Arborfield
Local History Society

 Capt. Hargreaves and the Schooner Ianira

The Mount, Bishopstoke

Thomas Hargreaves at Bishopstoke

Thomas Hargreaves - Death and afterwards

Thomas Hargreaves was universally addressed when at The Mount in Bishopstoke as 'Captain Hargreaves'. Although he gained the title through his time with the Army, it seems that he was known locally as a seafarer, so was he pretending that he was a Naval captain? He was a Lieutenant in the Royal Naval Reserve, and his passion for sailing led him to buy a schooner named the 'Ianira'.

We are grateful to the Royal Southampton Yacht Club for providing the following image taken from the 1885-6 Lloyd's Register of Shipping:



The Ianira itself was built at Lymington in 1874 as a sailing ship weighing over 105 tons unladen, and 200 tons with a full complement of 12 crew plus passengers and stores. When the Ianira sailed to the Mediterranean on its frequent cruises, according to one newspaper report its launch took the inland route via the French canal system.

The Ianira was mentioned very frequently in the Hampshire Advertiser, which had regular columns named 'Yachting Intelligence' or 'Southampton Yachting News'.  Many snippets contained the words: 'The yachts on the station now include […] the Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves [...]'. The following list is just a selection of dates when the Ianira was 'on station' over nearly two decades:

1875: 13 May, 12 Jun, 19 Jun, 26 Jun, 03 Jul, 24 Jul, 16 Oct.
1876: 20 May, 17 Jun, 22 Jul, 29 Jul, 26 Aug, 02 Sep, 09 Sep.
1877: 08 Sep, 10 Nov.
1879: 19 Jul.
1880: 02 Oct.
1881: 30 Jul, 20 Aug, 27 Aug, 17 Sep, 24 Sep, 17 Dec, 31 Dec.
1882: 14 Jan, 11 Feb, 16 Sep.
1883: 04 Apr, 01 Sep, 27 Oct.
1884: 16 Apr, 14 Jun, 21 Jun, 09 Aug, 16 Aug, 23 Aug, 27 Sep, 11 Oct, 15 Nov, 29 Nov, 06 Dec, 13 Dec.
1885: 20 Jun, 04 Jul, 22 Aug.
1886: 05 Jun, 10 Jul, 17 Jul, 24 Jul.
1887: 27 Jun.
1889: 10 Aug.



Many other articles reported on arrivals, departures, bulletins from the Mediterranean, races and so on, right up until Capt. Hargreaves' death on 28th September 1891.

The following are just a sample:

Hampshire Advertiser, 22 Apr 1876: LYMINGTON, Yachting.

The Pauline, Mr. Blake, and Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, are fitting out. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser, 14 Oct 1876: YACHTING INTELLIGENCE

[…] the Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, [is] still cruising.

Hampshire Advertiser, 25 Nov 1876: LYMINGTON, Yachting.

The lanira, Captain Hargreaves, sailed on Tuesday from Southampton, for the Mediterranean, intending to call at Lisbon. […] With the departure of the Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, our river is now quite clear of yachts, […]

Hampshire Advertiser, 06 Dec 1876: BISHOPSTOKE

The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, which left Southampton on the 21st of November, arrived at Lisbon on the 30th , and was to go on to Nice, touching at Gibraltar.

Hampshire Advertiser 07 Mar 1877: YACHTING ITEMS.

The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, from Palermo, arrived at Naples on the 22nd of February. […]

Hampshire Advertiser Saturday 05 May 1877: LYMINGTON, Yachting.

The lanira, Captain Hargreaves, was at Gibraltar on Saturday, on her homeward passage […]

Hampshire Advertiser 09 May 1877: YACHTING ITEMS.

[…] The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, and Viking arrived at Gibraltar on the 30th ultimo, and were to leave next day for England. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser, Saturday 12 May 1877: LYMINGTON

[…] The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, arrived on Thursday from the Mediterranean, all well. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 16 May 1877: YACHTING ITEMS.

There are now lying in the river six of the largest steam yachts afloat, a sight which has not been seen before in our waters. They are the Charalie, Northumbria, Brilliant, Cornelia, Minerva, and Taurus, and they lie in that order taking them from Hythe up to the Royal Pier. Off Hythe is also the steam yacht Ibis, Mr. Henry Bessemer, and among the sailing yachts in our water are the schooner Ianira, captain Hargreaves, which has just returned from a lengthened cruise in the Mediterranean, […]

Hampshire Advertiser 17 Oct 1877: LYMINGTON, YACHTING.

[…] The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, is fitting out for the Mediterranean.

Hampshire Advertiser 03 Nov 1877: LYMINGTON, YACHTING.

The Erminia, Sir Bruce Chichester, and Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, are fitting out for the Mediterranean. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser, Wed. 26 Dec 1877: BISHOPSTOKE

The Schooner Yacht Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, arrived at Gibraltar on the 13th instant, after thirteen days' passage from Dartmouth, and she sailed on the 15th for Cannes.

 

Hampshire Telegraph 07 Sep 1878: YACHTING INTELLIGENCE

[…] The schooner Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, which is on the mud at Fay's, Northam, is being painted throughout, and thus it may be inferred that she will go to the Straits again this winter. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 06 Dec 1879

[…] The schooner Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, has left Southampton for a cruise in the Mediterranean, [...]

Hampshire Advertiser, 31 Mar 1880: NETLEY, YACHTING ITEMS.

[…] The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves, from Barcelona, arrived at Toulon on the 31st ultimo. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 02 Feb 1881: MEDITERRANEAN YACHTING.

The Field of Saturday gave a list of the yachts which have proceeded to the Mediterranean this season, and those marked (*) fitted out at Souhampton: - […] *Ianira, schooner, 208, Captain Hargreaves, […]

[NOTE: 55 were listed, of which 14 had been fitted out at Southampton]

Hampshire Advertiser 02 Apr 1881:

THE INTERNATIONAL REGATTA AT GENOA was held on Tuesday. The result of the yacht race from Nice to Genoa was as follows: - Cetonia, schooner, Lord Gosford, 1; Gertrude, yawl, Lieutenant Henn, 2; Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, 3.

Hampshire Advertiser, 10 Jun 1882: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] The Miranda, ss, Lord Alfred Paget, has been laid up on the mud at Fay's [Northam]. This yacht went through the Canal in France to the Mediterranean, and thence home to England. The launch of the Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, is being repaired and refitted. […] The yachts on the station now include the Ianira, schooner, Capt. Hargreaves; […]

Hampshire Advertiser 19 Dec 1883: YACHTING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.

The Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, arrived at Gibraltar on the 11th instant, in five and a half days from Falmouth, all well on board. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 23 Jan 1884: YACHTING ITEMS.

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, was at Cannes according to the latest advices.

Hampshire Advertiser 30 Apr 1884: SOUTHAMPTON NEWS.

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain T. Hargreaves, will leave Cannes early next month for Southampton. Captain Hargreaves leaves Cannes this week for the Mount, Bishopstoke. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 30 Aug 1884: TORQUAY REGATTA

At this regatta, on Tuesday […] The sailing cutter Cecile, belonging to the Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, won in her match, and the Ianira's six-oared gig won in her class.

H. A. 08 Oct 1884: THE SAILING MATCH IN SOUTHAMPTON WATER.

With reference to the sailing match, mentioned in our last impression, between the 25 feet sailing cutters Cecile, belonging to Captain T. Hargreaves, and the Aldegonda, the property of Prince Henri de Bourbon, which came off in Southampton Water on Friday afternoon, we may add that the course was about ten miles, viz., from off the Ianira (Captain Hargreaves's schooner), then off the Town Quay, up round the schooner Constance, moored off West Quay, down round the United States frigate Lancaster, and back.

The start was a flying one, the Aldegonda taking the lead, but the first beat the Cecile went ahead, and, althoug the Aldegonda was favoured with the wind in the final round, the Ianira's cutter (Cecile) won with eleven minutes to spare. The winner was sailed by George Kirby of West Quay, “skipper” of the 25 feet cutter Wave, and included in her crew was Mr. John Pickett, the builder of the Cecile, and a good amateur boat sailer [sic]. The Aldegonda was sailed by Captain Kyle.

Hampshire Advertiser 18 Oct 1884: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] the Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, is stripping off [at] the Town Quay preparatory to being laid up. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 07 Jan 1885: THE NICE REGATTA OF 1883.

The lawsuit brought by Lieutenant Henn, R. N., and Captain Hargreaves, the Mount, Bishopstoke, the owners of the Gertrude and Ianira, against the Nice Committee for refusing to give them the prizes won by their yachts at the International Regatta of 1883, and which was given against them by the Nice tribunal, has now been decided in their favour by the Court of Appeal at Aix, which court gave judgment “that the rule of the committee which says that ;all decisions made by it are final and without appeal' is well if the printed rules are not properly acted upon, and the committee are liable for its mistakes.” This decision (says The Field) will no doubt give much satisfaction to yachtsmen of all nationalities who frequent Nice, and be a lesson to the Nice regatta committee to carry out strictly in the future the printed rules and instructions which are given to the competitors.

Hampshire Advertiser 21 Feb 1885: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] J. Pickett, of West Quay, is making good progress with the new work. Captain Hargreaves's steam launch being shut in, while the deck beams are being got in, as are also the decks to the una boat for Mr. C. W. Prescott-Westcar, and the square stern cruising boat for the French coast. The six-oared galley for Trieste is also planked.

H. A. 12th December 1885: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] The Ianira, ss. Captain T. Hargreaves, which left here last Week for Havre, got over to Barfleur in safety, and she is now on her way to Marseilles. The Ianira, schooner, also belonging to Captain Hargreaves, is fitting out in the Docks for the Mediterranean. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 9th January 1886: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS.

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, sailed on Wednesday for the Mediterranean. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser, Wed. 24 Feb 1886

The Schooner Yacht Ianira, belonging to Captain T. Hargreaves, The Mount, Bishopstoke, has arrived at Mentone; all well. Her steam launch, which went through the French Canals, having been taking over from Southampton, is also at Mentone for the use of Captain Hargreaves and friends. She was built last year by Pickett, of Southampton.

Hampshire Advertiser 15 May 1886: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, from Marseilles, arrived at Gibraltar on the 3rd instant, and sailed on the 4th. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 26 May 1886: YACHTING ITEMS

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain T. Hargreaves, about whose safety some fears were entertained, she having left Gibraltar on the 7th inst. for Southampton, arrived at Corunna on Monday. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 30 Oct 1886: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] the Ianira, schooner, Captain Hargreaves, has arrived at Southampton from a cruise. […]

Hampshire Advertiser 27 Nov 1886: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] J. Pickett, West Quay, has hauled up the Ianira, ss belonging to Captain Hargreaves [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 11 May 1887: YACHTING INTELLIGENCE

The yachts fitting out at Cowes now are more numerous than we remember for several years, and there seems every prospect of a good season. Amongst those we notice which are being pushed on with all speed are:-

The Aline, H.R.H., the Prince of Wales, K.G. […]

The Ianira, Captain Hargreaves. […]

(Over 30 yachts listed).

Hampshire Advertiser, 16 Nov 1889: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] The Ianira, ss. Captain Hargreaves, arrived here on Monday from the eastward. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 08 Jun 1889: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS

[…] The Ianira, schooner, Captain T. Hargreaves, has been towed from Waterhead, Dartmouth, where she has been during the winter, to Messrs. Simpson, Strickland, and Company's engineering works at Sandquay, where she will be fitted with engines and boilers to enable her to enter harbours without the assistance of towing, but while cruising the Ianira will, as a rule, be under canvas. Captain Hargreaves is still at his residence, The Mount, Bishopstoke, and we hear that he is gradually recovering from his severe illness. […]

Hampshire Advertiser, 31 Aug 1889: DARTMOUTH REGATTA.

The first day's programme in connection with the Royal Dartmouth Regatta was got through on Thursday under favourable surroundings, brilliant sunshine and a gentle breeze prevailing throughout the afternoon. Sailing boats not exceeding 24 feet: La Grenouille (Mr. H. Shank, Teignmouth), 1; Cora (Captain Thompson, Paignton), 2; and Yarana (Mr. P. Ralli), 3' Four-oared yacht gigs: Waterwitch (Lord Revelstoke), 1; Zenobia (Mr. A. W. Thornton), 2; and Ianira (Captain Hargreaves), 3. [...]

New York Herald (USA) 07 Jan 1890: WRECK OF AN ENGLISH YACHT

TEN OF HER CREW IN TWO BOATS REPORTED MISSING. [BY CABLE TO THE HERALD]

CADIZ, Jan 6, 1890. - The English yacht Inva was wrecked on the Aceiteras Rocks. It was reported that fourteen of the crew were drowned and four saved. It is now reported that ten of the crew in two boats are missing.

-----

IS SHE THE IANIRA?

There is no English yacht called the Inva in Lloyd's Yacht Register. The wrecked vessel may be the schooner yacht Ianira, which sailed on December 17 from Southampton for Marseilles, where her owner, Captain T. Hargreaves, was to join her. The Ianira was built at Lymington in 1874 by Inman & Son. She was 100 feet long and registered 105 tons.

H. A. 29 Jan 1890: YACHTING - THE WEATHER AND YACHTING.

The fine breezes – not to mention gales – which have blown the influenza out of England are responsible for a great many shipping disasters, and the Atlantic liners have experienced an unusual mauling. Some of the yachts bound for the Straits have also had a very coarse time of it, and we reported last week that the Ianira schooner, owned by Captain Hargreaves, was hove to for nine days somewhere off Finisterre. This is a very unusual experience, but we do not know whether she was laid for nine days at one spell, or whether she was sailed at intervals. At any rate, it is a very exceptional circumstance for a schooner of 200 tons to have to lay to for such a period as nine days – but then we have had very exceptional weather.

The Deerhound cutter, Mr. Nottage, which left Dartmouth December 26 – about the same time as Ianira – arrived at the Rock on January 3, having experienced a heavy southerly gale off St. Vincent, which kept her hove to some hours. She arrived at Cannes on the 18th, and the crew gave a fine account of her capabilities as a sea boat, and declare that the flaring overhanging bow kept the fore deck comparatively dry. Somehow racing yachts have a way of getting through bad weather and making their port, which makes one admire them almost as much as we do the less certain cruisers, but, of course, the racing yacht of today is not exactly the craft which attempted to flourish in that forgotten period when shifting ballast was a part of the engineering of match sailing. - The Field.

Nottingham Evening Post, Friday 24 Jan 1890: THE REPORTED ARREST OF MR. BENZON.

We are informed that the following telegram has been received from Nice:- Mr. Benzon, “the Jubilee Plunger”, was by no means arrested, and the statements that have been circulated are erroneous. The Credit Lyonnais threatened to take action, but the family have intervened, and the matter is in course of arrangement. It will probably be terminated to-day by a reimbursement of the amount of the cheque.

-------

Messrs. Allen and Son, of Soho-square, write to the Times to-day, as follows:- We are requested by our client, Captain Hargreaves, to inform you that his yacht is waiting for him to join it at Nice, and that he is still in England. Your paragraph of this morning was the first he has heard of this matter, and he wishes to inform you that Mr. Benzon is a total stranger to him.

(Similar articles in the Manchester Evening News, 24 Jan 1890)

Hampshire Advertiser 28 May 1890: YACHTING.

[…] The Ianira, ss, Captain Hargeaves, left Cannes on the 17th instant and Gibraltar on the 26th for Southampton. [...]

Hampshire Advertiser 19 Sep 1891: SOUTHAMPTON YACHTING NEWS.

[…] The Ianira, ss, Captain T. Hargreaves, has been laid up at the yard, and Captain Hargreaves's larger yacht, the Ianira, ss, [sic] is at Ramsgate, cruising. […]


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