English Dockyard Ship Model

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About the Item

An historically important 1:96 scale English dockyard frame model of the 120 gun first rate ship-of-the-line believed to be H.M.S St George, and probably modelled for the Surveyor of the Navy Sir Robert Seppings circa1827. The open hull, with wood and copper bracing (amidships) pierced for one hundred and twenty gun ports with main and secondary wales and rounded stern with windows, is mounted on keel blocks in a dockyard setting with steps to paved walkways with wooden hull supports, within contemporary mahogany bound glazed case, with corner columns and brass securing hooks Actual boat size: Length 14.5 inches, Depth 5 inches, Height 4.5 inches With an ancient warships name stretching back into the early seventeenth century, the ninth St George to serve in the royal navy was built at Plymouth but only finally launched after thirteen years on the stocks. A modified and slightly broadened form of the highly successful Caledonia class of 1st rates conceived in 1794, Sir Robert Seppings adapted this existing design in 1819 and five splendid three deckers were eventually ordered from it. The contract of the nameship of the class, St George herself, went to Plymouth where her keel was being constructed and was found to be riddled with auger worm which, in the event needed constant attention involving further delays as the new vessel took shape, measured at 2,694 tons and 205.5 feet in length with a 55.5 foot beam, she was finally launched on the 27th of August 1840 by Mrs Warren, the wife of the Admiral Superintendent of the dockyard, having cost a total of £95,521. Armed with 120 guns, mostly 32 pounders but also including two massive 68 pounders on each deck, she was commissioned with a crew of 1000 and after serving as guardship of the Ordinary at Plymouth, was sent to the Baltic for the campaign against the Russians in 1854-1855. Returning home in 1856 to be paid off, she was then selected for conversion to screw propulsion which she underwent at Plymouth from August 1858 to March 1859 . Whilst this work was being carried out, she was also cut down to a 90 gun two decker and emerged into the Hamoaze that September with a new Miller and Ravenhill nhp engine with which she could steam at 11 knots. Thereafter serving with the North American Channel and lastly, Mediterranean fleets, she became coastguard vessel at Falmouth in 1864 and remained there until laid up at Devonport in 1869 from where she was sold for breaking in 1883. Sir Robert Seppings (1767-1847) began his career apprenticed to the shipwright trade in Plymouth dockyard and ended it a surveyor of the Navy and the most celebrated Naval architect of the final flowering of the age of sail. First attracting official attention in 1800, when he received £1000 from the admiralty for his invention of a device to revolutionise the repair of ships hulls when in dry dock, he was then made Master Shipwright at Chatham where he introduced major improvements in the science of ship construction by means of diagonal bracing to provide greater longtitudinal strength. Probably best known for his radical modifications to bow and stern designs which not only provided a cleaner run of hull form, but also enabled vessels to carry a more powerful armament, he was made Surveyor of the Navy in 1813, a post he occupied with distinction until his retirement in 1832.

Dimensions:
Height: 7.88 in (20 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 5.52 in (14 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Glass,Wood,Hand-Crafted,Woodwork
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1827
Condition:
Seller Location:
Cambridgeshire, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU151223077792