The 'St Albans' Floated out at Deptford, 1747

The St Albans Floated out at Deptford, John Cleveley the Elder, 1747, National Maritime Museum.

In classic Cleveley style, this painting is populated by numerous figures and shows a ship on the stocks ready to be launched, a particular favorite of John. He has chosen to depict the 50 gun St Albans at the dawn of her career, one that would reach its zenith at the Battle of Lagos in 1759, a decisive British victory and one of the jewels in the crown of the Annus Mirabilis that broke the back of Britain's enemies at sea.

Oarsmen in shirtsleeves man a fanciful barge directed by a coxswain in a red jacket. All of them wear red barge caps. These are watermen, and not sailors. Behind them is a boat with a pair of fellow being rowed about by a pair of oarsmen in red and blue jackets with round hats.

At the bow of this boat is a tar pushing away debris from their path. I would be inclined to think this is in anticipation of the imminent launch, but there's a well dressed lady and gentleman in the stern, so it may be that the sailor is pushing it out of the path of the long oars his mates are manning. They wear a mix of brown and blue jackets, round and cocked hats. The mariner on the bow is without a waistcoat and wears brown breeches.

His Majesty Reviewing the Fleet at Spithead, 1773

His Majesty Reviewing the Fleet at Spithead, John Cleveley the Elder, 1773, Richard Green Fine Paintings.

In contrast to his son's piece, John Cleveley the Elder takes his penchant for populating his paintings with people and amps it up. Even though the event itself was about the fleet, the entire Royal Navy is relegated to the background and the focus is entirely on the crowd. Cleveley is known for his accurate depiction of ships, due in part to his training as a shipwright, and so it is at least a little surprising that he chose instead to show the diverse people gathered to watch the greatest gathering of warships in a generation.

Among the crowd is a pocket of sailors. To the right at the corner of the parapet are  four tars watching the show. Furthest to the right is a mariner in a wide brimmed and conical crowned round hat, a red jacket with three vents, and a dark pair of trousers. Standing beside him is a sailor wearing a round hat with a short brim and rounded crown, a brown jacket with a single vent, and dark trousers (maybe brown) ending above the ankle. Two more sailors sit nearby. One wears a round hat pinned up on one side, a triple vented brown jacket with slit cuffs, and trousers that might be white or grey. The other wears a cocked hat, and a grey double vented jacket. All three sailors appear to be wearing bob wigs.

The bargemen themselves appear to be without bargemen's uniforms, but wearing normal slop clothes. Cocked hats, round hats, and various colored jackets abound.

George III Reviewing the Fleet at Spithead, 1773

George III Reviewing the Fleet at Spithead, John Cleveley the Younger, 1773, National Maritime Museum.

It was not common (though not unheard of) for a reigning monarch of Britain to review the fleet in the eighteenth century. This particular event lasted four days in 1773, during which the Cleveley family had plenty of time to practice their painting. John the Elder also painted the review, though from a distinctly different perspective.

The sailors of the Royal Oak stand on the yards in a ceremonial display. While the colors are more muted, John's work here is reminiscent of his father's The Arrival of Princess Charlotte at Harwich. All the men aloft wear white trousers and blue jackets.

Aside from a single skiff in which the crew are all clad in blue jackets and round hats, the barge procession is rowed entirely by oarsmen in black barge caps and shirt sleeves.

Buckingham on the stocks at Deptford, 1752

Buckingham on the stocks at Deptford, John Cleveley the Elder, 1752, National Maritime Museum.

Cleveley was a shipwright by trade, and many of his paintings depict ships on the stocks. He also populates his paintings with sailors and people. Unlike many other marine artists of the time, Cleveley never separated the image of the ship from the people who built and sailed them. A tangible reminder of the importance of the sailors and the tradesmen in creating these beautiful machines.

Astern of the landlocked Deptford is a small barge with two bargemen. They lay on their oars, but have built up enough moments for a very slight wake to follow their rudder.

They are clad in shirtsleeves, white stockings, blue breeches, and black jockey style barge caps.

Frigate and Fishing Boats, Date Unknown

Frigate and Fishing Boats, John Cleveley the Elder, date unknown, Wikimedia Commons.

Continuing on my John Cleveley the Elder kick, I dug up this piece from Wikimedia Commons. It is undated, but obviously must have been before Cleveley's death in 1777. The user who submitted this picture claims it is in the collection of the Mariners' Museum and Park, but their online catalog turns up nothing.

The men int he fishing boat wear jackets of varying shades of brown. The Coxswain appears to be wearing red. The resolution is too low to be certain of much else, including their headgear. The only other detail is the fellow at the foremast who wears a pair of light blue or natural colored petticoat trousers.

The men on the twenty four gun frigate are likewise nondescript. Blue and light colored jackets, indiscernible headgear, and too low of a resolution to say anything more.

I hope to find some time to get down to the Mariners' Museum in the future, in part to see if this mysterious piece turns up. If you have any more information on Cleveley's painting, please let us know in the comments below!

The Peregrine in Two Positions, 1766

The Peregrine (later renamed The Royal Caroline) in Two Positions off the Coast, John Cleveley the Elder, 1766, The Berger Collection.

The Peregrine was a doomed ship when Edward Knowles took command. Launched in 1700, the Peregrine was renamed the Caroline when she was converted from a twenty gun sixth rate galley to a royal yacht in 1716. She later became the Royal Caroline before being refitted into a sixth rate once again, and restored to her original name.

In her sixty first year of service, she was placed under the command of the seventeen year old Captain Edward Knowles. A remarkably young lieutenant in the Royal Navy, he could credit his quick rise through the ranks at least in part to his father, Sir Charles Knowles. A distinguished naval officer, Sir Charles has recently been promoted to full Admiral.

Edward was entrusted with carrying vital dispatches for Augustus Keppel at Belle Île and the naval squadron at Lisbon, informing the commanders that war had been declared with the Spanish late in the Seven Years War. It was late in the year, and after arriving at Belle Île Knowles was warned by Keppel not to put to sea with his aged and small vessel and an impending storm. Ignoring the advice, Knowles and the Peregrine were lost at sea with no survivors.

Edward Knowles, Francis Cotes, c.1762, Wikimedia Commons.

Sir Charles felt the loss of his eldest son keenly, and commissioned Francis Cotes to make a posthumous portrait of Edward based on a silhouette in Sir Charles' possession.

Edward Knowles' image was preserved by Cotes, and in 1766, John Celveley the Elder chose to preserve the Peregrine and her crew. In this painting, Cotes portrays the Peregrine in two positions, and in two times. On the left, she flies the colors of a warship, and on the right, the colors of a royal yacht.

Cleveley began his life as a joiner working the dockyards. While a marine artist like many others who focused primarily on the ships he was painting, Cleveley usually populates his scenes with people. Perhaps this was a bottom up view of his time, and a recognition that ships and officers alone do not make the navy. A ship is useless without her men. While Edward was remembered by his wealthy family who could afford a portrait, the legacy of Peregrine's crew were enshrined by Cleveley's depiction of their vessel.

In both views, the crew are largely depicted aboard her in cocked hats with red and blue jackets.

View of the Charlotte Sound in New Zealand, 1788

View of Charlotte Sound in New Zealand, John Cleveley, 1788, British Museum.

Part of the Cleveley series "Views of the South Seas," this print carries across the sight of New Zealand to an audience newly aware of the riches that awaited the British empire in the Pacific. These were lands first brought to the attention of the British by Captain Cook on his famous voyages around the world. With the American Revolutionary War concluded, and the French Revolutionary Wars yet to come, the Royal Navy and the British people could take come time to explore, settle, and exploit the Pacific.

There is a small party of men ashore. An officer with a sword at his belt gestured toward gathered Maori, and they are all surrounded by jacks. Doffing his round hat to the officer is a sailor in loose fitting trousers that run down to his ankles, and a triple vented jacket that ends above the top of his thigh. Working at a sail to the left of him are two men in the same slop clothes.

On the rock to the right of the Maori is a well turned out tar. His round hat has a narrow brim, and a black neckcloth can just be made out over his jacket. His trousers are striped, and stockings plain white.

Standing in the background at the bow of a pinnace are a pair of sailors in round hats with short jackets. One wears a pair of plain trousers, the other a pair of petticoat trousers/slops that end at the top of the calf.

A Sixth Rate on the Stocks, 1758

A Sixth Rate on the Stocks, John Cleveley, 1758, National Maritime Museum.

The centerpiece of this painting is a brand new sixth rate frigate, pierced for 20 guns on her gundeck, and eight more on her quarter. These were fast vessels, and the most likely to take a prize. Frigates could also act as tenders to the gargantuan ships of the line that fought in the major fleet engagements throughout the century. 

On her larboard bow is another vessel, this one in stocks and already launched. We can tell she has been launched because she has her masts fitted and rigged, something that would not occur prior to launching. 

There are a few sailors scattered about, though some may be dockworkers, shipwrights, and the like. The line between these occupations is a thin one, and permeable, but we should approach this painting with caution nonetheless. 

It is also worth noting that the resolution on this copy is not terribly high. I will do my best to zoom in on the details, but they will be sketchy at best.

There is a small crowd of gentlemen and ladies looking on at the impressive vessels. In the upper left of this detail, we can see a sailor taking the time to talk about the sixth rate with a lady in a white dress. He wears a red jacket that ends below the waist with a single vent at the back. His cuffs are slashed, and he wears a black cocked hat and plain trousers.

On the same level but to the right stand a pair of men with a lady in a yellow dress. I am less positive about their identities, but they both wears jackets and carry sticks. It is the jackets that set them apart. Some of the gentlemen around this detail carry walking sticks, but they do not tuck them under their arms. At that, the caped overcoats worn by a pair of gentlemen suggest a season that would be unsuitable for jackets, which are unfashionable in the higher circles anyway. If indeed these men are sailors, we can say that they wear blue and brown jackets, brown and red breeches respectively. Both have black cocked hats.

The details in this image are scant, and I cannot even be sure of the clothing worn by the bargemen below the sixth rate's stern. If you have access to a higher resolution copy of this image, I would be much obliged!

The Arrival of the Princess Charlotte at Harwich, 1761

The Arrival of the Princess Charlotte at Harwich, John Cleveley the Elder, 1761, Peabody Essex Museum.

I want to extend a special thanks to reader Sarah O'Conner! On a recent visit to the Peabody Essex Museum, she spotted this piece and was kind enough to photograph it for this blog.

Cleveley's piece depicts the arrival of the future wife of King George III at Harwich. The royal wedding was a grand occasion. I have addressed the event briefly with the work of Dominic Serres. Perhaps Serres was capturing the view from a more distant shore, or maybe Cleveley thought a much more grandiose piece would better capture the importance of the moment. Either way, we have two very different views of the arrival.

Here's what the Peabody Essex Museum has to say about the piece:

Starting on the left of the frame and working our way right, it is immediately obvious why this piece is so special.

Working one of the large Festival of Sail events that circle the continent, I've seen sailors standing across the yards a few times. The Mexican Navy tall ship Cuauhtemoc sticks out the most in my mind. What Cleveley shows here far surpasses anything I've seen. Scores of sailors standing on the yards of ships across the harbor! 

Both vessels in the detail above also have sailors standing across the bowsprits. The forward most guns on both starboard and larboard fire a greeting to the arriving princess. All of their sailors wave cocked and round hats. Though blue jackets are the majority, we also see red, grey, green, and plenty of shades in between. There is also an even mix between petticoat trousers and breeches. Breeches without the protection of petticoat trousers may be an indication of the importance of this event, with sailors turning out in their best slop clothes.

Abeam and astern of the brig (or possibly ketch), a number of boats and barges pull for the shore. In the center is a fairly impressive barge with the Royal Standard fluttering from her bow. It is safe to assume that the princess is aboard this vessel.

Some of these boats, especially those clustered most closely to Charlotte's barge, are manned by oarsmen in white shirts with black jockey style caps. Others have oarsmen in jackets of a variety of colors wearing cocked hats and at least one bright red knit cap.

Jutting out from the fully rigged ship at the center of this detail is a bright red staircase; nothing less would befit the future queen! Atop the mainpeak is another Royal Standard, indicating that it was this vessel that ferried Charlotte to England. Across her yards and deck is a company entirely decked out in red jackets and breeches, save for the officers in blue. At first I thought the red uniforms was only the marines, but given the relatively short length of their jackets, and the fact that several of them seem to be absent waistcoats, I think this may be the ship's company turned out in a fine set of slop clothes for the occasion. Perhaps the captain chose to outfit his men in matching clothes to distinguish them from the rest of the fleet at Harwich?

The rest of the ships and their men are much the same: breeches, petticoat trousers, a hint or two of trousers, cocked hats, round hats, and a variety of colored jackets. All of the ships are firing salutes from their forward most guns both larboard and starboard, except the one at the center of this detail. It may be out of consideration for the barge to her starboard, but she only fires a gun to leeward.

An English Frigate and Other Shipping in the Solent off Calshot Castle, date unknown

An English Frigate and Other Shipping in the Solent off Calshot Castle, John Cleveley the younger, date unknown, Yale Center for British Art.

Built in the days of Henry VII, Calshot Castle has long been home to the armed forces of Britain. Aside from its obvious role in the defense of the waters leading to Southampton, Calshot Castle was manned as recently as the 20th century, during which time it was used as an RAF base. Even by the time this painting was done, Calshot Castle was about two centuries old, but was serviceable enough to remain garrisoned.

 Lying under the guns of Calshot Castle and the bow of a small frigate, this sloop's crew guide her under a stiff breeze. At the stern, a man in a cocked hat (who may be the master) leans against the rail in his blue coat. Beside him and apparently conversing with him is a tar in a blue jacket with a brown cap. The helmsman at the tiller wears a long brown jacket and a round hat with a wide brim and tall crown. Amidships are three sailors in brown and black caps with short jackets in brown, blue, and white. The tar at the bow appears to be wearing a pair of yellow slops, but the details are too scant to be certain.

Launching at Deptford, c.1757

Launching at Deptford, John Cleveley, 1757, Yale Center for British Art.

Illustrated in this painting is the launching of a new vessel. It sits to our left, and we face its stern. Broad flags wave from where her masts will sit. Gathered on vessels in the water, and all along the waterfront, is an eager crowd, turned out in their best.

The small figures of sailors, dotted throughout this piece, are especially useful to us because many of them would have been turned out by their captains in the best clothes they could. For a special event such as this, the appearance of the crew would reflect upon the ship and, by extension, its commander.

Once again, I encourage you to visit the link above to the Yale Center for British Art to get a much more high resolution version than the details I'll be posting here.

The ship on the right has a working crew aboard, wearing a wide variety of clothes. Blue, brown, and red jackets are scatted about among the tars who wear what appear to be slops. Most are in knit caps, though at least one is very clearly in a round hat with an upturned brim.

Their mates aloft are in a mix of trousers and slops. Most are in blue jackets, though the lad furthest to starboard is in a white or brown jacket.

Here things get a bit murky. The line between sailors and waterman is a bit vague. For example, these men are almost certainly watermen:

The fact that they are wearing matching uniforms and rowing a ceremonial barge makes it unlikely that we're looking at the usual appearance of common sailors. It could well be that they are sailors when they can find the work, and have been taken on to row the barge for this special occassion, but even if that is the case, they are not in the clothing of common seamen.

But this boat is not so easy to peg:

The men in the back are passengers, but what do we make of the oarsmen? They all wear backward turned cocked hats and jackets without waistcoats. Most jackets are brown, though one is blue. One of them wears a pair of red breeches, yet the others wear brown breeches. Are these men sailors, or do they work ferries and barges in the River Thames? It's impossible to know that merely from looking at this painting or their clothing.