Page 33 - Captain William Strike of Porthleven

to compete economically with sail on passages of about 5000 miles. By this year of 1870
Britain possessed 43% of the world’s merchant (steam) tonnage: a decade later this
figure had risen to 50%.

Captain William Strike, a Victorian master mariner

William Strike was undoubtedly typical of a great many Victorian entrepreneurs who, by
virtue of some education and a developing business acumen, was able to make his way
onwards and upwards in the thrusting world of Victorian trade. Initially there seems little
doubt that William Strike will have spent his very early years fishing from Porthleven.
Fishing may have been the expected route that someone like this will have taken.
William’s father was a fisherman so employment opportunities will no doubt have been
readily available. It has been seen that Porthleven was developing as a commercial port
th
during the first part of the 19 century. Someone like William Strike will have been
readily aware of a wider world beyond Porthleven through the vessels and their crews
visiting the port. Porthleven was a ready-made recruiting ground for aspiring merchant
sailors. Indeed, through his long career at sea, William Strike employed a number of
Porthleven men amongst his crews, the subject of the final chapter.

The majority of merchant vessels visiting Porthleven were coasters, engaged in the
trade to and from South Wales as outlined in earlier chapters. It was this trade that
William Strike entered at the age of 18. With the exception of his time aboard the ‘Lady
Rowley’ the majority of his sea-going experience was coastwise and an often mundane
procession to and from South Wales across the Bristol Channel. Weather often
presented a huge challenge to seamanship and it has been seen that voyages might
take as long as 18 days, in one instance. Being stormbound was a familiar part of the
th
routine for a 19 century seaman.

It was in 1855 that William Strike, nearly five years a master mariner, seems to have hit
his stride in graduating from a coasting master mariner to command of a vessel – the
Jane – which was foreign-going while at the same time being a part owner. Although it is
difficult to be certain about the trades accomplished by the Jane it seems likely that this
enterprise cemented William Strike’s development as a foreign-going master, and ship
owner. In turn it is interesting to see the extent to which William Strike’s sons were
influenced in their emerging careers at sea. Their father seems not to have been short of
encouragement. Indeed, it is significant that an elder son – Hannibal – provided
employment for younger sons who went to sea. Of course there were the tragedies, as
where William (the younger) died at Naples while a crew member of Hannibal’s ship, and
where Samson drowned while on passage from South Wales to Waterford.

It is noticeable, at least from the evidence available, that William Strike managed to
navigate his career at sea without serious mishap. Overall it appears that crews were
reliable and to be trusted in what was an extremely hazardous trade. There are
exceptions of course, and it is instructive to see through the surviving log books how
cases of desertion and ill-discipline were dealt with.

That retirement from the sea was well earned is undoubtedly the case where William
Strike was concerned. In retirement Strike settled back into life in Porthleven, in a small
cottage just off the harbour where his story began. William Strike is pictured, below, in
old age.

28