Joseph Emidy statue in Falmouth part of Mission garden that wins award

The garden was judged in July, as part of the “Its Your Neighbourhood” entry, and the results were released at a ceremony in Weston Super Mare.

The Mission was also advised that it had narrowly missed out on top spot in the Main Entry Awards, Special Category, Denise James Art Trophy for Art in the Landscape, with Graham Hall’s sculpture of Joseph Emidy receiving the Runner-Up Award for the whole of the South West region.

The Mission garden has been lovingly created over many years by Graham Hall an ex seafarer who served at sea for 37 years. Graham is a volunteer at the Mission, working with his partner Penny Philipps who is Chairman of the Falmouth branch Mission to Seafarers.

Both have been rewarded for their outstanding service to seafarers. Graham was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Merchant Navy Medal in 2014 for meritorious service in the field of seafarers’ welfare and Penny was presented with a BEM for the enormous amount of work she does for seafarers and the charitable organisation.

Graham took a month to make the Emidy sculpture out of fibreglass and resin.

The sculpture of Joseph Emidy receiving the Runner-Up Award for the whole of the South West region

Penny said: “The garden is very much all about making sure seafarers have a special space to use when they come ashore, and making the garden as interesting as possible is very important to us.

"A statue of Joseph Emidy seemed a perfect fit for our garden as he was an abandoned seafarer who found friendship and support in Falmouth.”

The Mission to Seafarers Centre is based inside Falmouth Docks and the gardens have been open for seafarers to use throughout the Pandemic.

Sold into slavery in West Africa at the age of 12 to becoming lead violinist in the Truro Philharmonic orchestra, the story of Joseph Antonio Emidy is a fascinating one. Here in Falmouth he has a memorial tablet located inside Falmouth Parish Church of King Charles the Martyr and another one was erected outside the Mission to Seafarers building at the docks.

The young slave Joseph Emidy was born in Guinea, West Africa in 1775 from where his Portuguese traders took him to Brazil. Here Emidy was taught by priests who instantly recognised his musical talent. From Brazil his somewhat knowledgeable master took him to Lisbon whereupon he was given access to a violin and a music teacher who steered him in the right direction.

n The Mission garden has been lovingly created over many years by Graham Hall

At the age of 20 Emidy was playing ‘second violin’ in the Lisbon Opera orchestra when he caught the eye of Captain Sir Edward Pellew RN and his officers from HMS Indefatigable, when they visited the Lisbon opera in 1795.

Pellew, a native of Flushing had a brother Samuel, who was Collector of Customs at Falmouth. Promoted to Admiral in later years the distinguished and pugnacious naval officer was given the Baronetcy 1st Viscount Exmouth.

The talent exhibited by the young Emidy immediately impressed Pellew. His ship needed a good ‘fiddler” to entertain his crew in their off duty time. The commander ordered one of his Lieutenants to go ashore with some crew members and ‘press gang” Emidy who very much against his will found himself incarcerated aboard HMS Indefatigable in July 1795. Onboard the former slave had to play hornpipes and nautical dancing jigs much to his displeasure.

Emidy spent years on the ship without going ashore.

When Indefatigable sustained damage in an action with a French warship in 1797 the imprisonment for Emidy was nearing a closure. He was discharged here in Falmouth on February 28th 1799.