National Nautical School

The National Nautical School in Portishead, within the English county of Somerset, was created in 1869 for destitute and neglected boys of Bristol. It was based on HMS Formidable moored off the shore from 1870 until 1906. It then used a purpose built facility nearby until its closure in 1982.

The National Nautical School was formed by a committee composed of several Bristol business men led by Henry Fedden as a training school for penniless boys aged between 10 and 15 from Bristol. Many of the semi-delinquent boys were sent by the courts. Feddon was chairman of the Bristol Board of Magistrates and frequently saw boys brought before the courts on charges of truancy, theft and begging.

An application was made to open the school under the Industrial Schools Act of 1866. At least £2,700 was raised by voluntary contributions from local citizens. The committee were offered HMS Ajax. However, the repair bill for the ship would have been considerable, and they therefore repetitioned the navy and were eventually leased HMS Formidable.

HMS Formidable was launched on 19 May 1825 at Chatham Dockyard. It had been an 84-gun second rate of the Royal Navy, with ports for guns on upper, main, and lower decks, however was known as a two-decker. The deck was 230 feet (70 m) long and a breadth of beam about 55 feet (17 m).

It was leased to the Bristol Training Ship Association by the Royal Navy in 1869 and sailed from its mooring at Sheerness in Kent and moored off the pier of the Portishead Railway near the Black Nore lighthouse. Captain Poulden, who had been in HMS Excellent at Portsmouth was appointed to the command. The Industrial School Ship for up to 350 boys was opened by Charles Kingsley.

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