Coffin ship
Encyclopedia
Coffin ship is the name given to any boat that has been overinsured and is therefore worth more to its owners sunk than afloat. These were hazardous places to work in the days before effective maritime safety regulation. They were generally eliminated in the 1870s with the success of reforms championed by British M.P. Samuel Plimsoll
.
The term has also been used to refer to the ship
s that carried Irish
immigrants escaping the Great Irish Famine as well as displaced Highlander
s due to the Highland Clearances
. These ships, crowded and disease ridden, with poor access to food and water, resulted in the deaths of many people as they crossed the Atlantic. Owners of coffin ships provided as little food, water, and living space as was legally possible – if they obeyed the law at all.
While coffin ships were the cheapest way to cross the Atlantic, mortality rates of 30% aboard the coffin ships were common. It was said that sharks could be seen following the ships, because so many bodies were thrown overboard.
, was first enacted in Britain in 1803 and continued to evolve in the following decades. A revised Act in 1828, for example, marked the first time that the British government took an active interest in emigration matters. Within a few years, regulations were in force to determine the maximum number of passengers that a ship could carry, and to ensure that sufficient food and water be provided for the voyage.
But the legislation was not always enforceable, and unscrupulous shipowners and shipmasters found ways to circumvent the law. In addition, ships sailing from non-British ports were not subject to the legislation. As a consequence, thousands of emigrants experienced a miserable and often dangerous journey. By 1867, regulations were more effective, thus providing people with the promise of a safe, if not comfortable, voyage.
in Murrisk
, County Mayo
, Ireland
depicts a coffin ship with skeletons and bones as rigging. Sculpted by John Behan
, it is Ireland's largest bronze sculpture. The "Coffin Ship" was unveiled by then President of Ireland
Mary Robinson
in 1997 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Irish Famine.
", the ghost of an Irish immigrant laments, "...on a coffin ship I came / And I never even got so far that they could change my name."
Additionally, the Irish metal bands Cruachan
and Primordial
both have songs entitled "The Coffin Ships". Primordial's version was released on their 2005 album The Gathering Wilderness
, whilst Cruachan's (unrelated) song was written for their 2007 album, The Morrigan's Call
. The Australian/Irish band Clann Zú
also makes mention of coffin ships in the song "Black Coats and Bandages".
Irish poet Eavan Boland mentions the coffin ships in her poem "In a Bad Light" from the collection In a Time of Violence, and in her memoir Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time.
The 1900 Dutch play Op hoop van zegen
by the Socialist Herman Heijermans
depicts a ruthless shipowner in a small Dutch village sending an unsound fishing boat out into a stormy sea - with the result that it is lost with all hands while the owner pockets the insurance money. The play is considered a classic of Dutch theatre and literature, and was adapted to film four times.
Leon Uris
also refers to death ships in his novel Redemption
.
The Death Ship
(German title: Das Totenschiff) is a novel by the pseudonymous author known as B. Traven
which deals with sailors working on a ship which the owners want to sink.
Flogging Molly
, a popular Irish band with punk tendencies, uses the term "coffin ship" in their song "You Won't Make a Fool Out of Me" from the album Float
. The quote is as follows:
"But green is the heart of your greed
That much I can tell
you may think you're the captain of me
But I'm your coffin ship from hell"
Samuel Plimsoll
Samuel Plimsoll was a British politician and social reformer, now best remembered for having devised the Plimsoll line .-Early life:Plimsoll was born in Bristol and soon moved to Whiteley Wood...
.
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s that carried Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
immigrants escaping the Great Irish Famine as well as displaced Highlander
Scottish Highlands
The Highlands is an historic region of Scotland. The area is sometimes referred to as the "Scottish Highlands". It was culturally distinguishable from the Lowlands from the later Middle Ages into the modern period, when Lowland Scots replaced Scottish Gaelic throughout most of the Lowlands...
s due to the Highland Clearances
Highland Clearances
The Highland Clearances were forced displacements of the population of the Scottish Highlands during the 18th and 19th centuries. They led to mass emigration to the sea coast, the Scottish Lowlands, and the North American colonies...
. These ships, crowded and disease ridden, with poor access to food and water, resulted in the deaths of many people as they crossed the Atlantic. Owners of coffin ships provided as little food, water, and living space as was legally possible – if they obeyed the law at all.
While coffin ships were the cheapest way to cross the Atlantic, mortality rates of 30% aboard the coffin ships were common. It was said that sharks could be seen following the ships, because so many bodies were thrown overboard.
Legislation
Legislation to protect emigrant passengers, the Passenger Vessels ActPassenger Vessels Act 1803
In 1803, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Passenger Vessels Act. It was the first of many laws intended to regulate the transportation of immigrants and to protect emigrants on board ships from exploitation by transportation companies...
, was first enacted in Britain in 1803 and continued to evolve in the following decades. A revised Act in 1828, for example, marked the first time that the British government took an active interest in emigration matters. Within a few years, regulations were in force to determine the maximum number of passengers that a ship could carry, and to ensure that sufficient food and water be provided for the voyage.
But the legislation was not always enforceable, and unscrupulous shipowners and shipmasters found ways to circumvent the law. In addition, ships sailing from non-British ports were not subject to the legislation. As a consequence, thousands of emigrants experienced a miserable and often dangerous journey. By 1867, regulations were more effective, thus providing people with the promise of a safe, if not comfortable, voyage.
Memorials
The National Famine Monument at the base of Croagh PatrickCroagh Patrick
Croagh Patrick , nicknamed the Reek, is a tall mountain and an important site of pilgrimage in County Mayo, Republic of Ireland. It is from Westport, above the villages of Murrisk and Lecanvey. It is the third highest mountain in County Mayo after Mweelrea and Nephin. On "Reek Sunday", the last...
in Murrisk
Murrisk
Murrisk is one of the Baronial divisions of County Mayo and also a village in County Mayo, Ireland, on the south side of Clew Bay, about 8 km west of Westport and 4 km east of Lecanvey....
, County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
depicts a coffin ship with skeletons and bones as rigging. Sculpted by John Behan
John Behan (sculptor)
John Behan is an Irish sculptor from Dublin.He helped establish the Project Arts Centre, Dublin in 1967 and the Dublin Art Foundry. Notable sculptures include "Arrival", commissioned by the Irish Government and presented to the UN in 2000 and "Wings of the World" in Shenzhen, China, 1991...
, it is Ireland's largest bronze sculpture. The "Coffin Ship" was unveiled by then President of Ireland
President of Ireland
The President of Ireland is the head of state of Ireland. The President is usually directly elected by the people for seven years, and can be elected for a maximum of two terms. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office, but the President does exercise certain limited powers with absolute...
Mary Robinson
Mary Robinson
Mary Therese Winifred Robinson served as the seventh, and first female, President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, from 1997 to 2002. She first rose to prominence as an academic, barrister, campaigner and member of the Irish Senate...
in 1997 to mark the 150th anniversary of the Irish Famine.
In popular culture
In the Pogues song "Thousands Are SailingThousands Are Sailing
"Thousands Are Sailing" is a song by Anglo-Irish folk rock group The Pogues, released in 1988.The song is an Irish folk style ballad, written by Phil Chevron, and featured on The Pogues' album If I Should Fall from Grace with God.-Lyrics:...
", the ghost of an Irish immigrant laments, "...on a coffin ship I came / And I never even got so far that they could change my name."
Additionally, the Irish metal bands Cruachan
Cruachan (band)
Cruachan [kroo-a-khawn] is a Celtic metal band from Dublin, Ireland that has been active since the 1990s. They have been acclaimed as having "gone the greatest lengths of anyone in their attempts to expand" the genre of folk metal. They are recognised as one of the founders of the genre of folk metal...
and Primordial
Primordial (band)
Primordial is an extreme metal band from Skerries, County Dublin, Ireland. It was formed in 1987 by Pól MacAmlaigh and Ciarán MacUiliam . Their sound melds black metal with Irish folk music.-Biography:...
both have songs entitled "The Coffin Ships". Primordial's version was released on their 2005 album The Gathering Wilderness
The Gathering Wilderness
-Credits:* A.A. Nemtheanga – Vocals* Ciáran MacUiliam – Guitars* Michael O'Floinn – Guitars* Pól MacAmlaigh – Bass* Simon O'Laoghaire – Drums...
, whilst Cruachan's (unrelated) song was written for their 2007 album, The Morrigan's Call
The Morrigan's Call
The Morrigan's Call is an album by Celtic metal band Cruachan released in 2006.-Track listing:#"Shelob" - 3:03#"The Brown Bull of Cooley" - 5:23#"Coffin Ships" - 1:48#"The Great Hunger" - 6:06#"The Old Woman in the Woods" - 1:50#"Ungoliant" - 3:55...
. The Australian/Irish band Clann Zú
Clann Zú
Clann Zú was an Australian and Irish band that formed in Melbourne in 1999.-Biography:The forming members drew inspiration from an eclectic mix of musical styles, such as punk, rock, folk, electronic, and classical. Their fusion of Celtic folk, electronic music, and rock has created a unique epic...
also makes mention of coffin ships in the song "Black Coats and Bandages".
Irish poet Eavan Boland mentions the coffin ships in her poem "In a Bad Light" from the collection In a Time of Violence, and in her memoir Object Lessons: The Life of the Woman and the Poet in Our Time.
The 1900 Dutch play Op hoop van zegen
Op Hoop van Zegen
Op Hoop van Zegen , is a 1900 Dutch play, taking place in a fishing village, with the conflict between the fishermen and their employer ending in tragedy with the unsound boat setting out to sea and sinking with all hands and the owner pocketing the insurance money...
by the Socialist Herman Heijermans
Herman Heijermans
Herman Heijermans , was a Dutch writer.Heijermans grew up in a liberal Jewish family as the fifth of 11 children of Herman Heijermans Sr. and Matilda Moses Spiers...
depicts a ruthless shipowner in a small Dutch village sending an unsound fishing boat out into a stormy sea - with the result that it is lost with all hands while the owner pockets the insurance money. The play is considered a classic of Dutch theatre and literature, and was adapted to film four times.
Leon Uris
Leon Uris
Leon Marcus Uris was an American novelist, known for his historical fiction and the deep research that went into his novels. His two bestselling books were Exodus, published in 1958, and Trinity, in 1976.-Life:...
also refers to death ships in his novel Redemption
Redemption (novel)
Redemption is a novel by author Leon Uris. It is a sequel to his epic 1976 book, Trinity.Set mainly in the first half of the twentieth century in the years leading to the Irish Easter Rising, it tells the stories of the Irish revolutionary Conor Larkin's family, his brothers Liam and Dary, and...
.
The Death Ship
The Death Ship
The Death Ship is a novel by the pseudonymous author known as B. Traven. Originally published in German in 1926, and in English in 1934, it was Traven's first major success and is still the author's second-best-known work after The Treasure of the Sierra Madre...
(German title: Das Totenschiff) is a novel by the pseudonymous author known as B. Traven
B. Traven
B. Traven was the pen name of a German novelist, whose real name, nationality, date and place of birth and details of biography are all subject to dispute. A rare certainty is that B...
which deals with sailors working on a ship which the owners want to sink.
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly
Flogging Molly is a seven-piece Irish-descendant band from Los Angeles, California, that is currently signed to their own record label, Borstal Beat Records.-Early years:...
, a popular Irish band with punk tendencies, uses the term "coffin ship" in their song "You Won't Make a Fool Out of Me" from the album Float
Float (Flogging Molly album)
Float is the fourth studio album by the Irish-American punk band Flogging Molly. It was released on March 4, 2008, and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling about 48,000 copies in its first week It also reached number one on the Billboard Independent Chart and number two...
. The quote is as follows:
"But green is the heart of your greed
That much I can tell
you may think you're the captain of me
But I'm your coffin ship from hell"
See also
- The LondonSS London (1864)The SS London was a British steamship which sank in the Bay of Biscay on 11 January 1866. The ship was travelling from Gravesend in England to Melbourne, Australia when she began taking in water on 10 January...
, an overloaded ship that sank in 1866 - HannahHannah (1849 shipwreck)The brig Hannah transported emigrants to :Canada during the Irish Famine. She is known for the terrible circumstances of her 1849 shipwreck, in which the captain and two officers left the sinking ship aboard the only lifeboat, leaving passengers and the rest of the crew to fend for...
, a brig that struck an iceberg and sank in 1849 while carrying Irish emigrants to Canada