Examples of 17th century English galleon commander and officers cabin interiors

[Giorgik63]

I hope I am in the right interest group to formulate my following request: examples of interiors of the commander's and officers' cabin of a 17th century English Galleon.

I am building (modifying a kit) in 1:73 scale the model of the Medici galleon Livorno from the year 1606. The type of construction I am doing is with solid frames and single planking. Furthermore, the model I build has a side opening on the hull to allow you to see the interior. I want to create the furnishings of the commander's cabin and that of his officers and the meeting room. Could you help me by showing me examples of such furnishings, always keeping in mind the year of the galleon ?

What I managed to find in Google:

 

1-Sir Francis Drake with his galleon Golden Hinde managed to sail around the world from 1577 to 1580.

Photos Golden Hinde replica

 

2-At allanyed's suggestion (

Quote

About the only contemporary sources would be from wrecks, especially Vasa even though she was not British.  You could contact Fred Hocker or his staff at the Vasa Museum to see what they might have.

) I found it:

Vasa Museum's Director of Research, Fred Hocker

 

Thank you in advance for all your help.

Edited November 23, 2023 by Giorgik63
correction

[Morgan]

Have you tried studying paintings of sea officers from that era, I would imagine some would show themselves in their cabins which may also capture how the cabin is furnished. I certainly recall that such images from some of the leading figures of the Spanish Armada (on the Spanish side) are so painted (I can’t recall where) but possibly some may also exist of English officers.

 

Bit of a long shot but they would certainly be contemporary.

 

Gary

[Giorgik63]

Thank you Morgan for your idea. I just need to find some links on the internet that will show me these paintings. Do you know any ?

[Morgan]

I would search for the likes of the commanders such as Howard of Effingham, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, or other commanders of the era. Include the names of their ships in the search as well, it may help narrow the search.
 

I can’t guarantee you will find what you are looking for but it is as good a starting point as any, hopefully other here can suggest other contemporary sources.

 

Good luck with the search.

 

Gary

[Mark P]

Good Evening Georgik;

 

An interesting query. I will do my best to give you a relevant answer, but can I ask you to clarify the connection between what seems to be an 'Italian' (or at least Mediterranean) ship (Medici; Livorno) and an English ship's cabin? If you are referring to an old model somewhere, it would be good to know about it.

 

To answer your query I can tell you that there are, as far as is known, no woodcuts, engravings or paintings of the interior of a cabin from this date (the earliest I know of are more than 70 years later) nor have I seen any such features in the background of contemporary portraits. They are still very rare even in much later portraits (I would be very happy to be proven wrong!) 

 

However, there is a simple rule which enables a reasonable start to making a reconstruction of an English cabin at least, which probably applies to other nations at this era. That is, that the interior of the cabins used by senior officers was constructed and furnished to resemble as closely as possible the rooms of the homes in which they lived on land; so look at architecture surviving from that period. Fundamentally, the side walls would be covered with wood panelling up to the dado level, with pilasters at intervals, surmounted by a moulded cornice. The panels above the dado were normally? frequently? sometimes? made not of timber but of fabric. Bulkheads would be all timber construction, probably. The level of finishing of the decoration would depend upon the likely status of the person using it. For someone royal this would involve carving, gilding, elaborate moulded ceilings, and painted ceiling and wall panels too (or maybe tapestries, although this is not mentioned anywhere) Those of lesser status would have cabins without the wall and ceiling paintings, but still with plenty of mouldings, carving and gilding. There are some mentions of the ceiling being painted to match the sky with 'clowdes'. 

 

The completed cabin was furnished with benches, settles and tables; and beds or bedsteads (probably of rope strung over a wooden frame)

 

This should be enough to enable you to make a good start; and the real guidance is that within the outline of what I have written above, nobody could be more specific for any individual ship of the time, so create what you feel best will fit. 

 

All the best,

 

Mark P

Edited November 23, 2023 by Mark P

[Giorgik63]

Thanks Mark P for the clarification.

From what I have ascertained (San Giovanni Battista 1598 by luponero - Medicean galleon): It is a galleon of the Medici family of Florence from 1598, which was restored, by order of the Marquis Ferdinando I, to the English naval engineer Robert Dudley, as reported in the libraries and archives of Florence relating to the construction of some galleons in Livorno, with purely "war" characteristics usually armed with 16 guns, telling that the name St. John the Baptist has been assigned to at least four boats, to a galley (the first which should be the one that took part in the battle of Lepanto), another galley built in 1589, the third a galleon built in 1598, and the fourth a large galleon with 64 guns of the English Dudley of 1607, probably the galleon of 1598 will be one of the galleons that Alessandro Risaliti (Commissioner of the Galere of the Order of S. Stefano) reports to Lorenzo Usimbardi (Secretary of State) with the aim of demolishing or selling them because they are no longer efficient, this provision will exclude the Livorno galleon and a large galleon under construction probably the San Giovanni Battista del Dudley, set up in 1607. From this information it is believed that the Livorno in service with the Order of S. Stefano is none other than the S. Giovanni Battista of 1598, renamed to "Livorno" to pass the name to the flagship under construction, obviously it was not just a change of name but a profound structural modification of the boat, improving its structural characteristics, will be one of the characteristics of the Dudley, the capacity to renovate existing boats by improving their hydrodynamic and propulsive characteristics, so this model is the San Giovanni Battista of 1598 prior to the renovation work, and built by "DeAgostini" which is called S. Giovanni Battista, in reality it is the "Livorno".