The Salvation Navy began in 1885 after General William Booth was presented with the three-masted steam yacht Iole. From this ship, meetings were conducted, and Bibles and religious books were distributed.

The purpose of the Salvation Navy was, according to the 1886 Orders and Regulations for Officers, “to do for those who go to sea what the Army does for those attending no place of worship on land, to visit every fishing town and seaport village along the English, Irish, Scotch and Welsh coast, boarding every vessel when lying in any roadstead, giving Bibles and good books, preaching Christ, and doing all in our power to get the sailors and fishermen of our country converted.”

At the urging of General Booth, vessels were acquired in other countries to fulfil this purpose.

By the time Evangeline Booth took command of the work in Canada in 1896, three Salvationist yachts were on the Great Lakes spreading the gospel, with other ships serving the Atlantic provinces, all appropriately named and crewed by Salvationists.

Glad Tidings and Salvationist were schooners that traversed the coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. These ships set sail with the fishing fleets and held meetings with fishermen, carrying the gospel to the outports and other coastal regions. However, the Army was unable to maintain both Glad Tidings and Salvationist, and they were both sold in 1900.

But this was not the end of the Salvation Navy. In 1925, two 12-tonne motorboats, The Founder and Bramwell Booth, were launched. They were used until 1929 to facilitate visitation, business and evangelistic outreach.

This unique type of evangelism also spread to The Salvation Army in Sweden, Norway, South Africa, Japan, Australia, the Pacific Islands, Holland and France.

Main photo: Camilo Mejia; historical photos: courtesy of The Salvation Army Heritage Centre

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