Museums' Exhibitions
Click on the titles and pictures below to enter the online exhibitions
or click on the museum names for musuem information.
Objects in the Nottage Museum.
Index
Introduction
Having been founded as a school for mariners, the Nottage began to recieve gifts from local residents and businesses. At first these were navigational instruments, books on navigation and seamanship, and the ship half models which had been used by local shipyards. Later other items of maritime or local interest were acquired.
As this collection grew, the donations placed on display gradually took on the form of a small museum. This museum is now open to the public during the Summer months when the classes are in reccess.
Objects in the Nottage Museum.
Page 3 of 12
Teaching Navigation.
Navigation was once concidered to be an art, learnt on the job. Boys were apprenticed to shipmasters to learn the art and craft of navigation in much the same way as for any other trade. Sometimes the skills were more in the nature of trade secrets especially to fishermen who would try to keep a rich source to themselves.
The introduction of Board of Trade certificates meant that merchant ships' masters and mates were required to undergo examinations in order to become qualified for command.
The Nottage Maritime Institute in Wivenhoe was founded by a bequest by Captain Nottage in 1896 for the training of men and boys in the skills of seamanship and navigation. Models were used as teaching aids for these classes and the Nottage Maritime Insitute has a collection of the models dating from the very early days after its foundation.
Incidentally Nottage was a Captain in the Devonshire Militia and not a nautical man. He was however a very wealthy and enthusiastic yachtsman who recruited many of his crew members from the fishermen of the Colne Estuary.
Page 3 of 12
