Memorial Plaque - Mystery
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Memorial Plaque - Mystery

There can be few who have not seen this.
Mystery
Built 1847 at Newlyn
The entry in the shipping Register for 1854 makes for interesting reading as she is recorded as having a licence granted 17th day of December 1847, and yet there is no entry in the Register of that date. She was registered de Novo Penzance Nr 5 of 1854, date of entry 13th November 1854; Her master was Richard Nicholls, her burthen was 16 89/3500th tons. These and other measurements here were as taken by John Matthews the Surveying Officer at Penzance. She had one deck, two masts, her length was 37 5/10th feet; breadth midships 11 5/10th feet; depth of hold midships 6 3/10th feet. She was rigged a Lugger with running Bowsprit, a round stern - carvel built; no gallery no figurehead; the framework and planking are of wood and that she is a sailing vessel . Her owners were Richard Nicholls master mariner (32 shares), Job Kelynack mariner (32 shares) and Joseph Barrett comptroller.
3rd April 1855, registered de Novo Melbourne Victoria (Australia).

As unlikely as it may seem, a fishing vessel was proven to be able to deal with the most severe conditions that the sea can generate. There was no publicity, the crew just did it, and the only preparation the crew had made (as outlined in the Register) was to deck her out. There were no navigation systems, no radio, all they had was their plan, their determination and their skills as seamen. In 1874 one of the crew, Philip Curnow Matthews, wrote of their journey. They had left in the morning 18th November 1854. They carried with them provisions and water. They reached Madiera after just 8 days. Trinidad on the 35th day. They stopped at the Cape of Good Hope 19th January 1855, 59 days out, for seven days, taking on water; and taking on Her Majesty's Mails. It seems they had reasonable weather for the early part of the voyage, for mention is made of the heavy gales they encountered 18th and 23rd February, later another on 5th March; the weather eased and they arrived at Melbourne March 14th 1855. Mystery was sold upon arrival. Lewis Lewis died in Castlemaine, and P C Matthews in Melbourne. The other five had returned home - But Richard Nicholls was killed by being knocked over by a dray in London 22nd January 1868, as he was planning another sea voyage.



Richard Nicholls was born 27th September 1818. His son Job Kelynack Nicholls was born 6th January 1860 at Cardiff; he had sailed for the Cape of Good Hope on the steamer American , which foundered off Cape Palmas May 1880, he was saved in one of the boats and transferred to the SS Senegal, which was also lost, yet he arrived safely at the Cape on the 2nd June, and remained there and opened a grocer's shop from 1884.



Job Kelynack was the youngest son of Charles Kelynack, the first to take Irish Sea fishing to the Mount's Bay fleet in 1820. Job Kelynack was the great grandson of Philip Kelynack Old Bunger , a very strong man, who had saved John Wesley from the mob on Newlyn Green, 12th July 1747.

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