Pew Sheet – 14th July 2024

The Rector writes ‘ A couple of weeks ago I spoke about a wonderful mural I had seen in a church in the village of Magdala, Israel, which depicted the woman who had touched the cloak of Jesus and was cured of her haemorrhaging.   The Mural is by an artist called Daniel Cariola.  One of the women on my pilgrim group (Bex) was inspired by the painting to write a very moving poem.  Every time I hear this beautiful healing story I always remember the words she wrote that day

’I touched the hem of his garment….

the edge of him was enough to save the whole of me’ 

Dates for your Diary

Sunday 28th July  

Parish BBQ after 11am Service. Please contact Hilary Dring if you can bring a Salad or a Dessert.

Random Notes CDLXIII

Over the past number of years the compiler of this note has assembled a small collection of picture postcards of, and written from on board, the great ocean going liners that over the years called at Cobh on their way either to or from the United States.  The majority of these cards are from ships of the three principal major shipping companies then involved in the much used Atlantic route, namely the White Star Line, Cunard Steamship Co. Ltd., and the United States Lines.

The cards so far assembled were all written from on board the ships, and then landed at Cobh, where the stamps were cancelled with a Cobh ( Queenstown until 1922) Paquebot date-stamp.  In addition to the considerable interest of both the cards, and their postmarks, what can also be not without interest are the messages that passengers over the years have written from the ships.  A small selection of extracts from these messages dating from 1905 to 1911 are given hereunder.

‘A good ship, calm seas, resting my arm, pleased to sign myself, your friend’, from the White Star S.S. Cedric, 1905, to Kansas City.

‘Am on the Oceanic, weather lovely; arrived at Cherbourg 6 pm, we arrive at Queenstown tomorrow morning’, from the White Star R.M.S. Oceanic, 1905, to Helston, Cornwall

‘Had a most delightful voyage and feel fine’,  from the White Star R.M.S. Celtic, 1906, to Coney Island, New York.

‘Sent you a cable this noon via wireless, Hope it gets there all right, It was sent to Crookhaven in Ireland by wireless & thence by cable’, from an as yet unidentified ship, the postcard in this case being of Cobh, 1906, to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.

‘Off Queenstown, 20/8/07’, from the Cunard R.M.S. Carmania. 1907, to Hornsey, London, N.8.

‘Expect  to be in Queenstown, Ireland tonight; had a lovely trip’, from the Cunard R.M.S. Mauretania, 1908, to San Matino, California.

‘There are some lads on board who have been all over the ship – We have 300 passengers first class, 700 in the steerage, besides the crew. We could run six weeks without stopping. There are 650 head of cattle on board who have behaved themselves well’,  from an unidentified ship, 1908, to Swampscott, Massachusetts.

‘This is Sunday and I went to Church aboard ship’, from the Cunard R.M.S. Lusitania, 1909, to Evenston Illinois.

‘Just a line to say that we have arrived in Queenstown alright, glad to say I haven’t [been] sick’,  from the Cunard  R.M.S. Mauretania, to Providence, Rhode Island.

‘A perfect voyage, everyone well. shall write from London – perhaps before we leave the steamer’, from the White Star R.M.S. Baltic, to New Bedford, Massachusetts.

‘Thursday, We have had a pleasant but rough voyage, Today it is calm and much warmer.

Friday, a little rough today. I have not been sea sick, but have had a sore throat, feeling ok now; we do not expect to get to Queenstown until late Saturday or Sunday a.m. I will have to remain in Queenstown overnight’,  from the White Star R.M.S. Baltic, to Springfield, Massachusetts.

‘All well, hope to get to Queenstown tomorrow evening. Nice voyage, very sick for two days’, from the Cunard R.M.S. Campania, 1911, to Hollywood, California.

‘We ought to arrive here [Queenstown} about mid-night on Thursday – The Celtic is not a fast boat but she is a comfortable one’, from the R,M,S. Celtic, 1911, to the Rectory at Swanage, Dorset.       

                                                          K.L.R.