In praise of Admiral Preedy
This gold medal was issued by the New York-based Tiffany & Company to celebrate the achievement of those who had laid the first transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858, including former Budleigh resident Admiral Preedy CB (1817-94).
I thought I would add my own bloggerel contribution to mark the Admiral's bicentenary in 2017. It can be sung to the tune of ‘Miss Lucy had a baby’.
1.
Now let us sing of heroes, who sailed the ocean blue,
And
of a Budleigh worthy, and don’t forget his crew.
Two hundred years ago it
was - from rural Worcestershire -
That
Georgie William Preedy came:
A
nautical high-flier.
He passed all his exams, of
course, and rose up through the ranks.
We’re sure that to an army life he would have said ‘No thanks!’
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
This
year is very special as his bicentenary.
HMS Agamemnon, launched in 1852, was the first British battleship to be designed and built from the keel up with installed steam power
2.
In 1853 aboard the Duke of Wellington.
A
first-rate Royal Navy ship; he found it rather fun.
As
second-in-command he gained respect from all he met.
With
sail and steam propelling her
The
ship was quite a threat.
In time he gained promotion
to the ship which made his name.
It was the Agamemnon which would really bring him fame.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
Distinguished
officer of our redoutable Navy.
3.
By 1858 he is the captain of the ship.
Its
technical description? That’s something
we can skip.
A
91-gun battleship, equipped with sail and screw,
And
many other features
That
I won’t impose on you.
A
popular commander with a pleasant-sounding voice,
Our Georgie was by all
accounts, it seems, the sailors’ choice.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
So
famous for commanding Agamemnon’s company.
Queen Victoria as depicted in the 1859 portrait by the German artist Franz Xavier Winterhalter
4.
Now Queen Victoria it was who sat upon the throne.
It
was a time, you realise, when people couldn’t phone.
The
Queen was told ‘Your Majesty, our scientists desire
To
send a message overseas,
And
all we need is wire!
And
thanks to brilliant Englishmen, as well as Mr Morse,
We have the means to do it,
though we need a ship of course!’
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
He helped to
pioneer Victorian telegraphy.
The reels of gutta-percha covered conducting wire conveyed into tanks at the Works of the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, at Greenwich
5.
The Agamemnon put to sea with many tons of cable
It
sailed from Valentia but wasn’t very stable.
A storm arose and almost
caused the ship to lose its load.
But
Captain Preedy kept his cool;
To
him all lives were owed.
East Budleigh’s parish
church is where the saga is recalled:
As
testament to bravery a window was installed.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
The
bravest naval officer who ever put to sea.
The story of the whale is told in W.H. Russell's 1865 book The Atlantic Telegraph, illustrated by Robert Dudley
6. The Agamemnon carried on, but almost hit a whale.
An
episode depicted by the men who told the tale.
Amazingly
it met as planned its Yankee sister ship.
Mid-way
across ‘The Pond’ they met
And
talked about their trip.
Then cable ends from both
the ships they finally did splice.
They had a little problem
there, and had to do it twice.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
We
think he’s just as great as Guglielmo Marconi.
James Buchanan (1791-1868) was President of the USA at this time
A
transatlantic chat between the Queen and President!
They had a few more
problems and the link began to fail.
The
engineers did scratch their heads,
And
some, I’m sure, did wail.
They had to wait a few more
years for permanent success;
Brunel’s ship the Great Eastern was a help, I must confess.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
His
story is a thrilling one, I think we all agree.
Admiral Preedy's home in Little Knowle, Budleigh Salterton, formerly a hotel and care home, now restored as a private residence
The world’s a smaller place
today as human contacts grow.
The Navy made him Admiral,
Commander of the Bath.
From
rural Worcestershire to this
It
was a hero’s path.
I think of world wide webs
to see his house in Little Knowle;
I think of human progress
since that age of steam and coal.
Chorus
So
let us raise our glasses to our Admiral Preedy!
He
was a worthy citizen of East Devon’s Budleigh.
© Michael
Downes 2016
Admiral George William Preedy CB (1817-94) captained HMS Agamemnon which laid the first successful transatlantic telegraph cable in 1858. He retired to Budleigh Salterton, living at Park House in Little Knowle. The commemorative stained glass window is in All Saints Church, East Budleigh. The history of the cable laying is at http://atlantic-cable.com/ and I am indebted to Bill Burns who put together his fascinating website.
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