A Sailor''s Woolie of a Minotaur-Class Ironclad, Probably H.M.S. Agincourt, Circa 1870. The woolie is well made in a long stitch depicting the unusual five masted and  More »

A Sailor''s Woolie of a Minotaur-Class Ironclad, Probably H.M.S. Agincourt, Circa 1870. The woolie is well made in a long stitch depicting the unusual five masted and double funneled ironclad of the minatour class. ;The sails are depicted in trapunto with thread rigging. ;The ship is depicted with her bow creating a large white wake and her two funnels belching black smoke.. Dimensions: Frame size 20 x 25 inches. Photo #: NH 75984 HMS Agincourt (British Broadside Ironclad, 1868) Photographed after the completion of her 1875-1877 refit, when alternate gunports were enlarged to accommodate larger muzzle-loading rifles. Courtesy of the Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.Date 1877? Source :http://history.navy.mil/photos/images/h75000/h75984c.htm Reference: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Agincourt_%281865%29) ;The HMS Agincourt was an ironclad vessel of the British Royal Navy, serving from 1865 through to 1909. The ship was a hybrid sail/steam-powered design, with sails on five masts yet a Maudslay 2-cylinder steam engine as primary propulsion. The type was characterized by her armored iron hull, rigging and twin funnels. The Agincourt was from a family of three ships in the Minotaur-class that included the HMS Minotaur and the HMS Northumberland. Armament of the HMS Agincourt in 1868 consisted of 4 x 9" main guns supplemented by an additional 24 x 7" cannons, both styles of rifled muzzle-loading types. She was re-armed in 1875 to carry 17 x 9" main guns (still of the muzzle-loading variety) and 2 x 20-pounder cannons, these being of smoothbore type. Her complement remained consistent throughout her career and was made up of 800 personnel, though about 700 could be used in emergencies. Her armor was 5 inches thick at the belt with up to 10 inches of teak backing. HMS Agincourt was one of three Minotaur class ironclads, the sistership of HMS Minotaur and a near sister to HMS Northumberland. She was a fully rigged ship with a steam engine and an armoured iron hull and was launched in 1865. Agincourt''s original name when laid down at Birkenhead was HMS Captain. Construction proceeded well and, with her name changed to Agincourt, she was launched and floated out of dry dock in March 1865. She was commissioned in June 1868, her first assigned task being the towing of a floating dock from England to Madeira, in company with her near sister HMS Northumberland. After successfully bringing the dock to Madeira, Agincourt worked up and joined the battle fleet. Her immense size and power earned her pride of place in the squadrons to which she was attached, and she was almost always taken up as a flagship by the presiding admirals. From 1869 to 1873 she wore the flag of the Admiral second-in-command of the Channel Fleet, with her sister Minotaur serving as the Fleet''s flagship. It was during this assignment that she suffered a near-catastrophe when, in 1871, she grounded at Pearl Rock, near Gibraltar, and nearly sank. Following repairs she once more flew the second-in-command''s flag until 1873, when her sister Minotaur was taken in hand for a refit, and for the next two years she served as flagship in the Channel, relinquishing that role in 1875 when Minotaur rejoined the fleet. After another two years'' good service, Agincourt was paid off in 1877 for re-armament, trading her outdated muzzle loading guns for new breach-loading ones. The following year, with her new armament, she became part of the Particular Service Squadron which passed through the Dardanelles under the command of Admiral Hornby during the war scare with Russia over their advance towards Constantinople. After those tensions faded, Agincourt returned to the Channel, where she served as second flag until 1889. That year she was again paid off and was subsequently held in reserve at Portsmouth until 1893, when she was transferred to Portland for use as a training ship. During her active career Agincourt was the flagship of no less than fifteen admirals, some of whom were among the most notable figures of Victorian naval history. Agincourt, now renamed Boscawen III, would serve twelve years at Portland. In 1905 she was moved to Harwich and renamed once again, this time to Ganges II. After four years at Harwich, Ganges II made her final journey, to Sheerness, in 1909. After her arrival at Sheerness the old ship was systematically stripped, and converted into a coal hulk known simply as C.109, much like HMS Warrior''s career as an oil jetty at Pembroke. Unlike Warrior, however, Agincourt was not destined to be rescued and restored to her former glory; after five ignominious decades as what Oscar Parkes called "a grimy, dilapidated and incredibly shrunken relic" of her former self, she was scrapped in 1960. October of 1861, launched in 1865 and completed in June of 1867. ;   « Less

A British Sailor''s Woolie of H.M.S. Black Prince, Circa 1860-70 ;Below the woolwork ship there is a silk band which reads H.M.S. Black Prince within a ropework band and  More »

A British Sailor''s Woolie of H.M.S. Black Prince, Circa 1860-70 ;Below the woolwork ship there is a silk band which reads H.M.S. Black Prince within a ropework band and below Prince of Wales Feathers below to the left there reads 41 Guns and to the right Length 419 FT. The woolie created using a close chain stitch depicts the ship with the unseen sun setting behind it, the suns rays reflecting off the water. Dimensions: Frame size 22 x 32 ½ inches. Literature: See illustration for January, "Woolies: Sailors'' Embroidered Folk Art Calendar," 2000. Reference: ;(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Black_Prince_%281861%29) HMS Black Prince, launched 27 February 1861, was the third ship of that name to serve with the British Royal Navy. She was the world''s second ocean-going iron-hulled armoured warship, following her sister ship, HMS Warrior in the two-ship Warrior class. For a brief period the two ships were the most powerful warships in the world, being virtually impregnable to the naval guns of the time. Rapid advances in naval technology left Black Prince and her sister obsolete within a short time, however, and she spent more time in reserve and training roles than in first-line service. Built by Robert Napier & Sons in Govan, Glasgow, her completion was delayed until September 1862 by a drydock accident at Greenock during outfitting. Once in service, Black Prince was assigned to the Channel Fleet until 1866, then spent a year as flagship on the Irish coast. Overhauled and rearmed in 1867-68, she became guardship on the River Clyde. The routine of that duty was interrupted in 1869 when she and Warrior towed a large floating drydock from the Azores to Bermuda. Black Prince was again refitted in 1874-75 and rejoined the Channel Fleet for a tour as flagship of that force''s second-in-command. Later in the decade she crossed the Atlantic to visit Canada. In reserve from 1878, and reclassified as an armoured cruiser during much of that period, she was reactivated periodically to take part in annual fleet exercises. Black Prince became a harbour training ship in 1896, stationed at Queenstown, Ireland. She was renamed Emerald in 1903. In 1910 she was taken to Plymouth for use in the training facility there under the name Impregnable III, and sold for scrapping in 1923. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warrior_class_battleship) The two-ship Warrior class was a revolutionary British Royal Navy battleship design of the mid 19th century. They were the second type of ocean going iron-clad warships ever constructed, after the French Gloire. Initially, they were classed as frigates, armed with 40 × 68 pdr (31 kg) guns. This was modified during construction to 10 × 110 pdrs (50 kg), 26 × 68 pdrs (31 kg), and 4 × 70 pdrs (32 kg). Both ships were refitted and rearmed in 1867   « Less

A Very Rare British Woolwork Picture -woolie- of a Fleet of Fourteen Different Ships, Signed by George McCarthy , Circa 1865-80. Worked predominantly in shades of blue  More »

A Very Rare British Woolwork Picture -woolie- of a Fleet of Fourteen Different Ships, Signed by George McCarthy , Circa 1865-80. Worked predominantly in shades of blue and cream-colored yarns, with silk and metallic thread embellishments. Each ship with banner inscribed in ink below, the maker''s photograph between the embroidered signature "BY GEORGE MC CARTHY." In original Victorian gilt frame with stamped gilt metal floral mounts at each corner. Frame size 21 ¼ x 37 ½ inches. Literature: Illustration for January 2000, "Woolies: Sailors'' Embroidered Folk Art Calendar," Seamen''s Church Institute. Each ship is named: Top row from left: Jumma, Defence, Lord Warden, Northumberland Second row: Caleonia, Prince Consort, Bellerophon Third Row: Lord Clyde, Black Prince, Warrior, H.M.S. Pallas Bottom Row: H.M.S. Minotaur, H.M.S. Hercules, H.M.S. Agincourt   « Less

A Large British Sailor''s Woolwork Picture (woolie) of A Ship, Circa 1870 The woolie depicts a Royal Navy three-masted frigate with two steam funnels under way on a flat  More »

A Large British Sailor''s Woolwork Picture (woolie) of A Ship, Circa 1870 The woolie depicts a Royal Navy three-masted frigate with two steam funnels under way on a flat deep blue sea. ;Steam issues from the two funnels. ;The ship flies the Red Ensign. Dimensions: ;35 3/4 inches x 24 1/4 inches   « Less

An English Sailor''s Woolie of the Dominion, Circa 1920 The woolie depicts a ship coming into port on a choppy sea with seagulls trailing the ship''s wake, a lighthouse  More »

An English Sailor''s Woolie of the Dominion, Circa 1920 The woolie depicts a ship coming into port on a choppy sea with seagulls trailing the ship''s wake, a lighthouse can be seen in the background. ;Below the ship is a band with the name DOMINION in wool and two triangular pennants to either side, one with a Red Ensign and the other with the Company flag. Dimensions: 28 1/2 inches wide x 25 1/2 inches   « Less

A Large Sailor''s Woolwork Picture of a Ship, Circa 1865 The early woolie executed in a cross-stitch depicts a Royal Navy Red Fleet frigate sailing from right to left  More »

A Large Sailor''s Woolwork Picture of a Ship, Circa 1865 The early woolie executed in a cross-stitch depicts a Royal Navy Red Fleet frigate sailing from right to left homeward bound with a large red banner flying from the main mast. ;The sky with patches of different coloured blue sky peeking through white clouds. Dimensions: 26 inches x 18 inches   « Less

An English Sailor''s Woolie of H.M.S. Tribune, Circa 1860. The woolie depicts H.M.S. Tribune at anchor and fully dressed. ;Also with a Union Jack depicting that an  More »

An English Sailor''s Woolie of H.M.S. Tribune, Circa 1860. The woolie depicts H.M.S. Tribune at anchor and fully dressed. ;Also with a Union Jack depicting that an Admiral is on board. ;The Tribune flies three large flags from its masts- those of Turkey, France and Naples, Britain''s main allies in its war against Russia, the Crimea War. A rope ladder has been dropped off the ship''s side and a launch can be seen below with figures of sailors on board. ;A small ship has just past the Tribune. ;Below the ship is a banner with H.M.S. Tribune and a crown above. Dimensions: 30 inches x 23 inches Provenance: ;Hunnewell Collection The Tribune was a Corvette classified as a Frigate. She was launched on the 21 January 1853. ;She had a wooden hull and was 192 feet in length with a screw propulsion with a crew of 300. Builders measure 1570 tons ; ; Displacement 2243 tons ; ; Guns 31 ; ; Fate 1866 Last in commission 1866 Class ; ; Class (as screw) Tribune Ships book ADM 135/479 ; ; Career 14 January 1853 Launched at Sheerness Dockyard. 14 May 1853-- 22 November 1854 Commanded (from commissioning at Woolwich) by Captain Swynfen Thomas Carnegie, Channel squadron, then the Baltic and then the Black Sea during the Russian War. 11 December 1854 Commanded by Captain James Robert Drummond, Mediterranean, and Black Sea during the Russian War 13 August 1855 Commanded by Captain Harry Edmond Edgell, Pacific (including 2nd Anglo-Chinese War) 18 August 1858- August 1860 Commanded (until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Geoffrey Thomas Phipps Hornby, Pacific (where he diplomatically helped resolve the dispute - "Pig War" - with the United States over San Juan Island, off Vancover) 17 March 1862- 16 May 1866 Commanded (from commissioning at Portsmouth until paying off at Portsmouth) by Captain Viscount Gilford, Pacific. August 1866 Sold to C. Marshall for breaking up at Plymouth. Pig War From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_War) The Pig War was a confrontation in 1859 between American and British authorities over the boundary between the United States and British North America. The specific area in dispute was the San Juan Islands, which lie between Vancouver Island and the North American mainland. The Pig War, so called because it was triggered by the shooting of a pig, is also called the Pig Episode, the San Juan Boundary Dispute or the Northwestern Boundary Dispute. The pig was the only "casualty" of the war, making the conflict essentially bloodless. The Oregon Treaty of June 15, 1846 resolved the Oregon boundary dispute by dividing the Oregon Country/Columbia District between the United States and Britain "along the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude to the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver Island, and thence southerly through the middle of the said channel, and of [Juan de] Fuca''s Straits, to the Pacific Ocean." However, there are actually two straits which could be called the middle of the channel: Haro Strait, along the west side of the San Juan Islands; and Rosario Strait, along the east side. In 1846 there was still some uncertainty about the geography of the region. The most commonly available maps were those of George Vancouver, published in 1798, and of Charles Wilkes, published in 1845. In both cases the maps are unclear in the vicinity of the southeastern coast of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands. As a result, Haro Strait is not fully clear either. In 1856 the US and Britain set up a Boundary Commission to survey the international boundary. Since the boundary around the San Juans had not been resolved the commissioners made proposals and counter-proposals. There were three main proposals considered, Haro Strait, Rosario Strait, and a compromise line running through San Juan Channel. The extreme US proposal was "in accordance with the strict letter of the treaty", and ran between Vancouver Island and all islands off its coast, including the San Juans and Gulf Islands. This line was never seriously considered. The British commissioners made their case in part by referring to maps made by Americans that showed the boundary running through Rosario Strait. Among such maps was one by highly regarded American geographer John C. Frémont. Nevertheless, the commissioners could not reach an agreement. Because of this ambiguity, both the United States and Britain claimed sovereignty over the San Juan Islands.[4] During this period of disputed sovereignty, Britain''s Hudson''s Bay Company established operations on San Juan and turned the island into a sheep ranch. Meanwhile by mid-1859, twenty-five to twenty-nine American settlers had arrived. Exactly thirteen years after the Oregon Treaty, on June 15, 1859, the ambiguity led to direct conflict. Lyman Cutlar, an American farmer who had moved onto the island claiming rights to live there under the United States'' Donation Land Claim Act (1850), shot and killed a pig rooting in his garden.] He had found the giant black boar eating his tubers while a man stood next to the fence laughing. Cutlar was so upset that he took aim and shot the pig. The mysterious man then ran away into the woods. It turns out that the pig was owned by an Irishman, Charles Griffin, who was employed by the Hudson''s Bay Company to run the sheep ranch. He also owned several pigs which he allowed to roam freely. The two had lived in peace until this incident. Cutlar offered $10 to Griffin to compensate for the pig, but Griffin was unsatisfied with this offer and demanded $100. Following this reply, Cutlar believed he shouldn''t have to pay for the pig because the pig had been trespassing on his land. (A possibly apocryphal story claims Cutlar said to Griffin, "It was eating my potatoes." Griffin replied, "It is up to you to keep your potatoes out of my pig." When British authorities threatened to arrest Cutlar, American settlers called for military protection. ;Military escalation William S. Harney, commanding the Dept. of Oregon, initially dispatched 66 American soldiers of the 9th Infantry under the command of Captain George Pickett to San Juan Island with orders to prevent the British from landing. Concerned that a squatter population of Americans would begin to occupy San Juan Island if the Americans were not kept in check, the British sent three British warships under the command of Captain Geoffrey Hornby to counter the Americans. The situation continued to escalate. By August 10, 1859, 461 Americans with 14 cannons under Colonel Silas Casey were opposed by five British warships mounting 70 guns and carrying 2,140 men. During this time, no shots were fired. The governor of the Colony of Vancouver Island, James Douglas, ordered British Rear Admiral Robert L. Baynes to land marines on San Juan Island and engage the American soldiers under the command of Brigadier-General William Selby Harney. (Harney''s forces had occupied the island since July 27, 1859.) Baynes refused, deciding that "two great nations in a war over a squabble about a pig" was foolish. Local commanding officers on both sides had been given essentially the same orders: defend yourselves, but absolutely do not fire the first shot. For several days, the British and U.S. soldiers exchanged insults, each side attempting to goad the others into firing the first shot, but discipline held on both sides, and thus no shots were fired. ;Resolution In September, U.S. President James Buchanan sent General Winfield Scott to negotiate with Governor Douglas to resolve the growing crisis. This was in the best interest of the United States, as sectional tensions within the country were increasing, culminating in the Civil War. As a result of the negotiations, both sides agreed to retain joint military occupation of the island, reducing their presence to a token force of no more than 100 men. The "British Camp" was established on the north end of San Juan Island along the shoreline, for ease of supply and access; and the "American Camp" was created on the south end on a high, windswept meadow, suitable for artillery barrages against shipping. (Today the Union Jack still flies above the "British Camp", being raised and lowered daily by park rangers, making it one of the very few places without diplomatic status where US government employees regularly hoist the flag of another country.) During the years of joint military occupation, the small British and American units on San Juan Island had a very amicable mutual social life, visiting one another''s camps to celebrate their respective national holidays and holding various athletic competitions. Park rangers tell visitors the biggest threat to peace on the island during these years was "the large amounts of alcohol available." This state of affairs continued for the next 12 years, when the matter was referred to Kaiser Wilhelm I of Germany. On 21 October, 1872, a commission appointed by the Kaiser decided in favor of the United States claim to the San Juan Islands. On 25 November, 1872, the British withdrew their Royal Marines from the British Camp. The Americans followed by July, 1874. The Pig War is commemorated in San Juan Island National Historical Park.   « Less

A British Sailor''s woolwork Picture woolie of H.M.S. Alpine, Circa 1880. Dimensions (framed) ;34 1/4 x 23 3/4 inches

A British Sailor''s woolwork Picture woolie of H.M.S. Alpine, Circa 1880. Dimensions (framed) ;34 1/4 x 23 3/4 inches   « Less

An English Woolwork Picture-woolie- of H.M.S. Marlborough, Circa 1870 Dimensions: 17 inches x 13 3/4 inches The H.M.S. Marlborough (1855-1904) This Marlborough,  More »

An English Woolwork Picture-woolie- of H.M.S. Marlborough, Circa 1870 Dimensions: 17 inches x 13 3/4 inches The H.M.S. Marlborough (1855-1904) This Marlborough, the fourth ship bearing this name, was laid down in 1850 as a sailing three-decker of 110 guns; while on the stocks she was altered to a screw ship, which involved lengthening her, and this enabled her armament to be increased to 131 guns. ;She was thus, when completed one of the largest wooden ships of war ever built. ;At that time she was the largest vessel in the British navy. ;She was launched on August 7th, 1855 by Queen Victoria at Portsmouth. The Illustrated Times wrote a long article in which was written "She is constructed to carry 131 guns, the majority of which are 32 pounders; and one upon the forecastle , ten feet long and weighing 95cwt, is to throw shot of 68 pounds. ;It would be difficult in words to convey an idea of the appearance of a vessel of this size. ;A vessel, whose sides as we walk along them, seem as long as a moderate-sized street, and whose height, as we look up to her, appears considerably to surpass that of an ordinary house; a vessel which is fitted up inside for the accommodation of a number of men equal to the population of a good-sized town."   « Less

A Rare Canadian Woolwork Picture of a Ship with flags, Dated 1874 The woolie depicts a fully dressed ship and ;the motto '' DEFENCE, NOT DEFIANCE '' within a flag  More »

A Rare Canadian Woolwork Picture of a Ship with flags, Dated 1874 The woolie depicts a fully dressed ship and ;the motto '' DEFENCE, NOT DEFIANCE '' within a flag surround with a laurel garland, all in original bird''s eye maple ogee moulded frame with silver-gilt slip. Dimensions: Height: 61.5 x 78.2 cm. (24 1/4 x 30 3/4 in.) Reference: ; ; ;The motto "Defence, not defiance" is the motto of the Canadian regiment, The Highland Light Infantry of Canada, which on the 14th of September 1866 became the 29th Waterloo Battalion of Infantry, formed by regimentation of five independent companies.   « Less