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Navigational notes and watercolour sketches by Captain Joseph Church, volume 1
Navigational notes and watercolour sketches by Captain Joseph Church, volume 1

Navigational notes and watercolour sketches by Captain Joseph Church, volume 1

Artist
Artist (1811 - 1889)
Date1841 - 1849
Object number00029425
NameWatercolour album
MediumPaper, ink, pencil, watercolour, boards, vellum
DimensionsOverall: 320 x 207 x 65 mm, 0.85 kg
Copyright© Gail Wells
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection
Collections
DescriptionThis is one of two volumes of navigation notes, watercolour sketches and drawings kept by Captain Joseph John Church circa1841-1856. Volume one contains manuscript navigation exercises, an abstract log of part of a voyage, pencil calculations and sketches and drawings pasted in. Volume two (00029426) contains 11 sketches with a number of blank pages. All the sketches are captioned, many are signed and dated by Church, but some are by another hand. One sketch is by the convict artist Knut Bull. Captain Church was master of the ship JANE in 1845 - 6 and of the Australian registered ship RORY O'MORE in 1855 - 56. Both ships had transported convicts to Australia. Church's sketches include views of Sydney and Hobart and various ports between England and Australia.HistoryCaptain Joseph Church was born in Chelsea in 1821 and joined the British Merchant Service at the age of 17. He spent his life in the service. He was the captain of the JANE in 1845 and 1846 and later in 1854 and 1855 he was the captain of the RORY O'MORE. This particular vessel was renown to be particularly fast and it was said that if she were "loaded properly she could outsail any vessel afloat". Captain Church was married in Launceston in 1855 to Janet Bain but died at sea in 1860. SignificanceThese volumes are significant as personal records kept by the master mariner Captain Joseph Church. His watercolours and sketches reveal his interests and the people around him and illustrate visited Australian ports in their infancy.