Sailing Ship Info

[Mark-1]

Can anyone tell me anything at all about these ships, drawn by my Great Grandfather on the back of old charts?

Type, era, likely trade?

In fact while we’re at it could anyone offer any information on any of the ships he sailed on:
http://fattie.freehostia.com/Family/SamuelRHitchin/

 

[Rabbie]

You could try HERE

 

[Poignard]

If you contact the National Maritime Museum at Greenwich they should be able to help you.

 

[Alcyone]

The first one looks like a frigate, post napoleonic, say 1830+?

The second just doesn't look right, but again, has gun ports suggesting, say 38 guns, so could agin be a frigate.

 

[Alcyone]

http://www.hms-trincomalee.co.uk/historic/leda/leda.htm

There is some info there.

Incidentally, The first of that class is wrecked in Milford Haven.

 

[Kilter]

possibly an East Indianman?

 

[highandry]

Just a few random comments Mate. The fashion of painting 'false gunports' was common at one time but I think died out by the 1880's so I would guess those paintings were of ships at sea when your Great Grandad first went to sea in the 1870's. My old company The New Zealand Shipping Company, the Blackball ships out of Liverpool which in fact were known as 'Blackball Frigates' sometimes both wore that fashion of painting at some time in their early history. Obviously both vessels are ship rigged, the second one crosses six yards though she was probably a flyer. I'm guessing the first ships in the list registered in Malden (Maldon) Shoreham and Faversham would have been small coasters, maybe the last of the old Brigs or more likely coastal topsail schooners. Maybe even built in those ports (Shoreham built a lot) Going back to the paintings the 2nd shows she had no 'Turtleback', the wheel shelter that became more common in later years but it looks like she had a binacle midships just abaft the ships boat stowed on the top of the deckhouse.
A couple of those shipping companies mentioned in the text were still going in the 1960's. Strick Line were primarily tramp ships (food was diabolical) and there was a Harrisons of Liverpool still going when I was shipping out of the Mersey. Not a lot of help I'm afraid, but interesting paintings. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[oldharry]

I dont think the navy ever built a Frigate with the classic Clipper Bow and stern showing in these drawings.

They look far more like Victorian or later Clippers to me. The gunports were often painted on to ships trading particularly to the Far East in the hope of disguising them as warships deterring pirate attack. The top one would have had only 26 guns - 13 a side would not have been acceptable!

 

[snowleopard]

I would say from the proportions of the rigs and the excessive sheer that these were idealised images rather than reproductions of a particular boat.

They are certainly not frigates, far too lean and light for that. The false gunports, as has been said, were a common feature of 19th century merchant ships. In the first case, with 5 yards to a mast, one would expect to see shallow upper and lower topsails, a deeper topgallant and slightly smaller royal. In the second picture there are 6 yards on each mast which should be a split topsail, split topgallant, and full royal. Skysails were rare and generally only set on the main mast.

One can see the pictures were done by a sailor - the standing and running rigging is correct in every detail.

Look at the sheer line of the Cutty Sark, among the most extreme sailing ships ever built - the sheer is nothing like as pronounced as the paintings.