Bill Lindsay is returning for another talk to the Kingswear Historians on Monday September 8 at 7.30pm in Kingswear Village Hall.

His talk will focus on 'Emigration to Australia in the 1850s'.

His forefather William Schaw Lindsay sat for Dartmouth in the General Election of 1852 as a Liberal. Although he lost the election, he routed his ships via the Dartmouth to Australia.

His was an amazing life. Orphaned by the age of 10, he ran away to sea as a teenager to become an oceangoing sea captain.

He built up one of the largest shipping companies in Britain and then became an MP. He also owned properties in Dartmouth and a pub, the Lindsay Arms (now the D’Art Gallery), which he sold in 1866.

Bill's talk will draw on diaries of his forefather.

He met famous Victorians in his day ranging from Dickens to Disraeli, Brunel to Nightingale, Queen Victoria to Livingstone.

Bill will also refer to the diaries of the meeting’s organiser Sue Puddock’s ancestors.

Entrance to the meeting is £5 (cash please) talk, coffee or tea included.

Bill is editor of Topmasts the online magazine for the Society of Nautical Research. He published his forefather's biography in 2023 and has since conducted more than 50 talks around the UK.

Kingswear Historians welcome members, guests and visitors to their monthly meetings and they periodically make excursions to places of historical interest.

If you have any questions about the history of Kingswear, or the immediate area, you can ask through the site and one of the members will contact you.

They also welcome suggestions to improve this site and the topics they cover.

Sign up to receive all posts (blogs) and information on all meetings, visits and articles relating to the history of Kingswear and the neighbouring area.

Further information is available at: https://kingswearhistorians.com