Conservation Plan 3 Significance.pdf - National Maritime Museum

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Cutty Sark Conservation Plan vol. 3: Significance Tam and Meg pursued by Nannie Cutty Sark’s figurehead of Nannie holds the tail of Meg 46 of 107 It is uncertain whether the name Cutty Sark was the choice of John Willis, the owner, or Hercules Linton, the designer. However, it is noteworthy that one of Willis’s other ships, The Tweed, 1 had a figurehead of Tam O’Shanter, and another of his clippers was Hallowe’en, so Willis may have been developing a theme. The Tam O’ Shanter Story Tam, after an evening drinking, comes across a coven of witches and warlocks (with the Devil himself in attendance) and is pursued by the witch Nannie, who is wearing a cutty sark. Her cutty sark, o’ Paisley harn, That while a lassie she had worn, In longitude tho’ sorely scantly… Tam escapes Nannie thanks to his faithful horse Meg who reaches a bridge before the witch can catch him (as a witch cannot cross water). But only just – Nannie pulls out Meg’s tail as they cross. Now wha this tale o’ truth shall read Ilk man, and mother’s son take heed Whene’er to drink you are inclin’d Or cutty sarks run in your mind, Think! ye may buy the joy’s o’er dear: Remember Tam O’Shanter’s mare. Why a ship should be named after a garment worn by a supernatural being unable to cross water has never been explained.
4.6. Landmark of Greenwich Cutty Sark Conservation Plan vol.3: Significance The Borough of Greenwich, as redefined in terms of its boundaries under the 1964 Local Government Act, is misnamed in that it is in fact the ‘Borough of Greater Woolwich’ in terms of its political centre of gravity, population density and its late 20 th century demographic and economic history as an area of industrial decline. The ‘historic Greenwich’ area from which it takes its name is a comparatively small enclave in the north-west corner (though with some of the same problems). The reason why the name ‘Greenwich’ rather than Woolwich was adopted is obvious, but worth restating. It embodies a world fame based on Greenwich Mean Time and the possession of historic (and royal) national cultural assets which constitute the strongest possible ‘brand’ for what was a generally depressed and underprivileged part of outer London for over half a century. It also strongly represents what a majority of local people of all sorts are most intensely proud of in their borough. The presence of Cutty Sark in particular as ‘maritime icon’ of the Borough, no less than of the historic Greenwich town centre, plays a major part in this. The ship’s arrival – twelve years before local government reorganisation when ‘historic Greenwich’ was an independent local authority – is the first of three seminal events to have benefited the historic town in the second half of the 20 th century, with outward ripple effect for the modern Borough and surrounding area. The other two were the repurposing of the Old Royal Naval College as a modern university campus and the almost simultaneous arrival in 1998- 99 of the Docklands Light Railway finally making Greenwich ‘part of London’ on the London Underground Map – a culturally critical measure 47 of 107
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Conservation Plan 3 Significance.pdf - National Maritime Museum

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