Truro Old Cornwall Society welcomes speaker Galen Bartholomew on Tuesday, April 14 at Zafiro’s for an insightful talk about a remarkable account of shipwreck and survival.

The SS Suevic ran aground in a storm off the Lizard Point in Cornwall in March 1907. Despite appalling weather conditions, the RNLI rescued 456 people, still the largest number of people rescued by in a single operation.

A second ship, the SS Jebba, ran aground off the South Devon coast the same night, with the RNLI saving a further 155 lives. Not a single life was lost in either rescue, at a time when lifeboats were open rowing boats and crews were untrained local volunteers.

Galen Bartholomew has been a keen family historian for 50 years. When he discovered that his great-grandmother and great-aunt were amongst those rescued from the Suevic, he was keen to find out more, little imagining his relatives had been involved in one of the most notable RNLI rescues.

In this illustrated talk, he will explain how he pieced together an extraordinary story: how the Suevic ran aground; how she was salvaged and rebuilt, setting records; her service in two wars; and her final years as a whaling factory ship in the Antarctic, before being scuttled off the coast of Sweden to avoid capture by German warships.

Truro Old Cornwall Society has said a fond farewell to St George's Church Hall and now meets at Zafiro's on the second Tuesday of each month at 7.30pm. All are welcome. Attendance costs £2.50 per individual meeting costs , or £15 for annual membership.

President Bert Biscoe said: “We’re delighted to be working with Zafiro's to provide a friendly and enjoyable new setting for the Old Cornwall Society. We're also pleased to welcome Galen - his knowledge mingled with passion offers excellent Old Cornwall fare.”