Lennie (barque) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	Lennie
Owner	William W. Lovitt
Port of registry	Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Route	Antwerp to New Orleans
Laid down	Belliveau's Cove, Nova Scotia
Launched	1871
Fate	Ran aground
General characteristics
Class and type	barque
Tons burthen	984
Propulsion	3 masts
Sail plan	full
Crew	16

The Lennie was a large sailing ship, called a barque, built in Canada. In 1875, something dramatic happened on board: its crew took over the ship! This event is known as a mutiny. The ship was on its way to New York when this happened.

Meet the Crew

The Lennie had a crew of 16 people. Here are some of the main members:

• Captain - Stanley Hatfield, who was 25 years old and from Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia.
• First Mate - Joseph Wortley from Belfast.
• Second Mate - Richard Macdonald from St. John.
• Steward - Constant Van Hoydonck, 25, from Belgium.
• Steward's assistant - Henri Trousselot, only 16 years old, from Rotterdam.
• Able seamen - 11 other sailors, many of whom had recently joined from another ship called the Dolphin.

  Four of these sailors were from Greece.

  Three were from Turkey.

  One was from Austria.

  The Boatswain (a senior crew member) was Giovanni Canesso, from Italy.

  There was also a sailor from Denmark and one from England.

The Voyage Begins

The crew signed up for the voyage in Antwerp, a city in Belgium, on October 23, 1875. On the same day, the ship set sail for Sandy Hook, which is near New York.

During the first week at sea, the crew ran out of tobacco. The captain had some, but he didn't share it. This might have made the crew unhappy. By October 31, the ship was sailing in the English Channel. The captain ordered the ship to change direction, but the new crew members struggled with the ropes and sails. The captain became frustrated and said they were "not sailors, but soldiers," meaning they weren't good at their jobs.

The Mutiny on Board

At this point, the situation turned dangerous. One of the Greek sailors attacked the captain. Other crew members joined in, attacking the captain and the first and second mates. The officers were badly hurt. The crew then put the officers' bodies overboard.

After the attack, the boatswain, Giovanni Canesso, spoke to the steward, Van Hoydonck, and his assistant, Trousselot. The mutineers wanted to sail the ship to Greece, near Gibraltar, because one of them had a rich uncle there. They planned to sink the ship once they arrived. Van Hoydonck agreed to help them, but he was secretly looking for a way to get help.

The ship's deck was messy from the struggle. The crew cleaned it and even tried to remove the ship's name from its side. Van Hoydonck tried to steer the ship towards Lundy's Island, which was closer to England, but one of the English sailors, Charles Renken, was smart. He steered the ship south and east, making it look like they were going towards Gibraltar, but also towards France.

The next day, they saw another ship, but Van Hoydonck was forced to make the Lennie sail away. On November 4, Van Hoydonck managed to bring the ship into the bay of Sables d'Olonne, a town in France. The mutineers were suspicious but agreed to anchor there for the night.

Secretly, Van Hoydonck wrote notes in French and English explaining their dangerous situation and asking for help. He dropped these notes overboard, hoping someone would find them. Three of these notes were found later and were used as evidence. Early the next morning, they set sail again, even though the wind was against them. Van Hoydonck then refused to guide the ship any further. For two days, the ship drifted without a clear direction.

On the evening of November 6, the mutineers asked Van Hoydonck to navigate again. He agreed, but only if they would anchor at the next port he found. This led them to the Roads of La Flotte on November 7. Van Hoydonck told the Greek sailors they were in Cádiz, Spain. That night, he made 20 more copies of his secret note and dropped them into the water. He also raised the ship's flag upside down, which is a signal for distress or trouble.

A French person named Réde, who had helped guide the ship into the bay, noticed the upside-down flag. He came closer to ask what was wrong. The mutineers quickly pulled the flag down and forced Van Hoydonck below deck. One of the mutineers, Cargalis, pretended to be the captain and made excuses. Réde found their behavior suspicious and reported the ship to the local authorities.

On November 9, the mutineers asked Van Hoydonck what country they were in. He told them it was a free country with no police, hoping they would go ashore. Six of them went to shore in a small boat, taking the clothes and belongings of the murdered officers. They claimed they were shipwrecked sailors, but this was found to be false, and they were arrested. One of them, Angelos, then told the police the truth about the mutiny.

The next morning, November 10, a gunboat (a small warship) arrived at the Lennie. The captain of the gunboat told Van Hoydonck to send his boat over. Van Hoydonck had to force the remaining mutineers into the boat at gunpoint. After hearing Van Hoydonck's story, the gunboat captain sent him ashore to speak with the police. Later, Van Hoydonck returned with 10 armed sailors to arrest the rest of the mutineers.

The Trial and Its Outcome

After about six weeks, the French courts decided that the trial should happen in London, England. The crew members were sent there to be tried at a famous court called the Old Bailey.

During the trial, some of the remains of the murdered officers were found washed up on the French coast. Van Hoydonck was asked to identify them. The bodies were badly damaged, but one body had many stab wounds and was believed to be Captain Stanley Hatfield.

Four of the mutineers – Cargalis, Caladis, Cacaris, and Kaida – were found guilty of the crimes. They faced serious consequences for their actions and were executed on May 23, 1876. The other crew members who were involved were released.

What Happened Next

After the mutiny, the Lennie was taken to La Rochelle and then to Nantes, both cities in France. From Nantes, the ship sailed again with a new crew.

The judge in the trial, Mr Justice Brett, praised Constant Van Hoydonck for his brave actions in helping to stop the mutiny and bring the criminals to justice. He ordered that Van Hoydonck be paid £50 for his good conduct. The Aristocratic Order of St. John of Jerusalem, a famous organization, gave Van Hoydonck a silver medal and Henri Trousselot, the steward's assistant, a bronze medal for their bravery.

Van Hoydonck later wrote a book about his experiences. He worked as a gate-man at the docks in Antwerp for a while and even owned a pub, but he faced financial difficulties by 1892.

Henri Trousselot received the Legion of Honour, a very high award from France. He later moved to New Zealand. He is remembered there for helping people during a double shipwreck in Timaru in May 1882.

The Lennie itself eventually ran aground (meaning it hit the shore or bottom of the sea) near Digby Neck in Canada in 1889.

See also

• Saladin (barque)