FALMOUTH PACKET HEBOES. 205 



It was understood by the Commanders and Crews of the 

 Packets that they were, by skilful seamanship, to avoid conflicts, 

 whenever such a course might be possible. 



Specie sometimes formed part of their freight. The Mails 

 were to be saved or sunk. But, notwithstanding all precautions, 

 fierce and very unequal contests were frequently forced upon 

 them. On such occasions, Officers, Men, Boys, and even 

 Passengers fought bravely, — some desperately, — and, in addition 

 to those who ranked as combatants, Medical Officers in their 

 devotion to duty sustained personal injuries, laid down their 

 lives, or were carried into captivity. 



The Packets were established at Falmouth in 1688. They 

 had a long and adventurous career, towards the close of which 

 the Admiralty introduced 10 -gun brigs, barque-rigged, into the 

 service; but all were abolished in 1850. 



Interesting notes on the Packets and their experiences have 

 appeared in the tenth volume of this series of Journals,* and a 

 History of them has since been written by the same author. 

 His book,f rightly regarded as an incentive to wholesome valour, 

 has been adopted for library use in Her Majesty's Poyal Navy. 

 It contains many thrilling descriptions of encounters between 

 the Falmouth vessels and hostile ships, and gives incidentally 

 the names of a great number of officers and others who 

 distinguished themselves by conspicuous bravery, the particulars 

 being gathered from the archives of the Greneral Post Office, the 

 Gazettes, and other reliable sources. 



Those of us who are the grandchildren of the heroes, or are 

 otherwise connected with them, and have been familiar all our 

 lives with their worthy deeds of daring, feel that their prowess and 

 high sense of duty should not be forgotten. It behoves all who 

 appreciate their gallantry to honor their memory. 



An effort towards this is meeting with success. A sum of 

 over £200 has been subscribed by numerous contributors 

 including Her Majesty's Post-Master-General, and it is hoped 

 that £50 more may be raised ; then, ere long, in Falmouth — the 

 Port of the Packets — a lofty Monument, of enduring Cornish 

 granite, will be erected, in the centre of the town, as the Packet 

 Heroes' well-deserved Memorial. 



With regard to those who should be considered the chief 

 heroes, a choice of names becomes difficult, since so many fought 

 so well, or were actuated in various other ways by noble self- 

 sacrifice. Portions of the old record, moreover, containing names 

 that ought to have been preserved, are lost ; consequently, any 



♦R.I.C. Journal, Vol. X, pp. 355, 368, 371, (1891), No. 37. 



fHist. of Post Office Packet Service, by A. H. Norway, London, Macmillan & 00.(1895). 



