When did the practice of painting ship names on their stern (or anywhere else) appear? I’m researching the 1500-1600s and don’t see any sketches with ship names depicted. I see stern carvings/paintings alluding to the names, as on the Revell Mayflower, but no painted names.
Jack
In the Royal Navy the name was introduced in 1771 “in letters a foot high, and inclosed in a compartment”, in 1772 “without compartment in letters as large as the counter would admit” (Laughton: Old Figureheads and Sterns) and was done until the end of the century.Some admirals like Keppel in 1778 took the names out for taktical reasons.
Other times and navies the name was displayed as a pictures on the stern like in the dutch navy.
XXXDAn
It’s a most interesting question. Dafi is certainly right about the British Navy. But when it comes to other nations, and for that matter merchant vessels, I have no idea.
I suspect some English/British vessels had names painted on them prior to the eighteenth century, but I’ve never seen a full study on the subject.
True, a good question if kind of broad.
Friend of mine had a sailboat called “boardroom”.
Wife calls: “where are you?”.
Seriously though, earlier in watercraft history; painting prayers, quotes, expressions of ferocity and the blessings of gods on a boat was the rule.
As a kid growing up down by the water and watching all manner of ships coming in and out in the fairway, I thought that Monrovia must be the heaven of ships. And then that switched to Panama.
thats a fun name! Here in my area is a pup named “into bed” … “Honey, I am going into bed now!”
Quite possibly, the oldest known name of a ship is described in the Acts 27 and 28 of the New Testiment, in about the year 60, when St. Paul boards the passenger and cargo ship CASTOR and POLLUX out bound from Alexandria, Egypt on his way to Rome to defend himself in a court case, as was his privilege being a Roman citizen. Unfortunately, the ship is wrecked in a storm on the south-east coast of the Island of Malta, and all excape unharmed as castaways. The image of the heavenly twins of Roman mythology was painted on the stern of the ship for identification, as the vast majority of people in that era could not read or write.
Happy modeling Crackers[:)]
Earliest referenced name, in 2613 B.C., Egyptian " Praise of the Two Lands ". No known markings though.
I did find a name carved on the replica of a 1651 Dutch ship. Does anyone have info as to the accuracy of the build. Is Ab Hoving around? I hear he’s pretty good concerning the VOC. [:)]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prins_Willem
Jack