Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Samuel Plimsoll (1824-1898) Th…

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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: Samuel Plimsoll (1824-1898) The Sailor's Friend

AssociatedAssociated with Lord Mountbatten of Burma (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)

Medallist John Pinches, Medallists

DateMay 2004

Object NameMedal

MediumSterling Silver

ClassificationsMedals

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS072500.68

Keywords

Commemorative

About MeSamuel Plimsoll was born of humble parents, the fourth son of Thomas Plimsoll of Bristol, on 10th February, 1824. After an early life dogged by misfortune-at one stage he was reduced to living in a common lodging house- he gained a considerable measure of success as a coal merchant, and published some pamphlets on various aspects of the coal trade. Having an inventive turn of mind, he also devised a method for facilitating the unloading of coal wagons, and obtained a patent for this in 1859.

Prosperity gave him an assured position in society and fired him with political ambitions. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament in 1865, but achieved his goal when he was returned as Liberal Member of Parliament for Derby in 1868. Almost at once he directed his attention to the shipping industry, devoting himself with single-mindedness and vigour to the growing problem posed by the appalling loss of life at sea. The main cause of this annual toll of life Plimsoll saw as a consequence of the activities of some unscrupulous shipowners who despatched mariners on hazardous voyages with too much cargo loaded in ill found ships. With mounting passion he accumulated documentary, hearsay and photographic evidence of the abuses he sought to confront: indeed, Plimsoll was one of the pioneers of investigatory photography. His efforts culminated in a famous book entitled Our Seamen -An Appeal, which was published in January 1873.

The attacks on individual shipowners, and the sometimes unjust, inaccurate, and often sweeping condemnations of practices which he believed endangered life at sea ensured widespread publicity for the book and involved Plimsoll, in libel proceedings. The attacks he mounted in the House of Commons against prominent shipowners of the day, themselves Members of the House, also shocked many by their vehemence and passion. In 1875 he accused fellow Members of being 'ship-knackers' and 'shipowners of murderous tendencies'; this caused uproar in the House, and he was ejected from the Chamber.

Despite the exaggerations in his speeches, and the all-too-frequent use of dubious evidence, Plimsoll's Parliamentary campaigns did much to expose the abuses which, it was admitted on all sides, did exist. His efforts to ameliorate the lot of seamen bore fruit in the Report of the Royal Commission on Unseaworthy Ships which confirmed the existence of the evils to which Plimsoll had drawn attention. Two Merchant Shipping Acts in the 18705 were witnesses to his effective campaign. To prevent the overloading of ships, the 'Plimsoll Mark' was introduced - a painted mark to be displayed amidships on all ocean-going ships which indicated the maximum depth to which the ship might be safely loaded.

In later life Plimsoll campaigned against the abuses of the cattle trade, and was delighted later to be made President of the Sailor's and Firemen's Union. After a career which earned him the title of 'the sailor's friend,' he died at Folkestone 3 rd June, 1898 after a long illness.

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.