Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2008/January 2009 | Page 62

life

ON THE WATER

Left to right: Geoff Banks (Mayor of Cowes), Father Michael Purbrick, Canon Richard Emblin, Kenneth Kendall
Lieutenant Irish Sirmons USN

(BBC broadcaster), Margaret Lloyd (East Cowes Town Mayor), George Chastney (Cowes Heritage), Barry Myland

(representing the US Ambassador

(President Cowes Rotary), Alan Wells (IoW Council and Deputy Cowes Mayor), Lt Irish Sirmons, Dr Regina Faden

Robert Tuttle)

(representing the State of Maryland and the Ark and Dove Society).

The Ark and
the Dove
The US State of Maryland was first in
the Americas where religious freedom
was guaranteed in their constitution, and
its link with Cowes is strong. In 1633, on
22nd November, two ships left from near
the Esplanade on a historic voyage which
carried on board the founding fathers.
On the exact day 375 years later three
representatives of the US Ambassador
in London and of the State of Maryland
were in Cowes to commemorate the voyage
of The Ark and The Dove.
The voyage was led by Lord Baltimore,
a convert to Catholicism, who had asked
King Charles 1 if he could establish a
place in the New World where religious
freedom could be practised, and Charles
agreed. The first settlement was called
St Mary’s City, after the King's wife
Henrietta Maria.

62

By Anthony Churchill
The 400 ton Ark and the 45 ton Dove
did not have the easiest of starts. A few
days after leaving from the Isle of Wight
they met a violent storm and the Dove was
thought to be lost. But no, three weeks
after reaching the West Indies the Ark was
astonished to see the Dove head into port
- complete with the settlers’ luggage.
At the Saturday event at Cowes, the
Royal London Yacht Club flew the Stars
and Stripes and the Maryland Flag,
and there was a dedication service held
by Canon Richard Emblin and Father
Michael Purbrick, an Anglican and
Catholic priest, together.
The distinguished guests led by Geoff
Banks, Mayor of Cowes, included
Vice-Lord Lieutenant Sir Guy Acl and,

our Island MP Andrew Turner, Isle of
Wight Councillors Arthur Taylor, Lady
Sarah Pigot, George Brown, Alan Wells,
and Margaret Webster, and East Cowes
Mayor Margaret Lloyd and Councillor
Peter Lloyd. Representatives of Cowes
Rotary, Cowes Heritage, Cowes Business
Association, and the Classic Boat Museum
were also present. Many from Cowes
Town Council took part, including Lynn
Hammond, Paul Birch, Tim Gladdis,
Grahame Deacon and Roger Hendey.
After the ceremony all repaired to the
Island Sailing Club - a suitable second
yacht club as the two ships’ crews had
come ashore in the land between it and the
RLYC. There, gifts were exchanged and
coffee and a repast had been organised.

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