At the beginning of the nineteenth century there were several fast forty-ton sloops sailing a regular packet service to London from the Port of Rye, besides a small fleet of larger vessels trading from the town. It is known, for example, that the brig William, 108 tons, built Rye 1815, master Captain Samuel Vidler, crossed to New York with a load of emigrants in seventy-one days. This brig was eventually lost off Holy Island, Northumberland, in December, 1851.
From” Rye’s Own “July 2004
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