Norman Court

Norman Court
History
United Kingdom
Builder	A. & J. Inglis
Launched	1869
Out of service	1883
Fate	Sunk; carcass remains in Cymyran Bay
General characteristics
Class and type	Tea Clipper
Length	Hull, 197.4 ft
Beam	33 ft 0 in (10.06 m)
Draught	20 ft 0 in (6.10 m)
Propulsion	Sails
Capacity	833.87 tons
Notes	designed by William Rennie

Norman Court was a composite built clipper ship, designed by William Rennie, measuring 197.4 ft x 33 ft x 20 ft, of 833.87 tons net. The ship was built in 1869 by A. & J. Inglis of Glasgow. On the night of 29 March 1883 in a strong gale it was driven ashore and wrecked in Cymyran Bay, between Rhoscolyn and Rhosneigr, Anglesey. All bar two of the crew were saved by lifeboats from nearby Holyhead. Andrew Shewan was captain of the Norman Court from its launch until he retired in ill-health in 1873, following an extraordinarily difficult passage from China. His son, also Andrew Shewan, who had previously sailed as first mate, became captain. It was this son Andrew Shewan who recounted many tales of the ship and of the clipper ships in his book Great Days Of Sail: Reminiscences of a Tea Clipper Captain, published in 1926 when he could plausibly claim to be the last surviving tea clipper captain. He died in December 1927.

Norman Court

External links

• The Final Voyage of the "Norman Court"
• Story of the wreck of the 'Norman Court' at Cymyran
• Painting of clipper ship Norman Court, San Francisco Public Library
• The Wreck of the Norman Court - Worsley Sub-aqua club page with photographs of the wreck
• 53.235743°N 4.548656°W / 53.235743; -4.548656 - approximate location of the wreck