This sailing barge was built in 1857. My model is as depicted in a painting done by Anton de Clerc around 1890. The captain at this time was Frederick Garnham who was my great geat uncle.
The barge would go up and down the east coast of England but also across the Channel. The painting was probably done in Antwerp. It also went up the Rhine as far as Cologne regularly.
I researched this model using books about barges in general and was able to calculate dimensions and so from them in conjunction with the painting. The model was entirely scratch built and designed by me with the exception of the anchor, the flags, rigging blocks and figures (although I did adapt 2 of the 3 of them).
