WILLIAM JOHN HUGGINS (BRITISH, 1781-1845) The Irish paddle p...

Hammer

£3,800

WILLIAM JOHN HUGGINS (BRITISH, 1781-1845)

The Irish paddle packet 'Shannon' off Poolbeg Lighthouse, Dublin Bay with the city beyond, circa 1835

Oil on canvas

24½ x 36¼in. (62.5 x 92cm.)

This painting was engraved by Huggins' son-in-law, Edward Duncan (1803-1882) with copies held in the Government Art Collection and at RMG. In 1830 Huggins was appointed Marine Painter to William IV with this text proudly displayed in capitals on the engraving.

Although the British & Irish Steam Packet Co. (BISP) dominated sailings in and out of Dublin (to and from Liverpool) for well over a century, the first regular route out of Dublin was, in fact, to London and was the first passenger cross-channel steamer service in the world. Begun by an entrepreneur using the single steamer Thames in 1815, the Dublin & London Steam Packet Co. (DLSP) was formed soon afterwards and, by the late 1820s, was operating three steamers, one of which was Shannon. Built at Limehouse on the Thames by Fletcher, Sons & Furnell in 1826, she was constructed of wood throughout, registered at 550 tons, and measured 153 feet in length with a 27-foot beam. Popular with passengers and seemingly very successful, Shannon was absorbed into the BISP’s fleet when the DLSP went into liquidation in 1837 and thereafter her career details become obscure. It would appear however that she remained in service until 1845 and was then sold (and said by some sources to have been renamed Pearl).

Relined. Scattered retouching throughout, in particular in the foreground.