Nelson & His World

Hope you enjoy this photo of what Nelson's fleet may well have looked like in Grand Harbour. Can anyone recognize or identify any of the ships.?

Stephen

What a wonderful photo, Stephen.

I'll go for HMS Hibernia (1804), 120guns, on the right?

Hmm.... Or maybe not. She looks too big, even for the Hibernia.

I presume from your question, Stephen, that you don't know the answer!

It might help if you could enlarge the picture, which I would imagine is from the late 1850's - 1860. It would probably also help to find a list of the ships of the Mediterranean fleet at that time. It is possible it could be the Hibernia, she was the flagship of the Med. fleet from 1845 and wasn't broken up until 1902, but there are a few other large three deckers that might be a candidate.

The same applies to the two deckers, there would seem to be several candidates for those. Very likely most of the ships in the photo are also steam powered.

Hi Stephen
Great photo,any chance of dating it?
Dave.

Following your logic, Kester, how about HMS Marlborough (1855), 131 guns, for the three-decker? - Flagship of the Mediterranean Fleet from 1858-64.

Grand Harbour , Malta has always had some of the greatest elevation thanks to the Bastions, for creating photography and art, in the Naval World. Some of the greatest vesels known to the Naval world were shot from these Bastions that defended, the Christian World.

Name the vessel and think Wright & Logan. Portsmouth.

I do know the story so be ware!

As for the photograph, 1840-1850.

Thanks Stephen,

Since that's a little earlier than I thought, so I'll go for HMS Trafalgar (110 guns) as the three decker. She was in the Med. c. 1847-8. I'm almost certain now that it's not the Hibernia (I blew the photograph up on screen as much as I could and then used a magnifying glass!)

Still don't know about the other ships.

Kester,

Here is HMS Hibernia, plus her figurehead that is now in the Malta Maritime Museum.

Wow! That's early! Are you quite certain, Stephen? - That three-decker seems to have at least 20 gunports on each deck.

The above shot I would put at about 1890, but the top showing a fleet would be about right. Some of the earliest known photography took place here. Made some wonderful discoveries a number of years ago at the National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh.

Stephen

Stephen,

So are you saying that it is the Hibernia? (I remember seeing the figurehead in the Museum when I was there – it is certainly very large!) From that angle, I would have thought that it was another ship, but you may be right – although I have my doubts!

I too still need to be convinced that the three-decker in the fleet photo is the Hibernia! The bow doesn't look quite the right shape, and the Hibernia doesn't seem long enough to me.

Here is a painting of HMS Marlborough in the Grand Harbour, Valletta: http://www.bonhams.com/cgi-bin/public.s ... 16-1-1.jpg

Tony,

I agree with you and would think HMS Marlborough is a more likely contender. I don't think that can be the Hibernia, and as you say the vessel in the photograph has about twenty ports on each deck. The figurehead also appears to be somewhat larger. Hibernia doesn't have as many guns (I counted the ports on both ships with the aid of a magnifying glass.)

Stephen,

If the ship is named as the Hibernia in the museum collection, I would suggest they have a rethink.

Are we in steam days here because that looks very much like a funnel on the 3 deck ship,just in front of the mainmast.

-----------
Dave