Minehead ships before 1750

Before the survival of shipping registers there is no certainty about a vessel’s provenance but many ships were stated to be of Minehead. In 1437 there were at least a dozen Minehead ships mainly trading between Bristol and Ireland with fish, hides and salt. Later ships were commandeered by the king and two Minehead ships were suitable for royal use in 1513. Most early ships had names with a religious connection but were later given the names of family members or virtues. From the 18th century patriotic or optimistic names such as Queen Ann and Hopewell were used.