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The Worlds of Gilbert and Sullivan

Francis Drake's Story! :-

Chapter XII: Down the Thames  & Up the Medway!

There were several occasions on our way across North Kent when we were forced to produce our letter of release from the Tower to avoid nasty incidents. The road sides were littered with grisly evidence of atrocities against travellers who were unfortunate enough to cross the paths of vengeful Queen's men. The whole of England seemed to have erupted into civil strife, and it was difficult to see an end in sight. However we pursued our plan to get to Chatham and seek  out Walt and the ship. When we reached Chatham Docks on the Medway Estuary there was no Walt in sight. Some said he had gone to London, others that he never completed the journey. We were at a complete loss and very saddened to draw such a perplexing blank. But once again we discussed the limited options and agreed to remain and find some gainful employment.

We were extremely lucky to find another farmer and his son, Luke, who were desperate for labour and we set to work with a will. There was even a farm-cottage for the family to live in. We all settled in happily and began to make a significant contribution to crops and animals. Although Louis soon developed calloused hands with rough farm-work, he regularly serenaded us during the evenings when the day's work was done. Francis, still keen on a seafaring life, spent most days looking round the busy new ship-building yards and docks in Chatham.

Liz was keen to travel up the road and visit the famous cathedral at Rochester, one of the oldest cathedrals in England. On arrival she was shocked again at the vandalism in the name of Protestantism which had destroyed great swathes of the building. She was also disturbed to find that two of the Rochester bishops had been politically murdered. One was Bishop John Fisher the Catholic, who was beheaded on King Henry's orders, just before she was born. The other was Protestant bishop, Nicholas Ridley, who only last week on Queen Mary's orders, was burned at the stake with Bishop Latimer of Worcester. Papa had told her about these being imprisoned in the Tower of London. She couldn't imagine a more dreadful way to die for one's faith.

At Rochester cathedral they told her of worse atrocities at the nearby Aylesford Priory. She immediately set off to see for herself. She discovered that the buildings were in a terrible state, and the Carmelite Friars in their brown habits had been brutally turned out of their three-hundred- year-old home. Liz felt previously unknown feelings of anger and resentment rise within her  about the cruelty and futility of bigotry. She knew the friars had their faults, and much public resentment had been aroused at their selling worthless and misleading indulgencies to unsuspecting people. During this Reformation period, however, the Friary had been virtually demolished and would need a very understanding future owner to right the wrongs wrought in the name of Religion and fanaticism. 'Why do we invariably think that we, and no-one else but we know the right answer', she thought. 'And why is it that the others have got to be made to think the same way?' 'Why can't we accept that there may be other valid views?' 'Why, why, why?'

Back in Chatham the men were observing some ship builders and repairers and learning skills from them in the docks, when a sailor approached Francis and told him that a Thames Boatman was looking for an apprentice to learn the trade on his ship. If Francis was interested, the sailor carried a letter of introduction. "Yes please, I would", said Francis, without hesitation. The sailor gave the letter to him and told him where to find the Boatman's vessel. Francis was so keen to return to the sea he was determined to to try his luck. So we set off, Sam, Adam and Francis with letter in hand, for the Thames and the Pool of London.  When we eventually got there we were over the moon to find the Thames Boatman was none other than Walt, and his 'boat' the beached and  no longer seaworthy ship from Devon. After our initial surprise Walt told us that he had purchased another small merchant freighter and was looking for a reliable crew to sail her. In the meantime his original ship was only suited for a tethered homestead. If Papa would like it he would sail it down to the mouth of the Thames and into the Medway via Sheerness to port on the Isle of Sheppey. Then he would beach it at the Gillingham Reach near Chatham and anchor it permanently for the family to live in. We enthusiastically agreed to Walt's kind offer. In addition we were happily engaged as Apprentice, Ship's Boy, and Mate in the new freighter. We sent a message back to Chatham to explain the encounter and the offer to Papa and the family. They and Luke returned their thanks and best wishes, and looked forward to seeing us when we arrived at Gillingham Reach.

Francis worked hard at learning the skills of sailing and running a coastal trading ship. Adam was of course a godsend as Ship's Mate. And Sam ever useful as a ship's boy. We swapped yarns with Walt about our adventures since parting from him. We sailed the vessel up and down the treacherous and tempestuous North Sea, carrying coal from landowners in the North-east to the London coal-yards. We traded Newcastle coal for foodstuffs grown by farmers and landowners in East Anglia and took the badly needed food to the rapidly expanding and insatiable London markets, where it commanded good prices. We sailed to ports in Scandinavia and the Low Countries, and traded goods with them to enhance our profits. This was a pleasant but hard-working learning-curve. There was always something new to discover: the weather, the coastline, the rivers, other traffic, and of course operating and sailing a ship. The years soon slipped inexorably by. Meanwhile Papa and Mama moved into the new floating home in Chatham with their still growing family. And Papa enjoyed serving as chaplain to the sailors in the rapidly developing naval dockyards. Liz continued to farm nearby with Luke and his father, and derived great pleasure and satisfaction from helping to build up their growing business.

Click the vessel's rigging abaft the main mast to follow the exciting adventures in . . .

Francis Drake's Story! :-

Chapter XIII: The French Connection!!

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