pole compass enthusiast! Anyway, despite my disappointment, I will address your enquiry about Thomas Moore and his rigging business.
I’ve looked through local maritime directories from 1852 – 1897 without finding the business. I’ve also been through a small selection of trade directories from 1856 up to the 1890s. The only likely candidate is from an 1856 directory of County Durham. In that I found “Thomas Moore, jun. canvas manufacturer 19 Panns B. (Bank) and ship broker, 1, East Cross Street”. I think the Panns Bank address would fit your suggested location. I would suggest that the best place to look for the business in trade directories and other reference works would be in Sunderland Library in Fawcett Street. Regards Ian
Hi Ian,
I write for the Marine Modelling Magazine and weould like to do an article on a ship type that is modelled in the Sunderland Museum. I saw it some years back and was fascinated at the time. It is a model of a double ended ship (I think it waqs an early warship, perhaps an early minesweeper or patrol boat.) The main thing I remember was it seemed to have a bow at either end, and had two bridges etc. Can you help? Although I only live at Houghton-le-Spring I find that I very rarely have the time to visit the Museum when I need to.
Regards
Ian Williams
Hi Ian
Thank you for you comment on Ian’s blog regarding the ship at Sunderland Museum. Can you inbox me please at victoria.page@twmuseums.org.uk and we can discuss this further!
Kind regards
Vicki
Hi Ian
You are not the first person to ask about this particular model. It was obviously a popular feature of the display. The model is of HMS LADAS, a 24 Class fleet mine sweeping sloop, built by Osbourne Graham at North Hylton and launched 21st September 1918. In the same year Osbourne Graham also built two other ships of the same class, HMS SIR VISTO and HMS PERSIMMON. They were designed to appear as if they had two bows in order to confuse any submarine preparing to make an attack. Although very interesting looking vessels they were reckoned to be indifferent sea boats and were said to roll a lot. HMS LADAS was sold in November 1920 but bought back in May 1921 to be used as a mooring hulk. She was broken up at Rosyth in 1936.
The model came off display in Sunderland Museum a few years back but is safely stored at Discovery Museum, Newcastle.
Hi Ian,
Thanks for the quick reply. Do you know if there are any photos available of the model?
Ian
Dear Ian
Yes, there are photos available and I have e-mailed a few to you. Just to add a few more details. HMS Ladas went into service in 1918 with the Granton, Edinburgh mine sweeping flotilla. She was named after a famous racehorse, the winner of the 1894 Epsom Derby. All the ships of this class were named after Derby winners and it should have been called the Racehorse Class, but, since there was already a Racecourse Class of paddle minesweepers, they were officially named the 24 Class to avoid confusion.
Best wishes
Ian
Sorry to upset you – I am not a pole compass enthusiast (yet!!) but I just came across this site doing a google search of the SS Cogent, a ship that I believe was owned and captained by my great-grandfather John Duff. Can you point me in the right direction where I might find more information about the ship and its history.
Hi Keith
I’m delighted that you are interested in ss Cogent so I shall set aside my disappointment that you aren’t a pole compass spotter. In preparation for putting the John Hudson painting of Cogent on display in Sunderland Museum I did some research on the ship. In the event the painting is still in store but I found that there was a great deal of information about Cogent on the Sunderland Site of Peter Searle – a marvellous source for Sunderland Shipbuilding. So as not to leave the casual visitor frustrated I’ll post a brief account of Cogent ‘s career, but I recommend you follow this link: http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/sunderland079.html
to discover what happened in detail.
ss Cogent was a tramp steamer of 2000 gross tons built in 1883 by Short Brothers of Sunderland for local ship owner/manager, James Westoll. She traded under Westoll’s management up to August 1914 when she was seized in Hamburg on the outbreak of the First World War. During the war she served as a collier and a transport for the Imperial German Navy. In 1918, at the end of the war, she was transferred to Spanish owners and renamed Tres Hermanos. Sold in 1928 she was renamed Antonio Garcia. On Dec. 13, 1929, while steaming from Aviles to Valencia with a cargo of coal, she collided in fog with the Greek owned ship Hydra, off Vigo, and sank with the loss of 4 lives.
I’ve looked at Cogent ‘s ownership details in the years 1889, 1891 and 1897 and I can’t see a Duff in the list of owners. At what period of her career was your great-grandfather her master and owner?
All best wishes
Ian
Hello Ian,
I understand that you removed a ship model M.V. Geddington Court from its original case so it could be photographed for insurance purposes (Ahoy There)
I am wondering how much the Model in the case was valued by the Insurance Company, do you have any idea?
My interest is that my ancestor was C.C. Crawford, born 1842. I am a great grandaughter! We know that his son carried on the business, and obviously that family made the model of M.V. Geddington in about 1954.
I live in Minehead, Somerset, and although I would love to visit the museum it would not be an easy visit, as I am 74yrs.
I appreciate that you are very busy, but if you could help, I would be grateful.
Sincerely, Beryl Julian
I am not sure how this ‘comment’ works, or whether you will receive my previous letter about the Geddington model. I would be pleased if we can make contact through b.julian@tiscali.co.uk