Who were the boat builders? The 1901 and 1911 Irish Census data for the townland of Rosscorkey Island, which is located near the north-western shoreline of Lough Macnean Upper in (see map), list the occupation of James Stuart and his son Francis as boat builders. Another of James’s sons John, went to Boston in 1883 where he established a boat building business, John Stuart & Co. What these records don't reveal is the story behind these facts; what types of boats were built, where did their skill originate and, what influenced did history and location have on their chosen occupation? There are no photographs or documented descriptions of the boats built on Rosscorkey Island but, by looking at the geography, history and economic conditions existing in Ireland, particularly in the Northern Counties during and before the 19th Century, some idea of the type of boats constructed can be envisaged. The Setting The physical geography of Fermanagh is dominated by the basin of the , a very large and complex freshwater system. It is a classic glacial formed basin with the receding ice giving rise to a complex series of islands, lakes and along the adjoining coast, fjord like bays, inlets and channels. Among the many tributaries of the Eren is the River. It enters the Erin about 10kms south of and its head waters include Lough MacNean, Lower and Upper. Rosscorkey Island is located very close to the northern shoreline of Lough MacNean Upper. Maps used for Griffith's Valuation's in the 1860's show a causeway joining the island to the mainland and this has remained to current times. The interconnected loughs and river create a waterway of over 70kms from Ballyconnell to the Eren's mouth at Ballyshannon. Here, before the construction of hydroelectricity dams, its waters spilled over a number of waterfalls, among them Cathleen's Falls, making access to the North Atlantic Ocean unlikely. Access to the east via the Ulster Canal, which linked Upper to Lough Neagh (near Belfast) may also have been possible. Built between 1825 and 1842 the canal was 74 km with 26 locks but, its narrowness and low water levels are said to have severely restricted its usefulness; it closed in 1931. Climate, soils, vegetation and drainage Fermanagh experiences a maritime climate with cool summers and mild/cold winters and has a high annual rainfall, averaging over 1500 mm (60 inches). The soils are derived from the underlying limestone parent rock are generally thin and result in poor drainage characteristics. Due to a combination of factors such as slope, altitude and the westerly geographical position, the Erin Basin is kept consistently moist and the responding vegetation is a wet grassland with woodlands and forests on the up-lands and mountains. Of note are the boglands, also known as peatland or mire, which formed in landform depressions and, where prehistoric rivers and lakes occurred. Rain-leached nutrients collected above impermeable layer and the ground above became

SCOTLAND Ballyshannon NORTH NORTH Lower ATLANTIC SEA OCEAN NORTH Bundoran River Erne Loch Erne ATLANTIC Belleek Irvineston OCEAN Map IRELAND area Derrygonnelly IRISH SEA ENGLAND Loch Garrison Melvin

Fivemiletown Kiltyclogher Silleens Loch River Enniskillen Rosscorkey MacNean Silgo Island Lisbellaw Bay Manorhamiton Belcoo Arney Silgo Upper River Maguiresbridge Lower

Lisnaskea

Loch Gill Upper River Bonnet Loch Erne

Collooney Clones

part of old Loch Ulster Canal Allen Erne Approx. scale Finn River 0 5 10 15km Ballyconnell Owenmore River Base map from OpenStreetMap annotations by Winmalee Design 0 2 4 6 8 10mi River Climate, soils, vegetation and drainage ...continued saturated. Plants grow, died, and decay in soggy, conditions and, over a period of thousands of years, peat bogs formed. From at least the 1700s, these bogs were exploited as a source of fuel, most of this was cut by hand and laid in the sun to dry before being burned. As well as domestic use, the peat was sold or, it provided fuel for small cottage industries. One example was local brick making along the Arney River. The bricks were transported by flat bottomed boats as far as Enniskillen and it is said that the bricks are still evident in some of the older buildings.

What type of boats Given the different settings there were differences in design, not only regionally but between different rivers and even different stretches of the same river. The boat builder constructed the boats to take account its use, the conditions and if it was a fishing boat, the fishing method employed. While not limiting the range of boat types of the period or applying strict boating terms, two main types of boats seem to be prevalent in the Erin Waterway at the time James Stuart and his sons followed their boat building trade. TYPICAL COT CONSTRUCTION The first general classification used here are “Cots” and the term usually referred to flat-bottomed , open canoe-like boats. They came in various sizes and shapes and were predominantly use for transportation of people, livestock, grain, timber, local industry produce and fishing. There are recalled instances where the cots provide a “ferry type” river crossing. The second type of boat identified here is the “Yawl” and the term is used in a general manner to include both rowboats and sailboats and in fact, both types of propulsion were often found in combination. As a sailboat they often featured two sails, the mainmast well forward and for balance, the aft (mizzen) mask as far back as possible; this arrangement meant there was as little interference as possible if/when rowing was required. The yawls varied in construction and size but a typical boat would be between 20' to 28' long, lapstrake-built, with one or two sprit-sails, sharp bow and stern, and a retractable centreboard. They were intended for open water sailing, on the larger lochs or off-shore and were found throughout the Erin Waterway and adjacent costal regions. Some of the more identifiably yawls were the Ulster Drontheim Boat and the Achill Yawl. The yawl design was not confined to Ireland and similar boats were found along the cost of Scotland and England and the style was replicated in Canada and the US. Many sources that deal with the traditional boats of Ireland make mention of TYPICAL YAWL CONSTRUCTION the distantly but related connections between Irish Yawls and Viking boats going back to 800-900 AD.

John Stuart & Co John Stuart was born on Rosscorkey Island, Ireland in 1864 and went to Boston CAT-YAWL MOTERSAILER of 1899 in 1883. Upon arrival he setup a boat building business, "John Stuart & Co." in By John Stuart Wollaston, Quincy, Massachusetts which operated until his untimely death in 1919. It appears that the business was quite successful as a newspaper report in 1900 states that he had government contract and was building several launches. One particular boat he designed was the Cat-Yawl Motersailer in 1899 and this is featured in book “Designs to Inspire” by Anne and Maynard Bray, published in 2000. A description of the Cat-Yawl included; an auxiliary launch, very well built, copper rivet fastenings, white oak structural members and cedar planking. She was powered by an Alco-Vapor engine that and its stack could be easily removed for sailing. Her dimensions were length overall 27'0", length at waterline 23'0", brem 6'0" and draft 2'4".

While the Cat-Yawl had many advance features over similar sized craft built in earlier times, it is interesting that there is a John Stuart & Co ....continued similarity between her designed and the sailing yawls built in Ireland many years before. The conclusion I draw is that the early boat building experience back in Ireland had proven very useful as John adapted to his new surrounds and market. A full description of the Cat -Yawl Motersailer designed by John Stuart can be found in a Google Book presentation of “Designs to Inspire: From the Rudder 1897-1942 - Anne Bray, Maynard Bray”; link here to view the article.

Where are they now What happened to the boats built by John and his father, how did their skills develop and what capital did their enterprise generated is unknown and, would take extensive research to ascertain. What is certain that on Rosscorkey Island and then latter in Boston the Stuart’s were boatbuilders of considerable skill. One feels that irrespective of whatever they did, that the introduction of fibreglass hauls and outboard motors would have been very difficult for the small enterprises to compete with. In Ireland, many of the traditional boatbuilder vanished as the new technologies took over and only enthusiastic builders with a view to preserving history remain.

This article - Boat Building Heritage - was created by Joe Stewart, 2015