Those who go down to the sea in ships ...
Those who go down to the sea in ships * have for centuries been at the mercy of the sea and its unpredictable moods. Although more famous shipping disasters such as the sinking of the Titanic get all the publicity and are imbued with much tragic romanticism, there are a multitude of other shipwrecks that can be just as heart-rending. One of these featured in the life of my late husband Peter’s great-great-grandfather. He was Joseph Darch, born in Stratton, Cornwall , in 1842. At the age of 9 (1851 Census) Joseph and his family lived in the Catsbridge Cottages, now just Bridge Cottages, Stratton. These houses date from the 17th Century, are still standing and heritage listed. Bridge Cottages, Stratton His father was an agricultural labourer and by the age of 18, Joseph seemed destined to follow in his footsteps as in the 1861 Census he is also described as a farm worker, but he was soon to change careers. Perhaps he was after adventure or had a fondness for the se