The Isle of Wight Family History Society will welcome guest speaker Bill Lindsay on Monday 6th October for a talk entitled ‘William Schaw Lindsay – Victorian Entrepreneur’.
William Schaw Lindsay rose from being a penniless orphan to a major shipping magnate, owning 22 ocean-going vessels and chartering 700 a year at the height of his career.
Bill Lindsay’s talk will explore Lindsay’s remarkable life, with topics including life aboard ocean-sailing vessels in the 1830s, the transition from sail to steam, political corruption in the 1850s, and anecdotes involving famous figures such as Queen Victoria, Brunel, Dickens, Florence Nightingale, Abraham Lincoln, Garibaldi and Disraeli.
Other areas of focus will include transport ships during the Crimean War, emigration to Australia and Canada, and the building of the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. Where possible, Lindsay will also highlight connections to the Isle of Wight.
The event takes place at Arreton Community Hall. Doors open at 13:30 with the talk beginning at 14:00. Non-members are welcome to attend for a small fee, with teas, coffees and biscuits available.
Bill Lindsay has delivered his talk in more than 50 venues across the country and is the editor of the online magazine Topmasts for the Society for Nautical Research. Further details can be found at www.isle-of-wight-fhs.co.uk/events/78.
