Henn, William (1847-1894) & Mrs. UK

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Category: OWNERS

01450VLieut. William Henn, R. N., was born in Dublin in 1847, his father being a landed proprietor in the County Clare. At 13 years of age, he joined the Royal Navy (RN) as a cadet on HMS Trafalgar. From 1862 to 1866, he served as midshipman on the steam frigate HMS Galatea, at the time one of the fastest ships of the Royal Navy. William left the vessel a few months before the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Alfred, took command.

01450SFollowing William’s service on Galatea, he rose to the rank of sub-lieutenant on HMS Daphne, serving in the East Indies and along the African coast. In 1872 he was second in command in the expedition sent to Africa to find the explorer Livingstone, and in charge of the land party which, shortly after leaving Zanzibar, met Henry M. Stanley on his return from his successful quest for the explorer. He retired from the RN in 1874 at the rank of Lieutenant and decided to pursue his real passion – sailing.

It was the couple's America's Cup exploits in Galatea, however, that earned them attention from the media. Galatea was a gaff cutter designed by naval architect John Beavor-Webb and launched in 1885. In the same year, William and Susan made it their home along with their pet monkey Peggy, and set sail across the Atlantic for the United States in July 1886. According to the ATCJ of 2 October 1886 and London's The Yachting World of 17 August 1894, Susan Henn was the 'first lady' to cross the Atlantic in a racing yacht.

GalateaCrewMBSIn September 1886, the 'gallant yacht' suffered a 'grievous defeat' at the hands of the American sloop Mayflower. In what was meant to be the best of three, Galatea was soundly beaten in the first two. After the races, the couple continued to charm American journalists.

For the next eight years, William and Susan sailed Galatea around the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico.Just prior to the Henns returning to England, Peggy the monkey died. She was wrapped in a Union Jack, carried by four skippers from nearby yachts, and given a proper burial at sea.

After William’s death on 1 September 1894, Susan continued to sail and live aboard the yacht until her death on 16 October 1911. Galatea was sold and broken up the following year.

 

Susan Matilda Cunninghame-Graham Bartholomew (1853-1911)

 

Mme William HennSHer name was Susan Matilda Cunninghame-Graham Bartholomew. The first woman to sail in the America's Cup was born on 11 June 1853 in Barony Lanark, Scotland to Susan Jane Cunninghame-Graham whose family were descended from the Earls of Glencairn, and Robert Bartholomew the son of a wealthy Glaswegian cotton spinner, John Bartholomew for whom Bartholomew Street in Glasgow is named.
Her mother died when she was two years old shortly after the birth of her younger brother Robert. They were both brought up by their father in a large house with nurses, servants, butlers and governesses in conservative Victorian Glasgow. Little is known of her early life but they lived comfortably on the family's wealth from the cotton spinning business established by her paternal grandfather and on the income from large land holdings in and around Glasgow.

Susan and her brother Robert, who, at the time, was an officer in the Royal Scots Fusiliers, were sailing on the Mediterranean in a small yacht in the summer of 1877 when they met Irishman Lieutenant William "Paddy" Henn RN. 02099SHenn had recently retired from the Royal Navy and was living the leisurely life of a Victorian gentleman from the rents collected from his family's 7,660 acres in County Claire, Ireland. Henn cruised and occasionally raced a succession of yachts.

When he met Susan Bartholomew he owned the 80 ton yawl Gertrude. They were quickly married in 1877 and Susan Henn joined her husband, unusually for the times, to live aboard Gertrude and later their second yacht Galatea for the rest of their lives. They were members of the Club Nautique de Nice and spent much of their lives sailing both the Mediterranean Sea and the coasts of Ireland and Britain.
On their return to the Clyde in 1879 after one such cruise Gertrude collided with another vessel and the couple was reported missing, only later to be found safe on board the boat that hit them. The Scotsman newspaper reported the incident describing Mrs. Henn as "well known and much esteemed".

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