This excellent presentation telescope tells the story of the British ship MONTGOMERY, which had to be abandoned in the Atlantic in June of 1868. MONTGOMERY was on a voyage from Pensacola, Florida to Queenstown, County Cork in Ireland when she ran into trouble somewhere near South Carolina.
Historical records indicate her crew were rescued by an American ship named SHAWMUT. Taking the information from this telescope, our research found a passenger manifest confirming that some of MONTGOMERY's crew were transported from Cape Hatteras to New York on board the American Bark CORDELIA.
Upon arriving in New York Captain John Calvin Wells filed his official ship's manifest with the Port of New York declaring that CORDELIA had sailed from Cardenas, Cuba to New York. During a stop at Cape Hatteras, CORDELIA picked up 16 members of MONTGOMERY's crew, and had arrived in New York June 23rd, 1868. The manifest lists the names, ages and occupations of those men- all sailors, ages between 16 and 49 years, all natives of Britain.
Clearly the mission of sending these men to New York, likely so they could find passage back to England or onto their next job aboard another vessel, was seen as a great service to fellow sailors in time of need and Captain Wells was gifted this telescope in appreciation.
The engraving reads: "Presented by the British Government to John Calvin Wells, Master of the American Barque CORDELIA of New London, in acknowledgement of his humanity and kindness to the Master and Crew of the Ship MONTGOMERY of Greenock, in June 1868." The telescope also bears the maker's mark of Troughton & Simms, London.
Records indicate the MONTGOMERY was recovered- she was towed in to Charleston, South Carolina in a "derelict condition" on July 4, 1868.
