Pirates,
Castaways &
codfish

A few years ago, the Rotary Club of Poole Bay undertook a project to map the rights of way in Old Town. People were curious as to how some of the Alleys on the Quay got their names, some research was done and 3 names stood out in the C17th that could perhaps have had Alleys named after them:

Admiral Sir Thomas Button – A Welshman who, for many years, protected the fishing fleets out of Poole and other ports in south west England from pirates. Sailing in the narrow sea off of the south west coast of England, in the Bristol Channel and off southern Ireland, his job was to protect vessels from the danger of Barbary Pirates from the north African coast. In fact we think it unlikely that he leant his name to Poole’s alley.’

Captain John Bennett RN – who was Poole born and bred, a Captain in the Royal Navy. He is thought to have lived in a tenement on Bennett’s Lane.

Governor Woodes Rogers – a Poole boy who at the age of 28 commanded two ships on a round the world voyage in 1708. He went as a privateer and later in life, became Governor of the Bahamas.

Their lives are well researched and documented but we think there is still more to learn. Since this period covering their lifetimes (1580-1730) was such an important era in the development of Poole, we think these stories of seamanship and how Poole and its port grew and changed should be revisited and brought to a wider audience.

Through the lens of their incredible maritime lives and experiences we explored Poole’s maritime history across the period.