Case file
Silas Penhallow
Harbor Master of Porthgrey
| Harbor Master | Twenty-two years |
|---|---|
| Found | Foot of the Customs House stairs, Lantern Night 1953 |
| Verdict | Accidental death |
| Missing | His ledger |
For twenty-two years Silas Penhallow kept Porthgrey’s harbor, and for twenty-two years he wrote everything down. Every crossing of the ferry, every fare, every due owed and every due unpaid went into a green cloth ledger that he carried under his arm and never let out of his sight.
He was respected, not loved. A harbor master who writes everything down is a useful man and an uncomfortable neighbor.
On Lantern Night, 1953, shortly after midnight, he was found at the foot of the Customs House stairs. His lantern was still burning. His ledger was gone. The coroner called it an accident. Porthgrey called it something else.