TC Lethbridge | The Sons of TC-Lethbridge | Tekh's Anthological Review

Boats and Boatmen

Thames & Hudson, 1952

Lethbridge believed that, “Without the boat, there would be no history of Britain. Everything that came to Britain had to cross that strip of water, which still separates us from the land mass of the great continents’. The importance of the mariner in British history is encapsulated in this quote by Lethbridge. Published as part of Thames and Hudson’s The Past in the Present series and edited by Jacquetta Hawkes, Boats and Boatmen continues and expands upon his passion of the sea, previously explored in Coastwise Craft.

Lethbridge perceived the boat-builder as a crucial cog in the evolution of mankind. He understood that from the earliest of beginnings, it was man’s sole struggle to free himself from the tyranny of his environment. Unlike the farmer, who perceived the seaman as a poor cousin, Lethbridge understood that the boatman’s wealth and motivation lay in other areas.

The mariner experienced nature in a far more malignant guise than the farmer, for he had no protective hedges and fences to bind his world. The seaman’s reward for his daily perilous challenges were manifold, for his vocation exposed him to a wealth of culture that made him a true cosmopolitan, a sharp contrast to that of his land-locked counterpart.
Lethbridge claimed he was not suitably qualified to write such book, but he was astutely aware that if he didn’t write it, then maybe no one ever would! Boats and Boatmen primarily concerns itself with the evolution of the boat and the men that built them. At first glance, to someone who has no interest in the subject, this may all sound a little dry. But this is not the case here as Lethbridge’s enthusiasm and his own unique style are always addictive and compelling.

For me, the most gripping of all the chapters is the one that explores ritual and superstition at sea. Here Lethbridge explores the meaning and origin of the occulus and the evolving nature and custom of the boat’s protectoress. This intriguing insight reveals many customs that we are familiar with today. He suggests that the broken bottle on the side of a newly launched ship could be a substitute for an ancient sacrifice and that the launching ceremony was never originally intended to appease a god in heaven!

Lethbridge’s obsession with the sea is encapsulated in this volume. We should be grateful that he took up the challenge to write this book, as it is difficult to imagine anyone today having the enthusiasm and wealth of knowledge to be able to embark on a similar project. His endeavour has left us with a national treasure that is crucial to understanding the cornerstone of all British history – the sea.

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