Disembarkation- Read online

  Wexford Port

  – a history

  By Nicky Rossiter

  First published in June 1989.

  Updated for the Internet in April 2002.

  Wexford Council of Trade Unions as part of a Fas sponsored scheme

  published the print edition.

  The researchers included S Cleary, T Coughlan, J Doyle, P Burke, J

  Furlong, S Furlong, C Long, K McGrath, S Prouse, J Roche, T O’Connor, L

  Whitty, J Murphy, T Nolan, I Beary, M Whelan, A Hore, J Hendrick, T

  O’Leary, W Rogan, J Fortune, N Rossiter.

  The Port in Earlier Times

  "Tis of ten I dream of the old Wexford fleet, those schooners of canvas brown; Those beautiful models of cleanliness that sailed from Wexford Town.

  With robust crews of the finest type, as valiant and smart as could be; We had excellent sailors in Wexford Town who ploughed o'er the wide blue sea"

  From 'Maritime Memories of Wexford.'

  The story of the Port of Wexford stretches back to the foundation of the first settlement in the area. In those days travel was mainly by sea as the entire country was covered in dense forest. The first Wexfordmen may have travelled across from Wales and landed on a tree-lined shore near the mouths of the Bishopswater and Peter rivers. With ample fishing in the harbour, fresh water from the rivers and wild game in the forest, this sheltered harbour was an ideal location for settlement. With settlement came trade and the beginnings of the Port of Wexford.

  The first major developers of the port were the Vikings or

  Norsemen. These maritime adventurers probably settled

  here in the tenth century. Philip Herbert Hore, the county

  historian states that around the middle of the eleventh

  century the fishing settlement of Loch Garman began to be

  known by the name of Weysford and that ships were built

  there and trade flourished. Even then the Bar in the

  harbour mouth may have caused problems for boats of 9 or

  10-foot draught, but not to a local coasting fleet.

  In an article in the third Journal of the Old Wexford

  Society, John De Courcey Ireland states that from these

  early days, the shallow draught at the harbour entrance

  caused problems, but the Wexford people were quick to

  turn it to their own advantage. They achieved this by

  designing and building their own ships capable of

  operating in the prevailing conditions and thus obtained a

  virtual monopoly on trade into the ancient port.

  It is clear that the town had a fleet of ships by 1169 as

  Giraldis Cambrensis records the Normans burning some

  boats when they attacked Wexford in May of that year.

  Also there are records of the fleets of towns including Wexford assisting Henry II in his battles with the Welsh. There is a record in Hore dated 1255 of one Roger De Evesham, Clerk to the Dean of St. Martin's, London arriving safely at Wexford after enduring several tempests and being 3 nights at sea, from the Welsh coast.

  Trade through Wexford port was being officially recorded at this time and the Customs Dues collected in the town between May 4th 1275 and April 14th 1277 amounted to £ 10 - 4 - P/4. This sum was collected on exports only, as native merchants of the time could import goods free of duty. In 1275, Lucca one of the independent Italian Merchant Republics was appointed as receiver of customs at 10 ports. The fact that Wexford was one of those ports suggests that it already had a flourishing trade. Thirty five years later, in 1310, Wexford still rated as a principal port.

  Agents of Italian merchant bankers often oversaw the collection of customs dues at the time. This was because many of the wars and skirmishes of the time were financed on credit from these banks and the revenue collected went to repay the debt.

  In about 1353 the port took another step forward in the regulation of trade, a gild (or guild) of Staplers was established. This guild of merchants was given a monopoly on the export of raw goods such as wool, hides etc., from the realm, and anyone wishing to sell such goods had to present them for sale in the so-called staple towns. Such goods were heaped on the quays of towns like Wexford and there the staplers purchased them. It is probable that the staplers' guild was formed so that the king's customs collector could superintend all exports and so collect the relevant duties.

  In 1375 Walter Pierce and Richard Hassan, Wexford merchants, were busy at this time importing grain by sea from Dublin as a commercial, profit-making exercise. Fishing also flourished in the 14th century.

  When the Earl of Ormond spent Christmas in Wexford in 1393, the seneschal had an arrangement to supply him with fish. An interesting feature of this contract was a clause whereby he was fined £100 if the supply failed. Fishing was important in that era as there were over 100 days of fast and abstinence each year and fish was the only food permitted by church law.

  Wars also affected the trade of ports like Wexford. On July 16th, 1423 a writ was issued to the Sovereign and Provosts of Wexford ordering them to arrest all ships entering or in port, along with their masters, sailors and gear. These were to be sent to Beaumarys in Wales to provide transport for the Earl of March, Deputy of Ireland, and his army. Wexford is clearly shown on maps drawn by continental cartographers of the time such as Baptista Boazio. The inclusion of the town on these charts indicates that its trade was international. There is evidence of a substantial trade in wine between Wexford and Gascony and Spain.

  By 1560-1, 75% of the value of Irish hides entering Bridgeport in Somerset travelled on Wexford ships.

  In the same period, mantles and coal were common cargoes from Wexford to La Rochelle in France. In 1587, 15 of the 24 Irish vessels carrying coal from Milford in Wales were Wexford registered. So common is foreign trade believed to have been, that Stainhurst, a Tudor chronicler, indicated that the natives of Wexford expressed themselves in a wide range of languages common to the different races frequenting the port.

  Shipbuilding was also flourishing through this medieval period. In 1584 the Lord Deputy Perrot, named Wexford as one of 4 ports for the building of ships. It is also stated that Wexford was exporting shipbuilding materials and completed ships to Scotland possibly for use in running arms to Hugh O'Neill.

  Over the next two centuries Wexford port increased its trade and the ships from the town were the principal vessels carrying Welsh coal into Ireland. In fact, so great had the shipping fleet become that in 1598 it was stated that the combined ports of Wexford and Waterford operated more ships than all of the other ports of Ireland.

  In 1610 the king granted prisage on all wines imported into the town of Wexford or any creek to that harbour to Henry Pierse. The quays mentioned in the town on May 24th of that year were: The Quay of the Pale (Paul Quay) owned by Roger Canton.

  Richard Hay's Quay owned by David Hay, an alderman.

  Nic, Frenche's Quay also owned by David Hay.

  Turnor's Quay owned by Nicholas Turnor.

  Morne's Quay owned by Richard and John Morne. (probably Moran) Bollane's Quay owned by Jenkine Turnor (Turner)

  Staples Quay owned by Barnabie Rowcester (Rossiter).

  Hassane's Quay owned by Hassane Lienge (Ling).

  Mr. Mytton was the sole customs officer for the port and as he could not oversee all of the quays much revenue was lost to the crown. This problem became evident to the Commissioners but it was many years later before they ordered that only two quays were to be used for trade. The order was made in 1651 and Frenche's Quay and Common Quay were the places designated.

  The principal exports in 1611 were timber, pipestaves, hides, tallow, wood-fells and herrings. Wines, iron and salt were the main
imports and Mr. Robert Cogan writing to Lord Carew valued both the goods outward and goods inward at about £4,000 each. For the year 1632 the customs dues levied at Wexford amounted to £510-17-7 ¼

  With the Confederation of Kilkenny, Wexford's maritime importance became very much a military one. In the 1640's Wexford was the home base of the Confederate Navy. Robert Cole refers to the town in a report on March 15th 1643 thus: -

  "It is the port into which all their (the rebels) ammunition and assistance from foreign ports comes. "

  This probably refers to the landing of Henry Roe O'Neill and Col. Richard Ferrell from Flanders.

  One of the greatest of the war ships operating out of Wexford was 'The Patrick'. She carried a crew of 100

  and had 11 pieces of ordinance. On June 29th the Mayor of Wexford, Nicholas Hay, reported to the Supreme Council that a Wexford frigate had captured the Dublin post bound for England and after reading the letters he forwarded them.

  Among the vessels based at Wexford at this time were:

  'St. Francis', captained by Nicholas Holt.

  'Mary of Antrim', captained by William O'Doran.

  'Mary of the Isles', captained by Handemarke.

  'St. Michael', captained by Booth.

  'Mary and John', captained by John Rosseter.

  'The Cock', captained by Peter Deferterne.

  'St. Peter', captained by Joseph Constant.

  'The Cupido' captained by Manuel Buckson.

  'St. Corneluis', captained by Francis Oliver.

  There were also ships captained by Messrs. Bradshaw, D'Arcy and Turner.

  Captain John Doran was the principal naval officer in Wexford. The sailors on these frigates were classed as pirates and were very harshly dealt with on capture. Many of them were tied back to back and thrown into the sea. Such treatment served to further enrage the 'pirates' and spurred them on to greater conquests.

  Another incentive to plunder was the serious lack of provisions in Wexford town in 1649. In fact, during that year "corne was so scarce and dear in Wexford and Waterford that unless the frigates of these towns had not made many prizes the people would have starved. " In a letter from Michael Bolan, Mayor, dated April 30th 1649 it is related;

  "Captain Doran of 'The Mary of the Isles' has sent in a Dutch prize with about 400 barrels of Rye . . . I assure you that there is such a scarcity and extreme dearth of corne here that if his lordship should dispose of it to the army it will leave this place unable to provide friggots, "

  Such was the shipping trade in Wexford Port in the months leading up to the assault on the town by Oliver Cromwell. This attack and its aftermath are well documented in other publications. However, recent research appears to point to the vast amount of activity in the port as a major factor in that massacre. While Drogheda was an important military base, Wexford was the main naval base. It was principally for these reasons that both towns suffered as they did at Cromwell's hands. Also, the port had been, throughout the time of the Confederation, a natural staging point for incoming foreigners and Spanish spies. In a letter dated October 3rd 1649, Hugh Peters, a member of Cromwell’s army reported;

  "We took the Fort here (at Rosslare) .... also the frigot with 14 guns in her, a new vessel. . . There be many other ships above at the towne, which if God give the towne will fall in. "

  In a later letter, Peters reported on what they found at Wexford after the battle;

  "We have neere 80 ships and 100 boats to fish in, of which there is a fine trade. "

  The port was soon back in business following the attack. Licence was granted for the herring trade. An order was made in 1651 that all exports and imports from the town of Wexford were to be landed on only two quays viz. The Common Quay and Frenche's Quay, on pain of forfeiture.

  On May 1st, 1652, the Governors of Wexford and Ross and other port towns were ordered to "impress ships within the ports for the transportation of 1,000 men to foreign portes. " A similar order was made on October 7th to transport 3,000 men.

  In the same year, the answer to a petition from inhabitants of Wexford shows the importance of the port.

  Among the items agreed were: Buoys and beacons to be provided and fixed at the Bar of the Public charge for the security of vessels coming in or going out of the Harbour; Rules to be issued on the reduction in excise on barrel staves, salt used in the fishery, and fish cured in Ireland and sent from port to port; Directions for landing goods at Dublin to apply to Wexford also; Commissioners of Revenue to consider the necessity of building a Public Quay at Wexford as suggested and to compute the cost thereof. Thomas dark, merchant of Wexford, was granted leave to export 600 tanned hides on October 19th. There were several merchant vessels lying in Wexford Harbour awaiting convoy protection. This was granted on November 30th. At least 80,000 barrels of herring were landed at The Custom House of Wexford in that year.

  By the year 1694 trade had increased greatly and outstripped New Ross for the first time in centuries. The Customs Duties for Wexford from December 25th 1693 to December 25th 1694 amounted to £6,851-7-0.

  The state of the harbour was causing more concern by 1709. On May 31st of that year a bill "For the opening and Cleansing of the Mouth of the Harbour of Wexford" was laid on the table in the House of Commons. The proposer of the bill, Mr. Cadwallader Edwards expressed concern that the mouth of the harbour, called 'the Barr, ' had become dangerous due to recent violent storms causing it to become shallow. This was a great hindrance to trade and lessened his majesty’s revenue. It was requested that the Grand Jury levy the sum of £250 on the county at large to have the harbour mouth cleansed and a buoy and perch set up. However it is probable that the bill was unsuccessful.

  'Oh, wives and mothers, sweethearts sires, well might ye mourn next day; For seventy fishers' corpses strewed the shores of Wexford Bay. "

  These lines from a Wexford ballad refer to a disaster that is reputed to have occurred on November 10th, 1762. It is uncertain whether this is fact or legend but it strengthened a long held Wexford tradition of not putting to sea on St. Martin's Eve. The story tells of the hardy seafarers of the port being lured to sea on that forbidden day by the sight of a vast shoal of herring (a fish once copious in their waters but by then in sharp decline). The ballad then relates how 70 of them drowned in the water of Wexford Harbour.

  On a lighter note, Wexford was visited in 1764 by a Mr. Amyas Griffith who wrote about the town for the

  'Dublin Magazine,' Among the quays mentioned are Ferryboat Quay, Meadow's Quay, Bennett's Quay, Common Quay and Custom House Quay which he says are but half of those present. The Custom House Quay is described as "small, vastly pretty with seats all round, a warm watch house and an excellent custom house with stores. " The quay referred to here was situated at present day Commercial Quay. The Custom House in Wexford was located at different places throughout the town’s history.

  The chief exports he noted were corn — about 20,000 barrels annually herrings, beer, beef, hides, tallow and butter. These were exported all over the globe with the major trade to Dublin, Liverpool, Norway, Bordeaux and Barbados. The principal imports were brandy, rums, sugars, wines, dyestuffs, porter, fruit of all foreign kinds, salt, timber and hops.

  He concluded his report with the remark "Wexford is as celebrated for its fine women as for its beer and oysters. "

  In February, 1787 a petition was sent from Wexford to Parliament.

  "That in this and other sea ports great inconvenience and much damage arises to the Inhabitants as well as to Strangers resorting thereonto, from the want of proper regulations for Coal Measures and Coal Porters, from the want of proper regulations for cars and carts plying for hire and for preventing the excessive price of coal sold in small quantities to the Poor, for want of proper regulations in the Market for Bread, Flesh Meat and other Articles and for want of proper regulations for cleaning the streets and keeping them free from Dung, Rubbish, Filth and other obstructions and for preventing swine from going at large therein.


  That your petitioners conceive that if such of the Laws enacted for the cities of Dublin and Cork as relate to these matters were extended to all sea ports great benefit and advantage might acrue therefrom.

  Signed, Ebenezer Jacob, Mayor

  B. Bayly and John Eustace, Baliffs.

  Thomas Jones, Town Clerk. "

  This document gives some idea of the conditions prevailing in the Port of Wexford in the late 1700s.

  There must have been frequent short measures and overcharging for goods and services with the poorer classes being cheated when seeking small measures of provisions. The clause referring to swine indicates that animals frequently roamed the streets.

  Among the ships frequenting Wexford Port at that time were:

  'Polly' owned by M. Fortune, carried a cargo of coal.

  'Lively' owned by Griffley was in ballast.

  'Molly' owned by Lewis carried culm (coal dust).

  'John' owned by Rack (Reck) had a cargo of coal.

  'William Margaret' owned by Leary was in ballast.

  'Adventure' owned by Hays carried corn.

  'Catherine Sally' owned by Scallan also had a cargo of corn.

  In May 1789 another Bill was placed before parliament aimed at improving the Town and Harbour of Wexford. Presented by Mr. Nevill, it outlined the danger to shipping caused by the shallow water at the Bar. His proposal was that the problem could be remedied by confining the water, deepening the Channel, erecting one or more quays from Ferry Boat Quay to St. Paul's Quay (presumably he meant Paul Quay), and making wide and convenient avenues thereonto. He proposed that the Mayor, Bailiffs and Burgesses of Wexford, the Collector for the Port, the Representatives in Parliament - Stephen and Abel Ram, Henry and William Hatton and Cornelius Grogan - be appointed a body corporate to be entitled

  'The Corporation for improving the Town and Harbour of Wexford' and that they have a common seal. He further proposed that they meet on June 24th at the Courthouse to appoint an office to be known at The Ballast Office of the Port of Wexford and to take an oath.