In the late 1990s I set about researching my family history on my father's side. I chose this branch to research simply because I knew very little about this side of my family. After some four years or so of my research it became clear that this family during the nineteenth and into the twentieth century was very involved with the sea and the maritime life, not only of Cardigan and South Ceredigion's coastal ports and landing places but also the oceans of the world. Their lives on those great sailing ships to far away mysterious destinations were often thought of as perhaps adventurous,...