# Unidentified liner, 1921



## mikehm

Dear All,

I recently acquired an amateur watercolour painting of a single-funnel twin-masted steam liner with engines amidships. The hull is painted grey or lavender with a red boot topping, and the ship has a very distinctive red, white, and blue funnel. The sea and coastline in the image appear tropical, perhaps Africa, the Far East, or South America. The flags and pennants are unclear, although that flying at the stern flagstaff might be intended for a Blue Ensign. The painting is initialled and dated "S. W. 15/7/21". 

Ideally, I would like to learn the identity of the artist, the name of the ship, the route on which it sailed, and the line which owned it. I had thought that the funnel and hull colours between them would provide me with the identity of the shipping line, which would enable me to research the rest of the information, but after much searching, I can find no reference to any shipping line which painted its funnels like this. 

Can anyone help?


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## cueball44

Here you go >


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## cueball44

It could be this one > Highland Rover.


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## cueball44

Another image >


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## mikehm

Wow! Thanks, cueball44.


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## Laurie Ridyard

You might find photographs of the ships you are looking for here-

http://www.photoship.co.uk/Browse Ship Galleries/

Do you have any paintings etc. of Hain SS Co.'s [" Tre" boats black funnel with a white H] vessels ? 

Here's a pic of my first one.... http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/images/trelawny1.jpg


Laurie Ridyard


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## mikehm

I have now done a bit of digging and have discovered that the Nelson Line had the following ships in commission in 1921:

_Highland Enterprise_ (1903)
_Highland Glen_ (1910)
_Highland Heather_ (1904)
_Highland Laddie_ (1910)
_Highland Laird_ (1899)
_Highland Loch_ (1911)
_Highland Piper_ (1911)
_Highland Pride_ (1910)
_Highland Rover_ (1910)
_Highland Star_ (1903)
_Highland Warrior _(1920)
_Highland Watch_ (1904)

The 1910 and 1911 ships were broadly of the same class, and they closely resemble the ship in my painting, as cueball44's pic of the _Highland Rover_ shows. We may therefore rule out _Highland Enterprise, Highland Heather, Highland Laird, Highland Star_ and _Highland Watch_. _Highland Glen, Highland Laddie, Highland Loch, Highland Piper, Highland Pride_ and _Highland Rover_ are still in the frame. A note I found online suggests that "Of the . . ships of this class, only _Highland Pride_ and _Highland Rover_ had a partially enclosed promenade deck in the lower superstructure." Pictures I have found on-line would seem to contradict this, but that may be due to incorrect labelling of photographs. Can anyone state definitively whether or not this was true?


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## mikehm

Laurie Ridyard said:


> You might find photographs of the ships you are looking for here-
> 
> http://www.photoship.co.uk/Browse Ship Galleries/


Goodness! What a resource! That will burn up a few happy hours.  Many thanks for the link, now bookmarked.



Laurie Ridyard said:


> Do you have any paintings etc. of Hain SS Co.'s [" Tre" boats black funnel with a white H] vessels ?
> 
> Here's a pic of my first one.... http://www.searlecanada.org/sunderland/images/trelawny1.jpg


I'm afraid not, Laurie. The _Trelawny_ was a very attractive design, though, and I am sure there must be paintings of her and her sister ships out there somewhere. If ever I come across one, I'll let you know.


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## cueball44

This one is allegedly the same class as "Highland Rover" >


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## mikehm

cueball44 said:


> This one is allegedly the same class as "Highland Rover" >


Well, it's her or her double!


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## cueball44

mikehm said:


> Well, it's her or her double!


That one is in the Gallery in the Maritime Art section. Have a look. Type in Highland Rover, then check out what it says about her. (Thumb)


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## mikehm

Got it, thank you. There are plenty of other Nelson Line ships in there too. This is the _Highland Laddie_, from my shortlist; she also seems to match the painting:

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/data/520/Highland_Laddie.jpg

The _Highland Pride_ has two pictures showing her in later life as the _Jamaica Merchant_. Assuming she was not remodelled when she was sold, she can be ruled out:

http://www.shipsnostalgia.com/gallery/data/520/Jamaica_Merchant1.jpg


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## Keith Adams

I was about to reply to this post when I spotted Cue Ball response ... really made me laugh at his speed and accuracy ! The reason "shipsnostalgia is is such a great site. Snowy


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