Unlocking Stories from the Archives: the Records of Teare and Sons, Sail Makers and Ship Chandlers of Peel

Featured on the imuseum website – June 2017

Unlocking Stories from the Archives: the Records of Teare and Sons, Sail Makers and Ship Chandlers of Peel

Posted on 16.06.2017

Manx National Heritage Library & Archives hold the archive of a small family business called Teare and Sons, Sail Makers and Ship Chandlers. The business was established in 1866 by John Teare (a rope maker) and his son William Edward Teare (a sail maker) – interesting fact – William Teare was the brother-in-law of folklorist and fellow Peel resident Sophia Morrison (1859-1917). The business was situated on The Quay on the corner of St Peter’s Lane. The sail making room was in the loft whilst the ground floor was taken up by the chandler business selling ropes, paint, cork (for nets), chains, nets, linseed oil, paraffin and petrol.

See more at:

http://www.imuseum.im/unlocking-stories-from-the-archives-the-records-of-teare-and-sons-sail-makers-and-ship-chandlers-of-peel/

The last sails made by Freddy Teare?

 

sails 1It’s always great when someone contacts me through Teare and Sons website to ask more details, correct me or give me more information. But it was quite a surprise when John Cowley contacted me to say that he had the last set of sails that had been made by Freddy Teare and would I like to see them?

 

 

 

Freddy Teare learned his trade as a sailmaker from his father, John and also whilst working in Barrow during WW1 when he was making all sorts of canvas covers for guns and equipment on battleships. Sailmaking was a ‘reserved occupation’ so he wasn’t called up into the army. Freddy Teare and his father John brought the Teare and Sons sailmakers and ships chandler business from their cousin Edward Morrison Teare after the end of the first world war. Teare and Sons continued in business on the Quay at Peel until 1964, increasingly making sails for yachts as the fishing fleet turned first to steam and then diesel engines.

 

 

 

Richard Cowley (John Cowley’s father) and Freddy used to go fishing together. Around 1963 Richard Cowley made a small fibre glass boat (10 foot 6 inches length) when working at Peel Engineering and so he asked Freddy to make him a set of sails. I contacted Freddy’s son, John Teare, and when I was in Peel in February we arranged to go and see John Cowley.

The day wasn’t ideal as it was a bit damp but we managed to hang the sails in the yard and have a good look at them.  The white cotton sailcloth sails are in good condition for their age and probably haven’t been used that much. The seams have been machine sewn but the sewing in of the thimbles for connecting the halyards and sheets is all done by hand and lovely to see as is the roping around the edge of the sails and the way it has been reduced in diameter where it finishes. I’ve included a few pictures here, which show the craftsmanship in these little sails. We’ll have to go back and get some better pictures when the weather is drier. Many thanks to John Cowley for contacting me and letting us see and touch this bit of sailmaking history and Peel craftsmanship.

sails 2

reefing point

reefing point

thimble detail

thimble detail

sails 3

New books now available

Using archives from the Teare family and Manx National Heritage Michael Teare has been researching the story of Teare and Sons, Sailmakers and Ships Chandlers. Founded in 1866 by John Teare, a roper, this family company was in business on The Quay, Peel for 100 years. Teare and Sons were very involved in the development of the Manx fishing industry both as suppliers to the fishing fleet and as shareholders in fishing boats and trading schooners. Now three small books bring these stories to wider audience.

For more information and to order your copies look in the Teare and Sons book shop

ice salt smoke coverIce, salt and smoke (curing and conserving fish) – it wasn’t always kippers on the Isle of Man, how do you export your fish without it spoiling and where do you get your ice in the days before refrigeration?

 

sailmakers coverSailmaking – before the development of steam engines sails and sailmakers were as important and strategic as oil is today for Navy and Merchant ships as well as fishing fleets. So when  fishing boats were powered by the wind what did the sailmaker do?

 

ships chandlers coverShips Chandlers - in any port the Ships Chandler was an important business, not just for supplying local and visiting boats but also as an investor in the local fleet and the life of the town. How did a 19th century ships chandlers business work?

Teare and Sons story

Ledgers Teare and Sons

Ledgers Teare and Sons

Norwegian College Fishery Science Tromsø

Norwegian College Fishery Science Tromsø

statue to fishermen Tromsø

statue to fishermen Tromsø

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Teare and Sons story was presented at the 14th North Atlantic Fisheries History conference held in the Norwegian College of Fisheries Science, Tromsø, Norway September 24-27th 2014. The papers from the conference will be published in a supplement to the International Journal of Marine History in 2015. A summary of the paper:

Using archives from the Teare family and Manx National Heritage in Douglas Michael Teare has been researching Teare and Sons, the family run company, founded in 1866 on The Quay, Peel.

Teare and Sons were sailmakers and ships chandlers supplying the rapidly growing fishing fleet during the 2nd half of the 19th century. They were also shareholders in fishing boats and trading schooners. By examining the company ledgers we can see how the daily operations in the chandlers worked and the growth of the company in customer numbers and turnover as the Manx fishing fleet expanded. Fishing boats needed to be prepared and equipped before the start of the Irish mackerel fishery in March, but they didn’t pay their bills until the end of the Manx herring fishing season in September. Teare and Sons had to take bank loans, using property as security, to finance their business.

At the end of the 19th century the company survived a series of difficulties. In 1898 the fishing smack Bee Hive, owned jointly by brothers William Edward and Henry Teare, was wrecked off Cambelltown, the schooner Lily Miles, in which the company had 8 shares, was wrecked on Longstone Rocks in 1899 and the schooner Phoebe (the company was a ⅜ shareholder) was run down by the steamship Duke of Lancaster in Belfast Loch in 1900 – it was not insured. But worse was to come when on 3 February 1900 the company’s bank, Dumbell’s, went bust. Suddenly Manx companies were unable to get credit from their suppliers who would only take new orders with cash up front. Dumbell’s had been an important bank in Peel and many other fishing boat shareholders and fishermen were faced with the same or an even worse financial disaster. As a result many fishermen lost everything, many boats were sold to Ireland or simply left to rot.

Teare and Sons survived and after WW1 ownership transferred to sailmakers John and Freddy Teare. Now they were making more sails for yachts and selling fuel to fishing boats. The business continued on The Quay in Peel until 1964 when Freddy Teare, the last sailmaker in Peel, died and the business closed.

Teare and Sons in Tromsø, Norway

The Teare and Sons story will be presented at the conference of the North Atlantic Fisheries History Association, which takes place in Tromsø, Norway 24-26 September 2014. This annual conference brings together maritime historians from around the world to discuss the scientific papers presented and topics related to fishery history.

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Using archives from the Teare family and Manx National Heritage in Douglas Michael Teare has been researching Teare and Sons, the family run company, founded in 1866 on The Quay, Peel. Teare and Sons were sailmakers and ships chandlers supplying the rapidly growing fishing fleet during the 2nd half of the 19th century. They were also shareholders in fishing boats and trading schooners. By examining the company ledgers we can see how the daily operations in the chandlers worked and the growth of the company in terms of customer numbers and turnover as the Manx fishing fleet expanded.

“You’re so funny and amazing! You must be a Chandler.”

 

 

Teare and Sons ships chandler The Quay Peel

Often we use words and phrases everyday without really thinking about why and where they come from. Then occasionally someone asks a question or brings something to our attention and we have an insight into the origins of our language. That set me thinking about chandler. Why do we use this word in association with a specialist supplier of materials for ships? Why not merchant or shop?

The dictionary definition of a chandler or ship chandler is ‘a dealer in supplies and equipment for ships and boats’ and chandlery  ‘the shop or business of a chandler’. That doesn’t seem to help much until you see the historical definitions as ‘a dealer in household items such as oil, soap, paint and groceries’ and ‘a person who makes and sells candles’. That makes sense because the origin of the word chandler is from Old French chandelier through Middle English denoting a candle maker and candle seller.

Candles making would have involved a detailed knowledge of oils and fats (also the basis of making soap) and so the progression from a candle maker and seller to a store selling household items, including presumably candles, also seems to follow a certain logic. So why don’t we go to the chandlers anymore to buy our household supplies or maybe more pertinently  – why don’t supermarkets have a chandlery section? Well I guess it just went out of fashion and we use other words – household supplies, hardware, cleaning supplies, DIY, . . . . .

The day books in the Manx National library show that a traditional chandlery like Teare and Sons supplied fishing and sailing ships with a large range of items such as rope, paint, turpentine, paraffin oil, lard, oakum, nails, brooms, mops, galvanized buckets, charts and even candles. A ship chandlery business was central to the existence and the social and political dynamics of ports.

Today’s chandlers deal more in goods typical for commercial ships. Often they supply the crew’s food, ship’s maintenance supplies, cleaning compounds as well as more typically maritime supplies like ropes. Typically, the ship owner has a line of credit with the chandler and is billed for anything delivered to his ship. So in a foreign port they don’t have to spend time searching for materials and then paying in foreign currency.

Then as now there is a high level of service demanded, orders must be fulfilled quickly and completely and the business operates on credit. Commercial ships turn around quickly, any delay is expensive and so the services of a dependable ship chandler are indispensable.

So is it the combination of high levels of customer service and the romantic candlelight that accounts for the modern meaning of chandler? Check out the online Urban Dictionary to find that a chandler is ‘an amazing guy that is extremely funny and sweet. He may not be your first choice in a guy, but after you date him you’ll want him forever. He listens to everything you say and he’s protective if someone hurts you. You can trust him with anything and know he won’t tell anyone because it’s just who he is. He’s a great guy and one of the best boyfriends a girl could have. He’s cute too and the best kisser on the planet. “You’re so funny and amazing! You must be a Chandler.” ‘