EAST DONYLAND​ / ROWHEDGE

ELISE

 

THE ESSEX STANDARD - 8 May 1886 - “YACHTING.- Harris’s yard has just launched a new 20-ton yacht, named the Elise, for Mr. Barton.”

THE ESSEX STANDARD - 18 May 1889 - Elise “fitting out”

 

 

 

CHEETAH

 

THE ESSEX STANDARD -

2 May 1891 -  Rowhedge. Cheetah “Fitting out.”

18 March 1893 - Rowhedge Yachting. “Mr. C. Nicholl’s cutter Cheetah is fitting out at Mr. Houston’s.”

01 April 1893 - Rowhedge Yachting Items. “The Cheetah, 18-ton cutter, Mr. Nicholl, has fitted out.”

10 June 1893 - Royal Harwich Yacht Club Regatta. “Yacht Sunday.... a day rigidly devoted to resting sailing masters and crews. The yachts in the harbour included - Britannia, 154 tons, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales; Valkyrie, 149, Lord Dunraven; Iverna, 114, John Jameson; Calluna, 127, Peter Donaldson; Satanita, 165, A.D. Clarke; Lais, 40, John Gretton; Shearwater, 36, B.F. Barton; Vol-au-Vent, 81, R. Ingham Clark; Xanthe, yawl, 28, A.M. Channell; Wild Wave, s.s., 128, E. Walter Greene; Cheetah, 18, C. Nicholl, jun.; Creole, 40, Col. Villiers Bagot....” etc.

 

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THE ESSEX COUNTY STANDARD - 29 June 1895. “ROWHEDGE YACHTING NOTES - “Mr. Charrington Nicholl’s yacht, the Cheetah, has arrived from Ramsgate for a clean-up.”

 

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1900 - Cheetah appears to have spent the summer at Southampton and was owned by a Mr. Naismith.

 

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THE WESTERN TIMES - Thursday 22 July 1909 - “YACHT RUN DOWN. By a Trawler in Torbay: Lady’s Narrow Escape. In the early hours of yesterday, a trawler ran into a twenty ton pleasure yacht under Daddy Hole, Torquay, and cut her in two.

The yacht, which quickly sank was the “Cheetah,” of Weymouth, owned by Col. Vaughan. She carried a crew of three hands, and Mrs. Vaughan was on board. The craft was at anchor a mile off Daddy Hole when the trawler “Lark,” of Brixham, owner W. Friend, which was on its way to Torquay, with fish, crashed into her. The yacht sank in a few minutes, but all on board were got off in safety and taken on board the fishing boat, which landed them at Torquay, Col. and Mrs. Vaughan going to the Central Hotel, and the crew to the Sailors’ Rest.

The rigging of the two vessels fortunately became entangled, and it was by this means that the yacht was held up until Colonel and Mrs. Vaughan and the crew scrambled on board the trawler.

Mrs. Vaughan had a very narrow escape. She had locked her cabin door, and had to smash the panels and creep through in her night apparel. Immediately the vessels parted the “Cheetah” sank.”

 

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THE WESTERN GAZETTE - Friday 23 July 1909 - “STRUGGLE FOR LIFE IN A LOCKED CABIN. WONDERFUL ESCAPE FROM A WRECKED YACHT. A terrible struggle for life in the locked cabin of a yacht took place early on Wednesday morning in Torbay. Colonel Vaughan and his wife were sleeping in the cabin of their yacht Cheetah, which lay at anchor about a mile from shore. The crew of three men were also on board, and a powerful riding light swung from the masthead.

Between one and two o’clock, without the slightest warning, the Brixham trawler Lark cut into the yacht amidships with tremendous force, and the Cheetah at once began to fill. She did not sink at once, however, for the rigging of the two vessels became entangled, and the yacht was thus held above the surface.

Colonel and Mrs. Vaughan, roused by the shock of the collision, ran in their night attire to their cabin door, and found themselves unable to open it. It had been locked and had become jammed by the collision.

With her own hands Mrs. Vaughan broke open a panel in the door, while her husband smashed the skylight, but still they were unable to get out. The water had risen to their waists when Colonel Vaughan with a great effort smashed down the door, and he and his wife, with the yacht’s crew, clambered on board the trawler. As soon as the Brixham boat’s rigging was disentangled the yacht sank in seven fathoms of water.”

 

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W. Edhouse, of Brixham, was paid £14 to raise the wreckage of the Cheetah. The work was not completed which led to a court case.

 

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THE CORNISHMAN - 5 August 1909 - “The Trinity boat Mermaid arrived at Torquay on Saturday, and an examination has been made of the yacht Cheetah (Colonel Vaughan), which was sunk in Torbay recently in collision with the trawler Lark. It has been decided to blow the yacht up as soon as the weather moderates.”

 

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THE DEVON AND EXETER GAZETTE - 7 July 1910 - “Yesterday the quarterly meeting of the Devon Sea Fisheries Committee was held at Newton Abbot.... The Fishery-officer reported that on three occasions fishing gear had been damaged by wreckage from the yacht Cheetah, sunk in Torbay. Mr. Sparkes had permission from the Trinity Brethren to remove any portions of the wreck, and there was only the lead keel left, which he hoped shortly to remove altogether.”

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Somewhere there is a reference to Capt. J. Springett of Rowhedge being the skipper of Cheetah .... needs tracing.