246:, explorer, author, illustrator, artist, and journalist who was influential in popularizing single-handed cruising. He has been credited as "the forefather of modern cruising", following the publication of his five books, Sailing Tours, describing his circumnavigation of the British Isles, the East coast of Ireland, and the French coast of Brittany in a converted 29-ton, 48-foot Dover Fishing boat named Lady Harvey. In a review of the last of his sailing books published in the year of his passing, recognition of his achievements during and after his eventful life are summarized with the following accolades. His books "laid the foundation" of the pilot guides used by yachtsmen today.
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continued to be cited in sailing guides, with
Neville Featherstone describing Cowper's writing as "a rich blend of navigational facts laced with his own semi-libellous observations on the world around him".
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308:, describes these voyages and was published in five volumes between 1892 and 1896. Original copies are now quite collectable, and a full set can fetch as much as £500. In 1985, Ashford Press published a
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He was initially
Francis Cooper but resumed the original spelling of Cowper by deed-poll in 1885, and was the second son of five children to Henry Cooper of London. He studied classical history at
1065:
Frank
Cadogan Cowper was born in Wicken, Northamptonshire in 1877. His father was Frank Cowper, an author who specialised in writing yachting novels and was the grandson of the Rector of Wicken.
628:
His baptismal record (Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of St
Botolph. Bishopsgate City of London, in the year 1849) shows him as being born on 14 January 1849 and baptised on 21 February 1849.
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Not much is known of Edith Cowper outside of evidence provided in COW/3. It appears that she divorced Frank's father, also Frank, in the 1890s citing violent behaviour and infidelity.
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London
Metropolitan Archives (2010). "Reference Number: P69/BOT4/A/01/Ms 4519/5: Baptisms solemnized in the Parish of St Botolph. Bishopsgate City of London, in the year 1849".
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artist. The marriage was troubled — Edith accused Cowper of violence and frequent infidelity — and they divorced in 1890. His brother, Colonel Harry Cooper CMG CBE, became
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Between 1892 and 1895, Cowper circumnavigated the
British Isles, exploring practically every river and creek along the coast. He also crossed the
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West France
Cruising Companion: A yachtsman's pilot and cruising guide from L'Aberwrac'h to the Spanish Border
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334:, Francis B. Cooke claimed that no amateur yachtsman had ever single-handed a larger vessel. Cowper sold
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392:(1898), was described as having "a strong, compelling note of verity" and "a vivid, flexible style".
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at The
Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature in the Department of Special Collections
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Sailing Tours Part 4 - Lands End to the Mull of
Galloway including the East Coast of Ireland
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Ye Lay of ye Lady Harvey and ye Little Blue Dragon - Private publication of 50 Copies
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1078:"COW Frank Cadogan Cowper, letters to his mother [Edith Cowper] 1899-1908"
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and Edith bore ten children; three did not survive infancy but their eldest son,
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to Queen
Victoria from 1898 to 1901 and to King Edward Vll from 1901 to 1904.
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278:. In 1870, in his final year at university, he spent his summer vacation in
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1170:"Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour, Sixth Edition"
258:, where he matriculated in 1867, graduating B.A. in 1871 and M.A. in 1875.
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Vagaries of Lady Harvey - The Meanderings of a Freak among the Orkneys
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Cowper also wrote several adventure and romance novels. One of these,
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Alumni Oxonienses: the Members of the University of Oxford, 1715–1886
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described it as a "rich source of inspiration" for his 1999 novel,
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The Captain of the Wight - A Romance of Carisbrooke Castle in 1488
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227:. An illustration of Cowper's yacht, by the author, from his book
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London, England, Church of England Births and Baptisms, 1813-1917
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Introduction (Sailing Tours: Part III, Falmouth to The Loire)
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361:. In 1921, Cowper purchased the 41 foot (12 m) cutter
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Sailing Tours Part 5 - The Clyde to the Thames Round North
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Re-Presenting Rossetti: The Art of Frank Cadogan Cowper
924:. Simon & Schuster Ltd. p. Acknowledgements.
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882:
651:"Family of Catherine Croom Lovegrove and Henry Cooper"
518:
The Island of the English - A Story of Napoleon's Days
439:
Sailing Tours Part 1 - The Coasts of Essex and Suffolk
315:
Cowper originally undertook the voyages documented in
732:"Frank Cowper - the sailor who "invented" cruising"
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Sailing Tours Part 2 - The Nore to the Scilly Isles
400:On December 28, 1876, Cowper married fellow author
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982:"Family of Francis Cowper and Edith Eliza Cadogan"
765:"Frank Cowper - the forefather of modern cruising"
1392:People educated at Blackheath Proprietary School
1172:. London: T.C. & E.C. Jack. pp. 360–361
758:
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754:
1043:"Cowper, Frank Cadogan, R.A. - The Golden Bowl"
282:, Brittany in northern France, sailing a small
1013:"Artist Information for Frank Cadogan Cowper"
274:with friends when he was an undergraduate at
238:(14 January 1849 – 28 May 1930) was an
19:For the English painter and illustrator, see
8:
451:Sailing Tours Part 3 - Falmouth to the Loire
707:. Vol. XLIX, no. 291. July 1930.
500:Caedwalla - The Saxons in the Isle of Wight
1387:People educated at Brentwood School, Essex
365:, which was to be the last boat he owned.
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29:
693:
691:
684:. Provo, Utah: Ancestry.com. p. 237.
16:British writer and journalist (1849–1930)
1377:20th-century English non-fiction writers
1362:19th-century English non-fiction writers
805:. Ashford Press Publishing. p. iv.
536:"Christmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk" (1889)
946:"New Books - The Island of the English"
641:
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350:, followed by a French fishing lugger,
1382:Single-handed circumnavigating sailors
326:, a 44 foot (13 m) Dover fishing
1322:Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford
7:
1337:English non-fiction outdoors writers
859:Neville Featherstone (24 May 2010).
841:. Oxford: Parker and Co – via
1347:Sportspeople from the Isle of Wight
1168:Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles (1910).
918:Titchmarsh, Alan (4 October 1999).
1124:from the original on 31 March 2016
1092:from the original on 27 March 2016
1055:from the original on 28 March 2016
475:Yachting and Cruising for Amateurs
14:
1206:at Classic Ghost Stories Podcasts
1148:Military in Essex; Family History
1023:from the original on 9 April 2016
777:from the original on 9 April 2016
763:Meakins, Ben (22 December 2014).
711:from the original on 5 April 2016
481:Cruising Sails and Yachting Tales
416:, grew up to become a recognised
1292:at The Morgan Library and Museum
1209:
958:from the original on 4 June 2016
330:built in 1867. In his 1921 book
1286:at Princeton University Library
1144:"Colonel Harry Cooper CMG, CBE"
730:Stickland, Katy (1 June 2023).
319:, mostly single-handed, in the
304:Cowper's most well-known work,
1397:Sailors from the Isle of Wight
1367:20th-century British novelists
1357:19th-century English novelists
986:Peter Cadogan's Family History
655:Peter Cadogan's Family History
408:. They made their home on the
266:Cowper learned to sail on the
1:
1082:Royal Academy of Arts Archive
312:reprint of all five volumes.
141:Blackheath Proprietary School
1342:English male sailors (sport)
1244:UK public library membership
1239:. A & C Black.
1114:Marmor, Lail A. (May 2013).
404:, daughter of the Rector of
1253:at The Bodleian Old Library
895:. p. 5. Archived from
469:Jack-All-Alone, His Cruises
256:The Queen's College, Oxford
151:The Queen's College, Oxford
1423:
1268:at The Library of Congress
921:The Last Lighthouse Keeper
889:Cooke, Francis B. (1919).
378:The Last Lighthouse Keeper
189:Xmas Eve on a Haunted Hulk
18:
951:Boston Evening Transcript
832:"Cooper, Frank (2)"
390:The Island of the English
338:in 1895, then building a
39:
699:"Obituary: Frank Cowper"
185:The Captain of the Wight
34:Frank Cowper, M.A. Oxon.
1290:Letters to Frank Cowper
301:to France and Belgium.
1332:English travel writers
1262:at The British Library
980:Peter Howard Cadogan.
892:Single-Handed Cruising
649:Peter Howard Cadogan.
512:The Hunting of the Auk
332:Single-Handed Cruising
232:
1327:Single-handed sailors
1222:Books by Frank Cowper
1195:Works by Frank Cowper
1086:Royal Academy of Arts
801:John Leather (1985).
220:
1352:19th-century sailors
954:. 17 December 1898.
865:. Wiley. p. 8.
770:Practical Boat Owner
737:Practical Boat Owner
704:The Yachting Monthly
414:Frank Cadogan Cowper
210:Frank Cadogan Cowper
171:, novel, non-fiction
21:Frank Cadogan Cowper
1407:Writers from London
402:Edith Elise Cadogan
342:of his own design,
1274:at Harvard Library
1017:Art Renewal Center
524:The Forgotten Door
233:
1242:(Subscription or
1214:Works related to
1199:Project Gutenberg
872:978-0-470-75374-3
605:Little Windflower
359:Little Windflower
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988:. Archived from
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657:. Archived from
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1402:English sailors
1372:British sailors
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1280:at Yale Library
1260:by Frank Cowper
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1230:"Cowper, Frank"
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899:on 7 April 2016
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374:Alan Titchmarsh
354:, and a 14-ton
299:English Channel
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222:Lady Harvey on
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147:Alma mater
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61:London, England
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242:single-handed
236:Francis Cowper
229:Jack-All-Alone
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1296:Frank Cowper
1284:Frank Cowper
1278:Frank Cowper
1272:Frank Cowper
1266:Frank Cowper
1257:
1251:Frank Cowper
1234:
1224:at Goodreads
1216:Frank Cowper
1204:Frank Cowper
1174:. Retrieved
1163:
1151:. Retrieved
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1126:. Retrieved
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1094:. Retrieved
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897:the original
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268:Upper Thames
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199:E. E. Cowper
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71:(1930-05-28)
27:
25:
1317:1930 deaths
1312:1849 births
570:Lady Harvey
336:Lady Harvey
324:Lady Harvey
121:Nationality
104:illustrator
69:28 May 1930
1306:Categories
1246:required.)
1120:(Thesis).
843:Wikisource
636:References
541:Nonfiction
250:Early life
169:Travelogue
107:journalist
92:Occupation
80:Winchester
55:1849-01-14
1236:Who's Who
1128:14 August
1096:14 August
1048:Sotheby's
1027:14 August
996:14 August
665:14 August
575:Undine II
344:Undine II
310:facsimile
270:, hiring
244:yachtsman
224:Loch Goil
160:1870–1930
137:Brentwood
129:Education
113:historian
98:Yachtsman
87:, England
85:Hampshire
1122:Archived
1090:Archived
1059:27 March
1053:Archived
1051:. 2012.
1021:Archived
962:28 March
956:Archived
903:27 March
781:27 March
775:Archived
715:27 March
709:Archived
565:Undine I
272:catboats
262:Yachting
205:Children
133:Aldenham
110:novelist
76:St Cross
1176:26 July
1153:25 July
743:24 June
585:Anonyma
494:Fiction
433:Sailing
384:Fiction
286:in the
240:English
124:English
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284:dinghy
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101:writer
616:Notes
610:Ailsa
600:Ideal
580:Zayda
554:Boats
428:Books
363:Ailsa
352:Idéal
348:Zayda
340:ketch
280:Auray
165:Genre
1178:2023
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1061:2016
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998:2023
964:2016
926:ISBN
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783:2016
745:2023
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321:yawl
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