Sea Ministry
From Sawiki
Shortly after a corps was opened at Grimsby (January 1880), several skippers and fishermen were converted. They wished to hoist the Salvation Army flag and hold meetings when out at sea, so flags, fourteen feet by six, were made for four of the smacks.
In June 1885, the General was given a steam yacht (the Iole) by John Cory who had bought the vessel in the unfulfilled hope that voyaging on her would be good for Mrs Cory. The Iole visited many places during the ensuing summer months. Vast crowds assembled on piers and beaches for the meetings conducted by her crew. An audience of 300 persons could be assembled on her decks.
In September a severe Channel gale dismasted her and caused her other damage. Refitted, the Iole set out again early in 1886 with Major Thomas Blandy as commander and Captain " Sailor " Fielder as navigating officer, but when entering the Humber on Saturday 19th June she ran on a sandbank; the tide was so violent that her keel was torn off and she sank immediately. All hands were saved, but they lost their belongings.
One event (February 1886) in which the Iole had taken part was a review in Plymouth Sound by the General, of nine fishing trawlers of Brixham, Mevagissey, Mousehole and Plymouth. The skippers came aboard the Iole to receive Salvation Army colours from the General. Then they returned to their boats, hoisted their new, flags and, lined up in tow, proceeded round the Sound, Iole leading. In the rear was an excursion steamer with two bands. On board the tug, also commanded by a Salvationist skipper, was the Plymouth 2 corps band.
When in the north of England the General had been shown a fishing-smack named The War Cry that had been bought out of money her owners had saved since they had ceased spending their earnings in public-houses and on tobacco.
Headed "North Sea corps" and dated from "On board the Orphan Girl" a report appeared in The War Cry - 29th July 1885 of an occasion when it was so calm that thirteen vessels with the Salvation army flag flying over head were lashed together so that the crews (numbering between 70 and 80 men) could take part in meetings on a Sunday.
The evening meeting went on until midnight. Eight conversions had taken place since they had been at sea. It was not stated to what port the vessels belonged.
Brixham was also the home port of Salvationist fishermen. On board a Brixham trawler flying a Salvation Army flag, the divisional officer (Colonel A. Davey, father of Commissioner Booth Davey) went to sea for eleven days in June 1886. Meetings held on the Sunday were attended by large numbers of men who came from the smacks around in rowing-boats. At a fish-box penitent-form five fishermen sought salvation.
At Easter in 1886, colours were presented to a naval brigade at Lowestoft. Steps were at this time taken to enrol all sea-going Salvationists in naval brigades. A brigade, it was stated in the printed orders and regulations of the "Salvation Navy," consisted of two or more sailors. To command them a bo'sun was to be appointed who should arrange meetings wherever possible. The object was to do for those who go to sea what the Army did for those attending no place of worship on land.
