Reviews

A fascinating history of the Cornish shipbuilding family, the Slades, who were the inspiration behind Daphne du Maurier's first novel "The Loving Spirit". Written by Helen Doe, great great granddaughter of the original Jane Slade, it is both a glimpse into the lives of her ancestors as well as an interesting study of Cornish social and economic history. Born Jane Symons Salt in 1813, she married Christopher Slade at the age 18. Both were from reasonably prosperous families and within two years of marriage they were running the Russell Inn in Polruan. At the same time Christopher was still in the service of William Geach, a local shipbuilder. Soon he was investing money into ships, becoming a shareholder in several locally built boats. After the recession of the 1840s he and his father-in-law set up their own shipbuilding yard with several of Jane's sons working with them: a family business was born. 1870 brought the death of Christopher and the start of Mrs Jane Slade and Sons, making her the only woman to run her own shipbuilding company in Cornwall. Also that year was the launch of their most famous ship, the "Jane Slade" with a figurehead of Jane at the prow. For the rest of that century, and outliving her namesake, the "Jane Slade" traversed the seas carrying exotic cargoes. Even though she survived the first World War, she sank into ignominy in Polruan's harbour, gently languishing until her dismantling in the late 1920s. Daphne du Maurier and her family came to Polruan on holiday and it was during one of her walks that she chanced upon the "Jane Slade", lying idle. Intrigued by the figurehead and its history she set out to learn more from a local man, Harry Adams, married to a descendant of Jane Slade. The result was her widely acclaimed first novel. Accompanied by photographs taken by Christian du Maurier Browning and with many appendices of shipping history, this is a book for maritime historians, Daphne du Maurier fans and those just planning a visit Polruan.