Members at our 2007 BBQ

Cardiff
Naturalists' Society


Cymdeithas Naturiaethwyr
Caerdydd

 

 

The Sad Tale of the Grassholm Gannetry

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In 1890 T H Thomas, Joshua John (JJ)Neale, Thomas William Proger and Henry West, visited Grassholm to see the gannets on Whit Tuesday 1890

Thet setup a camp to enjoy the visit and study the birds, but it was not to end as an enjoyable visit.

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

T. H. Thomas sketch from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

Here they witnessed the destruction of the sea birds by a naval company from HMS Sir Richard Fletcher. They were appalled by the destruction and Thomas sketched the scenes which later appeared in the Daily Graphic and Animal World.

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

This was written up in Volume XXII Part II of the transactions

I was going to renew my aquaintance with the gannets: among them I was, if not welcomed, at least permitted, and I began some sketching, I heard the fell crack of a rifle break in upon our Millennium... An attack was made upon the settlment of gannets by a company on board H.M.S., "Sir Richard Fletcher" followed by a landing and general battue upon shore, terminating in the slaughter of many birds, several gannets and, the destruction of the whole of the eggs of the latter.

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

Following on from this the Society started what was an environmental and social media campaign, and no time was wasted.

The sailors were prosecuted by the RSPCA and fined as is noted in this letter from the Society to other scientific societies that was in many ways due to the efforts of the Cardiff Naturalists' Society members.

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

T. H. Thomas sketches from the Daily Graphic 3 June 1890

Letter and Petition regarding strengthening the Wild Birds Protection Act. sent in may 1890

Questions were asked in Parliament and following on from this Thomas was elected Chairman of a committee to consider the best means of protecting wild bird eggs at the British Association for the Advancement of Science in Cardiff and 1891 and again the following year when the committee was reappointed at the Edinburgh meeting. This lead to further bird protection Acts of Parliament in 1894 and 1896. In order to aid the protection of the birds on the Welsh offshore islands as well as to aid research, J.J. Neale took over the lease of Grassholm and Skomer.

T H Thomas in front of case of shot birds

T H Thomas in front of case of shot birds - these specimens are now in the National Museum of Wales

These pages are about our history and are celebrating the people who developed our Society over the last 150 years. You can read more about that using the links below

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If you want to read about the ways we study the wildlife and environment of the Cardiff area and its surroundings, and about the talks we have about the wildlife of the world, and find the programme of talks, walks and other events that we do then please take a look at our main website, our blog and our facebook and twitter feeds for up to date news