How a Quaker Woman Saved a Ship

by Tamera Lynn Kraft

 

 

 

 

This is an incredible true story about how a Quaker Woman saved a ship full of people on their way to Colonial America.

Mary Prior was a simple Quaker woman living in England who loved God. When she was young, a rich man asked her to become his wife, she refused. Her nurse chided her saying, “You might have eaten gold!”

Mary said “But I could not have digested it.”

Riches didn’t matter to her because she had determined to do only what God wanted. In 1760, she found the man God had for her and married John Pryor, a fellow Quaker.

In her lifetime of serving God, she became a prophet and went on evangelistic tours throughout England and Wales. After the birth of her last child, she felt called to travel to America and preach the Gospel. After a few years, her husband agreed but couldn’t go with her. She was 60 years old when she finally made the voyage.

Mary found the ship she believed God had told her to book passage to America with. It was called Fame and was in need of repairs. Her son, who worked for Lloyds Insurance Company warned her not to sail on the ship, but she knew God had told her to go on this ship.

During the voyage, the ship sprang a leak. Sailors and passengers worked pumps day and night to keep it afloat for several weeks, but they finally gave up.

At this point, Mary came from her cabin and announced that God had shown her they would all be rescued if they would continue to pump for two more hours. She even told the name of the ship that would rescue them, the Archibald.

The crew threw everything overboard they didn’t need and continued to pump. Two hours later, the Archibald, a sixty-ton fishing boat, showed up and rescued them. They had to reduce water ration and cram aboard the crowded ship, but they made the 600 miles left to America safely.

On March 15, 1798, the Archibald docked in Philadelpia without a single member of the crew or passengers lost.

Upon departing the boat, Mary immediately fell to the ground to thanked God. A friend who was meeting her there thought she’d stumbled, but another passenger, stopped him from disturbing her prayers. The captain, crew, and passengers gathered around her, removing their hat, and joined her in thanking God.

Because of her unusual story of rescue, Mary was able to preach the Gospel in America in a way that attracted many crowds.

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship

Book Review by Lisa Norato

PIRATE HUNTERS
Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship
by Robert Kurson 
Random House © June 2015

Recently, I had the opportunity to read this remarkable true account of a pirate who, as incredible as his story was, I had never heard of before and the search to find his sunken ship, the Golden Fleece.  I wanted to share it here because I feel it is a must-read for both fans and writers of historical seafaring and/or pirate adventure.

In 1686, Joseph Bannister, a wealthy, successful and respected merchant sea captain turned pirate for no apparent reason and led the Royal Navy on a chase that is the stuff of novels, except it was all true. Three hundred years later, John Chatterton and John Mattera, both experienced divers and treasure hunters, set out to find the illusive wreck and unlock the mystery of the pirate Bannister. This book is the story of all three mens’ adventures. And what adventures they are!

If, like me, you’re lured by the mystique of the sea in your reading or have an interest in pirates, wooden sailing ships, treasure or history, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. Within its pages, learn about about what life was like for seafarers and why men turned to piracy. Experience the times and dangers of the age of piracy. Or if you’re simply looking for an exciting read−fascinating but true−you will enjoy this book. I could not stop turning pages, hungry for any details about John Bannister and would still be thinking about the story after I put the book down, anxious to get back to it. This book is the closest one can come to diving beneath the sea in a search for treasure without getting out of your chair.

This is a truly awesome read that satisfied my desire for suspense, adventure, romance and mystery, and at its conclusion it impressed me as an inspiring story about never, never giving up.

 

Lisa Norato is the author of the seafaring inspirational suspense novels Prize of My Heart and The Promise Keeper.

The Frigate Hermione Comes to Yorktown!!! By Carrie Fancett Pagels

This Friday, the frigate Hermione makes her 2015 trip to America, departing from Rochefort, France, where the original ship was built. You can read more on the Hermione website.

You can follow the Hermione on Facebook, too.
https://www.facebook.com/hermione.voyage

And on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/hermionevoyage/
I love their boards!!!

They are also on Twitter https://twitter.com/hermionevoyage


According to what I have read, Lafayette did not sail into Yorktown during the Battle of Yorktown, the last major battle of the American Revolution, BUT of course the French did sail in and helped turn the tide for the Americans and the HERMIONE was one of the ships. One of my Rousch ancestors, a Virginia militiaman, was there to witness it. Now I live only miles away from this historic site. I am so blessed!

The Waterman's Museum, Yorktown, Virginia

A Gala reception was held in Yorktown on May 20th to raise funds to support the Hermione expedition. Held at the Waterman's Museum in Yorktown, Virginia.

The Hermione will be stopping at multiple ports along the Eastern seaboard of the United States this summer. Some are: Mt. Vernon, Alexandria, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York and more! 

Weather here in Yorktown has residents watching for Noah's ark (or maybe we're supposed to go on the frigate Hermione instead!) She's supposed to sail into port around 8 a.m. with ship tours beginning at 2 p.m.  There are also tents set up in Riverwalk for displays. Hoping to get down there in my raincoat and with my umbrella tomorrow afternoon. The Hermione will be in port all weekend, when the weather should improve. If you are a local, come on out!!!

Q:Will you have a chance to see the Hermione near where you live?

Shipbuilding Superstition

Colonial seafarers were known for their superstitions. Early American shipbuilders, as well, had to contend with popular superstition and folklore when constructing a vessel. Here are a some of the more well known superstitions of the day:

•Black walnut was believed to be a tree of ill omen. It was said to draw lightning and be associated with the devil. Its bark and nuts could stain the hands and skin permanently. The reputation of black walnut so bad that it was believed if any part of the boat, no matter how small, was made of this wood, trouble would follow. Even a single walnut brought abroad by a squirrel could bring disaster.

•Laying the keel in a north-south direction - Custom demanded the keel be laid in a north-south direction, whenever possible. In this instance, folklore served a useful purpose. In doing so, the sun would affect both sides of the ship more evenly than if the vessel were laid in an east-west direction.

•Figureheads were believed to be possessed of protective qualities that could shield the vessel, those aboard and its cargo from harm. Each vessel was known to have its own personality and peculiarities, a uniqueness in the way she handled and moved and the internal noises she made while at sea. Captain and crew came to look upon her as almost human, and a figurehead gave her "eyes," allowing the vessel to look out trouble. 

•Paint - Painting a vessel the color or the sea (green or blue) was thought to bring bad luck.

•Name - Great pains were taken in the naming of vessel, with care given not choose one that could be considered impressive. A humble name was more likely to pass unnoticed by the elements, whereas a haughty one could land the vessel in trouble, lest as the Bible says, the mighty be brought low.

•The Launch – The most crucial moment in a vessel's development was the launch. It was in the launch that owners would discover whether they had purchased a lucky or an unlucky vessel. They watched for the way she performed and floated once released into the water. Great effort was made to ensure a successful launch. Mornings were considered a fortunate time of day, while Fridays and the first day of the month were to be avoided. Sightings of gulls, fish and porpoises on the appointed day were all positive signs. Launchings were a community affair with music, food and drink, and a Christian blessing. Special attention was given to selecting a person to christen the vessel with her name.

Lisa Norato is the author of the federal era novels, The Promise Keeper and Prize of My Heart, based in the shipbuilding center of Duxbury, Massachusetts.