Britannia HMS (Old Ironsides)
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 7:44 pm
Reproduced on the Jamaican stamp is an old print drawn by a Mr. Joseph Bartholomew Kidd during a four-year stay on the island in the middle 1830s. It is unfortunate that the print does not give the name of the warship depicted, for the Royal Navy had many ships in the Caribbean from 1800 onwards, and any attempt to name the ship would be pure guesswork. A selection of the artists work was published later by W. Clark, of London, as a set of lithographs.
Sea Breezes 7/55
I have received a photograph which shows that the 2d. Jamaican stamp of 1955, depicting a "Man o' War at Port Royal", is actually a composite design. The official hand-out at the time of the stamp's issue declared that the design was a reproduction of an old print drawn by Mr. Joseph Bartholomew Kidd during a 4-year stay on the island in the middle 1830s. The background of the stamp design may indeed be a reproduction of Mr. Kidd's work, but the ship and small boats are quite definitely not from Mr. Kidd's print.
The design for these is taken from a painting of H.M.S. Britannia entering Plymouth after Trafalgar, and a reproduction of this painting is shown in Lecky's "King's Ships", Volume 2. The Britannia was familiarly known to the navy of Nelson's day as "Old Ironsides" she was a notoriously slow sailer and received her nickname because she was so massively built, although she was extremely popular with her officers because she had the best accommodation in the Royal Navy. For that reason she was often the flagship of admirals, especially in peace-time.
At the time of Trafalgar she was under the command of Capt. Foley and flew the flag of Admiral Lord Northesk. Vice-Admiral Thompson and Capt. Foley were in the Britannia at the Battle of St. Vincent, the Britannia and Victory being the only two 100-gun ships in the British fleet. Other admirals to serve in her were Kempenfelt and George Derby and at one time the Britannia replaced the Victory as flagship of the fleet.
Sea Breezes 12/64
Jamaica SG155
Sea Breezes 7/55
I have received a photograph which shows that the 2d. Jamaican stamp of 1955, depicting a "Man o' War at Port Royal", is actually a composite design. The official hand-out at the time of the stamp's issue declared that the design was a reproduction of an old print drawn by Mr. Joseph Bartholomew Kidd during a 4-year stay on the island in the middle 1830s. The background of the stamp design may indeed be a reproduction of Mr. Kidd's work, but the ship and small boats are quite definitely not from Mr. Kidd's print.
The design for these is taken from a painting of H.M.S. Britannia entering Plymouth after Trafalgar, and a reproduction of this painting is shown in Lecky's "King's Ships", Volume 2. The Britannia was familiarly known to the navy of Nelson's day as "Old Ironsides" she was a notoriously slow sailer and received her nickname because she was so massively built, although she was extremely popular with her officers because she had the best accommodation in the Royal Navy. For that reason she was often the flagship of admirals, especially in peace-time.
At the time of Trafalgar she was under the command of Capt. Foley and flew the flag of Admiral Lord Northesk. Vice-Admiral Thompson and Capt. Foley were in the Britannia at the Battle of St. Vincent, the Britannia and Victory being the only two 100-gun ships in the British fleet. Other admirals to serve in her were Kempenfelt and George Derby and at one time the Britannia replaced the Victory as flagship of the fleet.
Sea Breezes 12/64
Jamaica SG155