Cinque Port Pilots
Pilots in the Cinque
Ports were originally high-status seamen who were vital to
the Channel passage trade, being hired to conduct ships through the
dangerous Dover Straits, to the ports of Holland, Flanders and
France, and to the entrances to the Rivers Thames and Medway.
The Dover Pilots formed a fellowship
or association, supervised by the Court of Lodemanage, which set
itself up with regulations and officers in 1526 partly in order to
keep the work to themselves and also to fend off foreign
competition. They took turns in piloting ships and were required to
be constantly at sea in readiness for incoming and outgoing ships
who needed their services. By the 18th century the dangers of this
were realised and a tower was built from which a watch could be
kept for passing ships. This was originally a wooden structure on
the south pier head, which was demolished when the railway was
built in 1844, at which time a stone Pilot Tower was built for them
at the Pier.
Dover Pilot Tower (left), Pier District, 1842
There were four Societies of Mariners
in England known as Trinity Houses – Deptford
Strond, Hull, Newcastle and Dover, but Dover was different as it
was not a chartered Trinity House but a Court of Lodesmanage under
the commission of the Lord Warden. However, the Cinque Port Pilots
are often referred to in early years as the Fellowship of Pilots of
the Trinity House of Dover, Deal and the Isle of Thanet.
These societies were founded to
provide pilotage, improve the art and science of Mariners, maintain
and improve navigation, and to provide care and assistance for
distressed/unemployed mariners.
All four societies date back in some
form to at least the 14th century but the 3 at Deptford, Hull and
Newcastle were formally chartered as Trinity Houses, with Younger
Brethren and Elder Brethren ruled by a Master. Deptford was
chartered in 1514, Newcastle in 1536 and Hull in 1541. Only
Deptford was officially charged with the provision of sea-markers
and signals, by an Act of 1566 - this has developed into it having
sole responsibility for lighthouses and lightships in Britain.
The Fellowship of Cinque Port
Pilots was officially founded in 1526 to regulate the
activities of local seamen who had for centuries assisted ships to
pass through the dangerous Straits of Dover to and from the Thames
and Medway. Although officially licensed in 1526, a Fellowship of
Pilots, or Lodesmen, had been established earlier, in 1515. A more
informal brotherhood had existed from as early as the 13th century
and a list of Dover pilot rules exists in the archives, dated 1495.
The basic foundations of the Fellowship were laid in 1312 when,
after a number of arguments between Pilots, 4 Wardens were created
to make sure each Pilot took his turn and to divide the profits in
common.
Dover Pilots Progression 1824
A list of Dover pilots with their individual flags
The Pilots were officially licensed by and under the control of the
Court of Lodemanage administered by the Lord Warden of the
Cinque Ports. However, William III allowed them to elect 4
wardens from amongst themselves from 1689 and the Pilotage became
almost autonomous. To achieve a licence Pilots had to be
knowledgeable seamen able to guide any ship through the Downs and
the notorious Goodwins and navigate to the Thames, Medway and any
channel port. It was usually required that a candidate have at
least 7 years at sea as a Master Mariner so most pilots were at
least 28 years old when licensed. After 1852 the rule became 5
years service as a Master Mariner but be under the age of 35.
The original enrolment of 1526 was 14
from Dover, 1 from Deal and 2 from Margate. In 1716 Licensed
Pilotage was set at 50 pilots for Dover, 50 for Deal and 20 for the
Isle of Thanet. In 1801 the number for Dover and Deal was raised to
64 but in 1833 the numbers were limited to 56 each at Dover and
Deal and 12 in the Isle of Thanet (6 each at Margate and
Ramsgate).
From about 1550 the pilots were
divided into two classes; the Upper Book, consisting of the most
experienced and longest serving, and the Lower Book, the more
junior and last appointed. The Wardens were chosen from the ranks
of the Upper Book who also claimed seniority when it came to
piloting jobs. Advance to the Upper Book was only possible when a
place was vacant and it went to the senior Lower Book member. Lower
Book Pilots could only handle ships up to a certain tonnage and
draught. After 1852 the classes were redefined as First Class and
Second Class with promotion to First Class automatic after 1 year,
upon examination.
Dover was the most lucrative port so
most newly licensed pilots started at Ramsgate or Margate and then
moved on to Deal or Dover as they gained seniority and vacancies
arose. Consequently, pilots moved around the ports quite often and
a Dover mariner could move to Ramsgate, then to Deal and then end
up back at Dover.
The Lord Warden and the Court of
Lodemanage supposedly regulated the Fellowship and appointed new
pilots but in practice much was left to the Wardens and pilots
themselves. A new pilot was admitted in St. James' Church by the
bestowing of a 'Branch' on which the Seal of Admiralty and Chancery
was fixed. The Pilot was then issued with a licence, which included
a physical description of the holder. From 1616 Pilots affairs were
overseen by a Jury of the Court of Lodemanage, which consisted of 6
Dover pilots, 4 Thanet pilots and 2 Deal pilots. They met in St.
James' Church, Dover.
The Court (and later Trinity House)
only licensed pilots, it did not employ them - they were always
self-employed mariners. They contributed to a sick pay and pension
scheme that they administered themselves as a fellowship and there
was also a widow’s benefit that paid £12 per year to pilots’ widows
until they re-married.
W.A.Y. Marsh, Cinque Port Pilot circa 1875
Killed when the Pilot Cutter Edinburgh was run down 1879
Originally the pilots had lookouts on
the shore to watch for signals for a pilot from passing ships. They
would then go off in their own bum boats or galleys to the ships
wanting pilots, or paid local boatmen to taxi them out. Each had
his own personal flag for identification, flown from the mast to
indicate ‘pilot aboard’. From 1852 the cruising system was
introduced, where pilots would take their “turns” stationed at sea
on a pilot cutter cruising the shipping lanes for customers. Later,
with steam propulsion, the cutter anchored at a fixed station just
off Dungeness, west of Dover - the cutter would anchor with its 5
crew and the 14 pilots on their “turns”, who would be taken on
board passing ships as they were needed. Those pilots at the back
of the roster might spend many days aboard the cutter awaiting
their turn. Alternatively, all 14 could get jobs within a day and
another batch of pilots would have to be brought out of Dover to
replenish the cutter. If a ship on its way up the Channel “missed”
the cutter there would be pilots on duty at the shore stations in
Dover, Deal and Thanet ready to go out in boats. This was to ensure
that no ships could claim they were unable to secure the services
of a pilot – which many would try to do, to avoid the pilotage
fees. Hefty fines were imposed on any vessel avoiding pilotage.
Pilot Cutter No. 6 off Dover circa 1930
All pilots had to be Freemen and churchgoers. Church services were
compulsory but as Pilotage could be required at any time, the
pilots paid for their own galleries with a separate entrance so
that they could leave without disturbing the congregation. Pilot’s
galleries were built at St. Mary’s in Dover, St. Leonard’s in Upper
Deal and St. George’s in Deal.
From 1590 the pilots also organised an
annual survey of the channel from the South Foreland to The Nore,
to chart the ever- changing channels and sand banks of the
Goodwins, though irregular surveys had commenced in 1568.
In 1853 the Cinque Port Pilots were
transferred to the Trinity House of Deptford Strond (London) and
the Court of Lodemanage was closed. The Duke of Wellington, as Lord
Warden, had taken personal control of the pilots and resisted any
change to their organisation. His death in 1852 allowed the
government to rationalise pilotage. The Cinque Port Pilots were now
under the control of the Master and Brethren of Trinity House,
Deptford Strond, but again they were relatively independent. The 56
Deal Pilots were gradually transferred to the Dover Station from
1858. The last 3 were transferred in 1937.
In 1988, due to improved radar,
communications and traffic control, the Cinque Port Pilots were
disbanded and local pilotage passed to harbour and river
authorities. Since 1971 the pilots had been based at the Folkestone
Pilot Tower which was built that year to replace the cruising
cutter off Dungeness. With radio and fast motor launches they no
longer needed to wait at sea but could be called out from port. The
Fellowship was still based in Dover but, following the demolition
of the Tower to widen the railway, they had moved to offices in
Marine Parade on the seafront.
Dover Pilot Tower 1857
Built 1848 and demolished 1913
Surviving records of the Court of
Loadmanage, including Pilot’s licences, are held in the Cinque
Ports Confederation collection at the
East Kent Archive Centre.
Surviving records of the Fellowship of
the Cinque Port Pilots are held by Dover Museum.
Trinity House (Deptford Strond)
archives, including pilot’s licences and lists of Brethren, are
held by
The Guildhall Library in London
Dover Museum is compiling a database
of all known Cinque Port Pilots 1514 to 1988. Please email details
of any pilots you have information on or if you are an ex-pilot;
museumenquiries@dover.gov.uk
Researched and written by
Mark Frost, Dover Museum