Bruce and Sheila Grant from Newfoundland unveiling their donated paintings of the Salcombe schooner Speedy at Salcombe Maritime Museum’s 50th birthday celebrations.

Salcombe Maritime Museum was presented with a very special gift when it celebrated its 50th anniversary on Wednesday, November 6th. The gift was of two magnificent oil paintings of the Salcombe schooner Speedy and was made by Bruce and Sheila Grant who travelled over 2,200 miles from their home in St. John’s, Newfoundland to unveil them on the museum’s special day. The Speedy had been built as a fruit schooner in Kingsbridge in 1852 by William Date and Son, but was later employed in the Newfoundland cod trade and it is through this connection that the paintings came into the hands of Bruce Grant’s family several generations ago.
Before displaying the pictures, the museum was able to secure a grant for their restoration and reframing from the Museum Development South West’s ‘On Display!’ scheme, with additional money coming from part of a bequest made by former museum chairman, Tim Bass, who died in 2023. The restorers were Everett Fine Art Ltd. near Taunton.
The paintings form a rare ‘fair weather-foul weather’ pair. The ‘foul weather’ painting shows Speedy in a storm off Ischia Island in the Bay of Naples on Christmas Eve 1870. The ‘fair weather’ painting shows her four days later entering Naples. The paintings will now join the 34 ship portaits in the museum’s collection.
The 50th birthday celebration in the museum was followed by a reception in the King’s Arms in Fore Street and was attended by nearly 50 past and present volunteers and other special guests. The Museum Chair, Roger Barrett, thanked all those who had contributed to the museum’s success over the years. Angela Cater – the longest serving volunteer – cut the birthday cake and Salcombe’s Mayor, Councillor Mark Goodey proposed a toast to the next 50 years. Memories of the museum’s early days were then shared by Julian Murch, son of co-founder David Murch; Malcolm Darch, one of the founder members, and Jane Bass, the museum’s curator and archivist for many years.
David Murch, and co-founder Len Fairweather, formed the Salcombe Museum Society in 1974 with the first general meeting being held on November 6th that year. The museum itself began life in June 1975 when the first of the annual summer exhibitions was held in Cook’s boat store on Custom House Quay. In 1992 it moved to its present home in the basement of the Old Council Hall. Since then the museum has continued to grow and flourish. This year’s season, which ended on November 1st, attracted a record number of visitors – just under 5,000. Boosting the numbers were a large number of local children who took part in the many activities organised by the museum’s two National Lottery Heritage funded Engagement Project Officers, Abigail Gray and Caroline Flage. The museum will re-open on 1st April next year – entry is free.