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Notes
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In 1870 Admiral Sir James Hope presented an almost identical version of this subject by J. C. Schetky to the United Service Club in London and it was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1871 under the title 'A Gallant Rescue; Naval Incident of the French War' with a description. This was repeated in the Dictionary of National Biography entry on 'Endymion's' captain: 'Towards the close of the long French war, Captain the Hon. Sir Charles Paget, while cruising in the ‘Endymion’ frigate on the coast of Spain, described a French ship of the line in imminent danger, embayed among rocks upon a lee shore, bowsprit and foremast gone, and riding by a stream cable, her only remaining one. Though it was blowing a gale, Sir Charles bore down to the assistance of his enemy, dropped his sheet anchor on the Frenchman's bow, buoyed the cable, and veered it athwart his hawse. This the disabled ship succeeded in getting in, and thus 700 lives were rescued from destruction. After performing this chivalrous action, the ‘Endymion’, being herself in great peril, hauled to the wind, let go her bower anchor, club hauled and stood off shore on the other tack'. The RA description had the technical point that 'Endymion' dropped her starboard bower for this dangerous manoeuvre. This involves a moving ship dropping an anchor to pull her bow round rapidly onto the other tack, and then cutting the cable at the critical moment.
Title
HMS 'Endymion' Rescuing a French Two-Decker, 1803
Date
late 19th C
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 68.5 x W 96.5 cm
Accession number
BHC0532
Work type
Painting
