anteros_lmc | John Paul Jones

It seems like ages ago now but while on holiday in Dumfries and Galloway this summer I went to visit the birth place of John Paul Jones, the man credited as the founding father of the American Navy. Jones, was born John Paul on the Arbigland Estate on the Solway Firth, taking the name Jones after moving to America. The cottage where he was born has been preserved and contains a tiny but fascinating museum dedicated to his life and legacy.

To set the scene the museum shows a film about Jones, one of a BBC series called “The Stamp of Greatness”. It’s filmed in typical 1980’s BBC style with good Queen’s English and plenty of stiff upper lip. That aside, it also happens to be very good, as it contains proper ships and lots of nice uniforms!

The film includes a lovely episode early in Jones “piratical” career where he attempts to kidnap the Earl of Selkirk with the intention of ransoming him in exchange for the release of captured American seamen. As the earl is not at home Jones’ disgruntled men insist on pillaging and burning the estate. Jones refuses to condone such behaviour but allows the men to relieve the countess of her silver plate. The whole episode is told through the words of a letter written by the Countess of Selkirk who receives the men politely, shares a glass of wine with them and chats about America before demanding a receipt for her silverware. Jones later wrote a letter of apology to the countess promising to return her silverware at the earliest opportunity, which he did. The countess’ silver teapot survives to this day and is proudly displayed by the presenter of the film.

There is another priceless little moment in the film where the townsfolk of Kirkcaldy assemble on the beach with their minister to pray that they will be delivered from the fearsome pirates. The sermon, which is in broad Scots, has survived and includes the lovely appeal to the Lord to preserve the townsfolk as the pirates will be “along in a jiffy”.

The film includes some really quite convincing battle reconstructions most notably of the battle of Flamborough Head where Jones’ ship Bon Homme Richard, 42 guns, engaged the British frigate Serapis, 52 guns. The credits of the film identify the ship used as the “Squaresail”, a little digging suggests that the name of the ship is actually the Kaskelot which is owned by a company called Squaresail which also happens to own the Earl of Pembroke and the Phoenix both of which appeared in the Hornblower episodes Duty and Loyalty.

The main room of the museum contains copies of various contemporary documents relating to Jones life and afterlife when, at the beginning of the 20th century, his corpse was disinterred from a forgotten Parisian cemetery and removed to the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis for state burial. There is also an absolutely beautiful model of the Bon Homme Richard and a replica of Jones’ uniform. Jones deliberately chose to dress his crew in blue so they would be mistaken for Royal Navy.

The actual cottage where Jones was born is preserved as it would typically have appeared at the time although it also includes a really wonderful and very convincing reconstruction of the cabin of the Bon Homme Richard complete with cannon and cambered deck flooring.

Seated in the cabin you get to watch a short film about the battle of Flamborough Head. The narrative is lifted directly from the account of one of the Bon Homme Richard’s midshipmen, Nathaniel Fanning of Conneticut, and is accompanied by watercolour illustrations portraying the action. A copy of Fanning's account illustrated with the same watercolours is available from the museum shop for the princely sum of £1.50. Which is a bargain for a contemporary account of a naval battle I think! I’ll try and post some images and text from the book at some stage.

Outside the cottage there are various plaques commemorating Jones including a rather touching memorial flying both the Saltire and the Stars and Stripes.

The museum is well off the beaten track but if anyone does happen to find themselves in deepest darkest Dumfries I can highly recommend a visit. Although I was vaguely aware of Jones I have to confess that to my shame I had no idea he was a Scot, so I certainly learned something!

Cross posted to

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John Paul Jones

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