ltwilliammowett

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An Engagement between British and American Ships, by Bernard Finnigan Gribble (1872–1962)

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The Loyal Men of the 'Bounty', by Bernard Finnigan Gribble (1872–1962)

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Just not my week (it's only tuesday) The light falls out in the stupid crypt and who falls down the stairs and over a sarcophagus? I… don't ask what that looked like. But don't worry, I'm a professional…even my back hurts like shit, lol.

However I had a brave cemetery gardener who helped me out of there. Thank you, I'll bring you some biscuits tomorrow and new bulbs for the lamps….as well as a little bit more dignity.

God, it was just embarrassing.

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Silver snuff box, France, 18th century

Ten hand painted naval battle scenes encased under beveled glass, with an unmarked silver case, the two larger scenes signed ‘A. Cherly’

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Bone ship model of a 74- gun ship of the line made by a Prisoner of War, early 19th century

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Came across this WWI era Navy recruitment poster over the weekend.

It was from the brief period in WWI where women were able to join the US Navy as full service members with equal pay. So this was part of how the US Government explicitly tried to appeal to women.

I felt legally obligated to share it with Tumblr's lesbians because... God damn!

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Running before the Wind (detail), by Montague Dawson (1890-1973)

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A whaler, by H. Fernandes, 20th century

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Dutch ship in storm off coast, by Cheri Francois Marguerite Dubreuil (French, 1828-c.1880)

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Painted Ostrich Egg, 20th century

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Octant with a portrait of the owner (?), London, 1800

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I was commissioned to make an art quilt inspired by a photo of the HMS Endurance, Ernest Shackleton's antarctic exploration vessel.

Here are my reference photo (taken by Frank Hurley on August 27, 1915) and some process pictures!

I printed a scale copy of the image, then used it to create an applique pattern and to trace the rigging onto water soluble fabric so I could free motion quilt over all the lines. (FMQ is essentially freehand sketching with your sewing machine by manually moving the quilt under your needle in whatever patterns you want to create with thread.)

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Wollie, a beautiful sailor's yarn embroidery of a British warship, 19th century

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Midshipman's Naval Dirk by SALTER LONDON, early 19th century

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Captain Ogle vs. Black Bart 1722

Fore more than two years, the pirate Bartholomew Roberts aka Black Bart or in Welsh Barti Ddu, had cruised the waters of the Atlantic and Caribbean. Born John Roberts in Wales in 1682 and at sea since the age of 13, he was captured by pirates in 1719 while serving as second mate on a slave ship and served on a pirate ship ever since. He quickly became captain and is said to captured over 100 ships (rumors said that it were over 400) , including a Portuguese treasure galleon.

Captain Bartho. Roberts with two Ships, the Royal Fortune and Ranger, takes in Sail in Whydah Road on the Coast of Guiney, January 11th. 1721/2. in : A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates, London: T. Warner, pp. plate facing p. 202

By January 1722 he had arrived at Whydah with his small fleet of three ships, on the coast of West Africa, and captured 11 more ships- all slavers. Then his luck ran out. On 5 February a ship appeared off Whydah, and Roberts sent his smaller consort Great Ranger out to investigate. The newcomer fled over the horizon and the pirate ship gave chase. Then, out of sight of land, the stranger turned round and gave battle. Much to the surprise of the pirates. She turned to be the 50-gun warship HMS Swallow commanded by Captain Challoner Ogle. The Swallow captured the Great Ranger after a two hour battle, and locked the survivors of her priate crew in the forecastle.

Black Barts fleet, by Andy Horse (x)

Ogle returned to Cape Lopez some five days after the original sighting. Robert’s flagship, the Royal Fortune was still there at anchor with the Little Ranger and another, The Neptune. According to the admiralty Royal Fortune made a break for open water passing Swallow allowing Ogle to get off a broadside as she went by. A short running battle began with a single broadside from Swallow and saw Roberts fatally injured with grapeshot wound to his throat. They claim the crew threw his body over-board before surrendering. Bartholomew Robert’s body was not recovered.

Bartholomew Roberts, by Carlos Alfredo Hablitzel (1919-1988), depicts the feared pirate captain’s greatest exploit, the attack on the Portuguese galleon “Sagrada Família” in the Bay of Todos-os-Santos in 1719. Collection of the Museu Marítimo de Santos.

However, eyewitnesses report some strange things happened that February morning at Cape Lopez. To begin with, the pirates had excellent intelligence on the Swallow, one of her crewmen had deserted, joining Royal Fortune so they had insider knowledge of how well she performed and they could identify her. The pirates knew they were much faster and could easily have out run her.

Five different flags used by Black Bart during his career, by Orem and RootOfAllLight . The first two are known to have been his flags. The other three are based on reports from Johnson’s General History of the Pirates 1724 and Boston Gazette, 22nd August 1720.  On the morning of the 10th, after first sighting the Swallow the pirates had over an hour to effect an escape but Roberts seemed unbothered. Rather, he sat eating his breakfast of Salamungrundy (pickled fish), thus allowing the Swallow  to get so close that an engagement was inevitable. Then, once underway the pirates did not rig Royal Fortune to run even though they knew they were out-gunned so a speedy get-away was their best option.

A Most Notorious Pyrate, Black Bart Roberts in the Royal Fortune, by Patrick O’Brien (x) 

That’s not all, there were some very unusual things reported on board Royal Fortune that morning. Bart didn’t breakfast alone, he had a guest, one Captain Hill, master of the Neptune. Strangely the Neptune was not detained and searched by Ogle who allowed her to get clean away.

The death of Bartholomew Roberts (1682 - 1722), by C.R. (x)

Back to the appropriate thing to do, Ogle had all the men taken as prisoners and captured the gold-laden Little Ranger. The pirates were locked up in Cape Coast Castle and 54 of them were hanged in late April 1722. The rest were either sold into slavery or deported to the West Indies. This event went down in history as the greatest pirate trial.

Captain Chaloner Ogle was rewarded with a knighthood 1723, the only British naval officer to be honoured specifically for his actions against pirates. He also profited financially, taking gold dust from Roberts’ cabin, and he became an admiral. Sir Challoner Ogle died in London in 1750.

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Young Naval Recruit of the 19th Century Civil War time period

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