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John Readhead's Shipyard

Readheads
and their Customers

Hain Line - Trebartha
The following was
from;- http://www.christianguild.co.uk/mini_sites/treloyhan/history.php
The Hain Line
Mr (later Sir) Edward Hain was
born at St Ives in December 1851 and received his education locally at Mr James
Rowe’s school, at Academy Steps, in Fore Street. As a youth, he was sent to
London to acquire experience of business methods by working for a time in a
tea-merchants office. This translation from the quite little fishing town of St
Ives to the greatest commercial centre in the world opened the young Edward’s
eyes to the possibilities of developing a small business, like that of his
father’s into something really big and worthwhile.
On his return to St Ives, he declared that he could see no future in continuing
to run a line of little sailing vessels, adding that if his father were not
prepared to switch immediately to steamships, he would have to leave the family
business altogether and seek an new career elsewhere. Capt. Hain heard this
declaration with regret and even consternation, for he loved his little
schooners almost as if they had been his own children- as in a sense they were
– but he nevertheless obliged to accede to young Edward’s demand in order to
retain his services.
In 1879 they built the "Trewidden" for the Hain Line of St Ives, and
she was the first of a great list of ships built for the Cornish firm. The story
has been told over and over again – at launches and elsewhere – of how the
two businesses began their long association . Sir Edward Hain , speaking at the
launch of the "Trevethoe" in 1913 related ." It was my father and
myself who first came in to the yard – the old yard – as entire strangers ;
we were accosted by a young man who asked us our business and . I suppose
observing our intentions to be quite honest , took us under his wing and showed
us everything there was to be seen . He took us on board a steamer fitting out
at the jetty , which was something like the ship we required , and before very
long I signed our first contract with John Readhead and his sons "
Sir James Readhead , on the same occasion , remarked " fortunately I asked
their business in a pleasant manner " .It was indeed fortunate for both
sides, business between them continued for many years . Readheads built the
first 74 ships for Hain , in fact Hain never had a ship built anywhere else
until after Sir Edward Hain's death in 1917 . In all , they built 87 ships for
them , which was claimed to be a world record at one time . The very last ship
to be built for them was the "Trebartha",
The Company’s records show the first ship to be built for them in 1879 was the
“Trewidden” She was an iron-built 1,800 ton vessel, schooner-rigged, 240
feet long, and propelled by a screw. With her, was begun the practice of calling
Hain vessels after Cornish place names continuing the prefix “Tre”meaning
“town” or “hamlet”. One of them, built in 1882, was actually called
“Trelyon” a variant spelling of “Treloyhan”. Other ”Tre” names from
the St Ives area which have been borne by the Hain vessels include “Tregenna”,
“Trevethoe”, “Trevarrack”, “Trevalgan”, “Tremeadow” and “Treveal”
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The Maritime History of the Hain Line, as well as
references to Readhead's shipyard, is well documented and displayed in the St.
Ives Museum in St. Ives, Cornwall, England.
Address is;-
Wheal Dream, St. Ives, TR26 1PR
Telephone +44 01736 796005
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