Edward Quayle (1802 – 14 June 1862) was a

Manx Manx (; formerly sometimes spelled Manks) is an adjective (and derived noun) describing things or people related to the Isle of Man: * Manx people **Manx surnames * Isle of Man It may also refer to: Languages * Manx language, also known as Manx ...

merchant navy officer who served as commanding officer of numerous Isle of Man Steam Packet Company vessels. Quayle was amongst the first

captains Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the line, retiring with the rank of Commodore. Captain Quayle was said to have been a thorough

seafarer A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship. The profession of the s ...

and an attentive and warm-hearted man.''The Manx Sun.'' Saturday 21 June 1862

Early life

Edward Quayle was born on the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

in 1802.

Career

For a number of years prior to the introduction of the

steamship A steamship, often referred to as a steamer, is a type of steam-powered vessel, typically ocean-faring and seaworthy, that is propelled by one or more steam engines that typically move (turn) propellers or paddlewheels. The first steamships ...

, Capt. Quayle was Master of the

clipper A clipper was a type of mid-19th-century merchant sailing vessel, designed for speed. Clippers were generally narrow for their length, small by later 19th century standards, could carry limited bulk freight, and had a large total sail area. "C ...

packets which sailed on the mail run between

Douglas Douglas may refer to: People * Douglas (given name) * Douglas (surname) Animals *Douglas (parrot), macaw that starred as the parrot ''Rosalinda'' in Pippi Longstocking *Douglas the camel, a camel in the Confederate Army in the American Civil W ...

and

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

his final command prior to him joining the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company was that of the barque ''Eleanor''.

Isle of Man Steam Packet Company

Captain Quayle's reputation led to his appointment as Master of the ''Mona'' on 5 October 1833, and subsequently as the company continued to grow he succeeded Captain William Gill in taking command of the ''Mona's Isle. In turn Capt. Quayle commanded all of the company's steamers from the early 1830s onwards, gaining a high reputation amongst his passengers and crew. Queen of the Isle Advert

His early command of the ''Mona'' saw him undertake the ''winter role'', that is the continuation of the link between

and

through the winter months, a hazardous undertaking in a small ship of 150 tons, battling the numerous winter storms of the

Irish Sea The Irish Sea or , gv, Y Keayn Yernagh, sco, Erse Sie, gd, Muir Èireann , Ulster-Scots: ''Airish Sea'', cy, Môr Iwerddon . is an extensive body of water that separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is linked to the Ce ...

. On 25 March 1835, under the command of Capt. Quayle, the ''Queen of the Isle'' was involved in a collision with the ''Irishman'' in the

Mersey Estuary The River Mersey () is in North West England. Its name derives from Old English and means "boundary river", possibly referring to its having been a border between the ancient kingdoms of Mercia and Northumbria. For centuries it has formed part ...

. On 26 July 1839, ''Mona Isle'' rescued the crew of ''Nancy'', which was wrecked on the Pollock Rocks, in Douglas Bay. Quayle was awarded a silver medal by Lloyd's of London for his actions. Following Capt. Gill's retirement from the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company in 1852, Capt. Quayle succeeded him as Commodore of the line. His final command was that of the ''Douglas''.

Retirement

In July 1860, as a consequence of failing health and of injuries received during rough weather in service, Capt. Quayle retired from the command of the ''Douglas''. However he still continued in the service of the IOMSPCo on land.

Death

From the time of Capt. Quayle's retirement his health continued to decline. He died at his home on Prospect Hill,

, on Saturday 14 June 1862. Capt. Quayle's funeral was reported to have been very well attended with numerous Steam Packet directors in attendance. The service was conducted by the

Reverend The Reverend is an style (manner of address), honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and Minister of religion, ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and c ...

William Drury, after which his body was interred at Braddan Parish Cemetery.

Awards

Pollock Rocks Rescue

In 1841 Capt. Edward Quayle received awards from Lloyd's of London and the

Royal Humane Society The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the ''Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned'', for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near dro ...

for rescuing the crew of a vessel which were stranded on the Pollock Rocks, Douglas Bay, during an easterly gale. On the night of Saturday 6 February, a smack named ''New Volunteer'' was making its way into Douglas Harbour in challenging conditions, having made passage from

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...

.''The Manx Lberal.'' Saturday 13 February 1841 Laden with a cargo of coal, freestone and

gunpowder Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). ...

she struck upon the bar at the harbour entrance during which the

tiller A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...

in the rudder head was broken resulting in the ship being driven onto the Pollock Rocks - a jagged crop of rocks situated on the northern side of Douglas Harbour. Capt. Quayle led the rescue in the first of several small boats which made their way to the rocks, successfully taking off all the crew members. In addition to the awards bestowed on him by Lloyd's of London and the

, and on the recommendation of

Sir William Hillary Sir William Hillary, 1st Baronet (4 January 1771 – 5 January 1847) was a British militia officer, author and philanthropist, best known as the founder, in 1824, of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.. Life Hillary's background was Q ...

, Capt. Quayle was awarded a

Silver Medal A silver medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc ...

on behalf of the National Institution for the Preservation of Life from Shipwreck - the second time that particular award had been bestowed on him.''Mona's Herald.'' Tuesday 23 March 1841.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Quayle, Edward English sailors Manx people Steamship captains 1802 births 1862 deaths British Merchant Navy officers Manx culture