Missions
Although charities and almshouses for distressed sailors have existed since the middle ages in British ports, marine missions expanded rapidly in the 19th century in line with the growth of Britain's marine workforce. Dissenters led the way but all churches developed missions that provided moral and temporal support for sailors ashore and afloat.
Philanthropic organisations for sailors were a regular feature of ports and harbours well before the nineteenth century. The movement to create national institutions to cater specifically for their physical and spiritual needs was one outcome of the 'Thames Revival' which began in 1814.
Dissenting preachers and pious laymen around the port of London held the first meetings, eventually coalescing around two rival groups. The Port of London Society (PLS) launched the first floating chapel, while the Bethel flag united the many organisations associated with the Rev. G.S. Smith. Both groups merged to form the British and Foreign Sailor's Society (BFSS) in July 1833. This society aimed to enhance the spiritual and moral well-being of sailors, helping them navigate the moral complexities and isolation of seafaring life.
The Church of England was slower to act, though by 1825 the Episcopal Floating Chapel was moored on The Thames. The Bristol Channel Mission and the Thames Church Mission were incorporated into the Missions to Seamen (MTS) in 1856. The MTS provided religious services to sailors afloat, later extended to port-based chaplaincies around the world. It also advocated for improved safety standards and fair treatment, shaping early maritime labour laws.
Others marine missions followed. The Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, established in 1881, focused specifically on the welfare of fishermen working in hazardous conditions in the North Sea and beyond. The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society, established in 1839, provided critical support to shipwreck survivors and offered assistance to the families of those lost at sea.
Catholic services were slowest to develop, though the St Vincent de Paul Society began visiting Catholic seamen in the ports of Bristol, Sunderland and Tyneside in 1901.
These organisations together significantly contributed to maritime welfare during the 19th century. Their collective legacy endures today in continued efforts to support the wellbeing of seafarers.
Atkinson, Justine. 2020. '‘On Their Own Element’: Nineteenth-Century Seamen’s Missions and Merchant Seamen’s Mobility', in Empire and Mobility in the Long Nineteenth Century, ed. by David Lambert and Peter Merriman (Manchester: Manchester University Press).
Kennerley, Alston. 1989. 'British Seamen's Missions and Sailors Homes 1815 to 1970: Voluntary Welfare Provision for Serving Seafarers' (unpublished dissertation: University of Plymouth).
Kverndal, Roald. 1986. Seamen's Missions: Their Origin and Early Growth (Pasadena, Calif: William Carey)
Hilary Carey, 'Missions' Mariners: Race, Religion and Empire in British Ports 1801-1914, https://mar.ine.rs/what/missions/
Retrieved 18 May 2024
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