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Along the stormy Cornish Coast,
. . A Cardiff Pilot ran
To a little harbour near Trevose
. . To shelter from the storm.
All seemed quiet and peace within
. . That ancient harbour wall,
Until they laid themselves to rest,
. . When the Pilot heard a call.
John Morgan is the Pilot's name
. . I am pleased to tell you,
And
his son was the apprentice,
. . Among
that noble crew.
The boat was built in Cardiff,
. . And she has earned her fame ;
Her number, it is 51,
. . And " Cardiffian " is her name.
When this brave man laid himself to rest,
. . A strange sound caught his ear -
He arose from his bed,
. . Thinking it was queer.
" What can it be, " he seemed to say,
. . " The voice is plain and true " ;
And when he got up from his bed
. . To go to the cabin door,
A loaf of bread was lying
. . Upon the cabin floor.
He picked it up and placed it back
. . In the locker quite secure,
But when he came down from the deck,
. . It was still upon the floor,
Three times the loaf was placed away,
. . Strange as it may seem to be.
"Twas a message from a spirit,
. . Meaning " you proceed to sea. "
The Pilot laying down once more
. . To take his needed rest,
But e'er he had been there long
. . The voice came back with zest.
" Go out, go out, " it seemed to say ;
. . " Men what can it be,
There's work this night, from God to man
. . Is the message sent to me. "
The Pilot turned from side to side,
. . And then lay still and free,
And still the same voice seemed to say,
. . " You must go out to sea. "
He called his men, told them the tale,
. . And said " we must go out " ;
The men looked up into his face,
. . To make his meaning out.
The night was dark when they set sail,
. . And not a light was seen ;
She plough'd the mighty ocean,
. . The sea was rolling green ;
As merrily she danced along,
. . Those raging seas so wild ;
The pilot watched the noble crew
. . And his loving child. .
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The apprentice boy John Morgan,
. . Although of tender years,
He braved the storm quite happy,
. . And hadn't any fears.
With a good boat underneath him,
. .And his father at the helm.
He felt prepared to face the storm,
. . Or any risk or peril.
The men looked in the Pilot's face ;
. . " Where are we bound to, sir " ?
His voice was mild and yet so bold,
. . For he hadn't any fear.
" Steer north-east by east half-east, " he said,
. . "And see what you can fetch,
If land appear upon your lee,
. . Haul out on a western reach. "
The pilot knew the risk he ran
. . Upon that stormy night ;
His eyes kept staring through the storm
. . When an object caught his sight.
His heart yearned within his breast,
. . O God ! and can it be,
There are lives for us to save this night
. . From This wild tempestuous sea " ?
He bore his cutter down on them,
. . The object he had seen,
And sail'd as close as he dare do
. . For the sea was on his beam.
(They held their breath, then cried ;)
. . " Oh God ? stand by and save
Our lives from death this bitter night,
. . And from a watery grave. "
The Pilot went below,
. . A word of cheer to give,
" Come, my
lads, cheer up " said he,
. . There are lives for us to save. "
The boy looked in his father's face,
. . His answer bold and brave -
I'll do whate'er I can this night,
. . Those precious lives to save. "
They went upon the deck, -
. . The Pilot's heart was large, -
They saved the lives of those poor men
. . From that ill-fated barge.
She sail'd away with those precious lives
. . As proudly as could be,
And landed them at Ilfracombe,
. . Safely rescued from the sea.
All safe once more on England's shore,
. . From that cruel storm ;
We will rest in peace at Ilfracombe,
. . In our beds, secure and warm.
Thank God for our deliverance,
. . And give honour where tis due,
To that hero, Pilot Morgan,
. . And his men that saved the crew.
Oh Cambria, fair Glamorgan,
. . Raise your loyal heads and say,
You have heroes in your county
. . Even this our present day.
Performing deeds of valour,
. . Where ever they may be,
Like that hero " Pilot Morgan, "
. . When he saved those men at sea.
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" A True Incident that happened in the Bristol Channel in October, 1896. Composed and written by James Brice, Captain of the Missions to Seamen Steam Yacht " Eirene, " Penarth Dock." A document found within the Glamorgan Archives at Cardiff. [ref. DX389/1] [599] [20170824] Does anyone have the missing words please? All words in brackets are best guesses or unknown and due to a number of tears and folds in the document.
below - The 'Cardiffian', coincidentally photographed off Ilfracombe, borrowed from an excellently written and illustrated book by Peter Stuckey, 'The Sailing Pilots of the Bristol Channel.' [600] [20170824]
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The 1898 launch of the "Eirene" at the slipway of the Penarth Dock Shipbuilding and Ship Repairing yard. [038] [20170930]
I assume that Captain James Brice, the author of the above poem wrote of the incident sometime after 1898, the launch date of the steam launch 'Eirene'. She was the replacement for the 1841 sloop of the same name built at Pill for the Missions to Seamen.
The Missions to Seamen was founded at Penarth in the hope that mariners would be provided with the opportunity to attend its religious services. Vessels were often moored up for extended periods awaiting loading with coal on the Penarth Flats and the opportunity to be visited and to attend Sunday service was welcomed by numerous mariners. see also the chapter 'The Missions to Seamen at Penarth'.
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In September 2017 a gentleman using the name 'Seabright' replied to a reference I posted on the Cardiffians Forum [606] regarding the poem and stated :
'Really interested to see this, as it refers to my Great Grandfather, Captain John Morgan. Incidentally, he was also awarded The Silver Medal of the Royal National Life Boat Institution for "gallantly assisting to save the crews - six men in all from two barges which had broken adrift from a steam tug in a gale of wind on 6th October 1896". I guess it runs in the family as my grandfather, channel pilot Thomas Morgan (younger brother of the 'apprentice son' John mentioned in the poem) also received an award for bravery in regard to a rescue. He was awarded an onyx and gilt clock with the following inscription beneath, "Presented to Thomas Morgan by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Mr Samuel Harwood (shipowner) in recognition of gallantry displayed by him when in service in the Barry Lifeboat November 20th 1912." Sadly, the Barry Lifeboat do not seem to have any records of these actions as they said they had been destroyed in a fire. We have documentary evidence and a photograph of John Morgan's award and I know who inherited the silver medal. With regard to Thomas Morgan's award, the clock is now in Canada, bequeathed to my brother. I still have photographs of it and a cassette tape of my father, also Captain Thomas Morgan (Merchant Navy and Channel Pilot) relating the details of the rescue.' [606] [2017101]
In January 2018 Seabright posted the missing words of the poem above for verse 9 which are inserted in blue print. The original manuscript is folded and damaged at this point. Well done Seabright! Seabright also was kind enough to append 'The Pilot's Psalm' which was a favourite of his father, so I have added this to the chapter on the subject of Cefn-y-Wrâch which includes the Cardiff Pilots story where I felt it was more appropriate. Thanks again Seabright for your contribution! [606] [2018123]
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