A 123-page book by R.W.H. Miller with a monochrome coloured cover featuring the British Channel Mission's signal flags and the Bristol Channel Mission Cutter Eirene. non-fictionInstitutional foundation stories have a tendency to change and develop with the passage of time and much repetition. Maritime social historian R.W.H. Miller here explores the life of The Rev. John Ashley and his association with the foundation storyof the Mission to Seafarers, the work of which society is much admired by its present Patron, HRH the Princess Royal. The traditional story is that Ashley's son, out walking by the Bristol Channel with his father, in the early 1830s, asked how the islanders could go to church. Ashley went to see, and from the islands of Flat Holm and Steep Holm seeing large fleets of wind bound ships, asked himself the same question. He used his own money (deriving mainly from the trade of sugar and slaves) to build a schooner, which he sailed in all weathers to provide an answer, in the process creating for himself a place in the ancestry of several Anglican and Catholic societies, of which the Mission to Seafarers, the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen, and the Apostleship of the Sea, continue to provide seafarers with a valued and often heroic service.cutter, eirene, shipping, r.w.h. miller, mission to seamen, seafarers welfare, reverend john ashley (1801-1886)

large rectangular heavy card b/w photograph in landscape format. Photo includes printed description as part of photo.Description printed beneath actual photo on front: "The floating church vessel of the Missions To Seamen, "John Ashley," has the river Thames as its Parish. In one year 17,000 men came aboard. To many seamen it was their first contact with the Church."reverend john ashley (1801-1886), floating church, mission to seamen, river thames, england

large rectangular b/w photograph in landscape format. Inscription typed on paper and stuck to back of photo: "The Rev. Fred Laight conducts a service on board the mission launch JOHN ASHLEY"john ashley, floating church, reverend laight, fred laight, reverend john ashley (1801-1886), mission to seamen, river thames, england

Small booklet, with colour cover, 24 pages, black and white photographsnon-fictionHistory of the mission since 1856mission to seamen, seamen's mission, bristol, reverend john ashley (1801-1886), reverend alfred gurney goldsmith, john reginald weller (1880-1969), melbourne, hong kong, london

Reverend John Ashley was a key initiator of missionary services to seafarers isolated and confined to moored ships or islands with families in the Bristol Channel of the 1830s. Attention was also focussed by other individuals, groups and churches in ports and led eventually to the establishment of the Mission to seamen, London which in turn inspired establishment of similar services in other countries and ports. Rev'd Kerr-Johnson who arrived in Australia was appointed by a Bethel Union of non-conformist churches in late 1856 and delivered the first shipboard service in 1857 for the Victorian Mission to seamen. refs: 1895-1905 Epitomised history... (MtsV) and Dr Ashley's Pleasure Yacht publication MTSV collection.John Ashley portraits are rare and this is the only image of him held in the collection at the Mission to Seafarers Melbourne. See also History for full significance.Sepia toned photograph of John Ashley mounted on dark blue card. Text at the bottom section of the photograph reads "THE REV.JOHN ASHLEY, D .D. /Pioneer Chaplain in the Bristol Channel"city of bristol, seamen's mission, mission to seamen, reverend john ashley (1801-1886)