Those Nantucket Quaker whalers are still of interest to readers. Kay Allen in Pembrokeshire has more on them. She tells us:
'The moving spirit among the Quakers of Nantucket was William Rotch and when the Quaker whalers lost so much, William Rotch tried to establish a base in Britain for a new beginning for the whalers. Being unsuccessful in Britain, he managed to arrange a successful start for his son Benjamin at Dunkirk, but when the French Revolution began in 1789 Benjamin Rotch felt insecure and he left for London soon afterwards.
'Meanwhile, the group of whalers from Nantucket were invited to come to Wales by Charles Greville, nephew of Sir William Hamilton, who owned the land and had been granted in 1790 a charter to found a harbour and town at Milford Haven. The Nantucket whalers came in 1792 and in 1794 Benjamin Rotch and his family joined them. They made a substantial contribution to the building of Milford Haven and the Meeting house.
The whaling industry came to an end by 1820 and the Rotches went to London. They are buried in Kensal Green cemetery.'
Kay reminds us that Milford Haven Preparative Meeting published a booklet on the history of Quakers in Pembrokeshire. You can get it from the MH in Priory Road, or online at www.Quakers-in-Pembrokeshire.org.uk

Labels: dunkirk, milford haven, nantucket, rotch