A Certain Threat (The Merriman Chronicles Book 1) by Roger Burnage

Author:Roger Burnage [Burnage, Roger]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-12-27T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15: The Viceroy of Ireland

Captain Merriman tried to keep a straight face when his son arrived back home but he couldn’t prevent a grin spreading across his face. “News James, news at last. I saw the farmer this morning and he agreed to help. He persuaded one of their servant girls to pretend to be Owen’s sister and he promised to pass on any messages as soon as possible.”

“That’s a good start, all we have to do is wait for Owen to come here once more so that we can tell him not to risk coming here again.”

“He was here shortly before mid-day, I’d just got back from the farm so I was able to put him right on that. It seems that he’s been part of the crew of one of the boats the smugglers use to land contraband and he helped to transfer goods from a larger boat offshore which he is sure was French.”

“Good head on his shoulders that man, keeps his mouth shut and his ears open. Seems that he overheard the leader of the gang talking to one of the men on the French boat asking when ‘it’ was to take place, as the main plan was ready and they would know when the Royal Yacht would be sailing. Unfortunately he didn’t hear the answer and we don’t know what ‘it’ is.”

“The Royal Yacht? What bearing can that have on the actions of these villains I wonder?” replied Merriman, “Maybe Mr. Grahame can suggest something when he returns.”

They fell to discussing the Royal Yacht and speculating what connection the French and the smuggling gang could have with it.

The Royal Yacht at that time was no longer used by Royalty but was reserved exclusively for the use of the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Viceroy, and other notable personages by his permission. The present one was the Dorset, built in 1753 specially for the Irish service. Of one hundred and sixty four tons, carved and gilded and with three masts, she was commanded by a naval officer and was usually moored at Parkgate.

At this time, Neston town had given way in importance to Parkgate as most of the passenger trade for Ireland, and most of the imports and exports for the area went through the port of Parkgate. There was no quayside, ships grounded at low water or anchored offshore at Beerhouse Pool. It was what was known as a “legal quay” and as such it had its own customs house with a staff afloat and ashore of some seventeen men. There was a vast trade in goods from Mediterranean ports, the Baltic, Portugal, Spain and other parts of the British Isles.

The Parkgate Packet Boat Company offered very respectable accommodation and ran at least six packet boats with daily sailings to the Isle of Man, Dublin and elsewhere, always subject to the weather conditions, These ferries were nearly all built in Parkgate and so the town had grown to house the supporting trades, shipwrights, carpenters, sailmakers and painters.

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