It's a ship with flags - I know that much

[SmallTownGirl]

The backing is just brown paper and has a postcard-size piece of paper stuck on it, on which is written his name, date of attestation and date of discharge.

The picture was hanging at my GF's house until his death in 1966.  GF had eight children.  The picture now belongs to the son of GF's eldest daughter.  I think the handwriting on the card belongs to the daughter of GF's second daughter.  I think another cousin (I've got loads, want to borrow any?), son of GF's fourth daughter, has a photo of GGF in uniform, and has been promising for years to "look stuff out of the loft", but keeps failing to do so.

In fact, I'm going to ring him now and chivvy, chivvy.

[John915]

Good evening,

You would appear to have a 64 gun 3rd or 4th rate frigate. The ships you name are as follows;

Formidable 1854 84 gun 2nd rate, so too big
Charybdis 1859 screw corvette, too small and no funnel shown in picture
Brisk 1851 14 gun sloop, far too small
Euryalus 1853 35 gun screw frigate (5th or 6th rate) no funnel shown
Pylades 1854 screw corvette again so again too small and again the funnel

Corvettes, sloops, brigs etc were unrated as they were too small and lightly armed. They were not included in the line of battle but used as signal ships or messengers etc.

It could be that he was looking at another ship in harbour and not his own.

John915

[SmallTownGirl]

Wow, John, thank you.

Still trying to ID the flags.

[cati]

This site may be able to help in identifying the flags: http://www.flaginstitute.org

The National Museum of the the Royal Navy might also be able to assist you: www.royalnavalmuseum.org

[crimea1854]

I'm afraid I'm going to have to disagree with John915; if it is any of the ships he served on then Formidable is the front runner. HMS Ganges was the sister to Formidable, just compare the photograph of Ganges with the needlework.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:HMSGanges.png

Martin

[John915]

Good afternoon,

I'm afraid I have to disagree with Martin, yes they do look very alike but then so did many other ships of the line. Ganges, like Formidable, was an 84 gun 2nd rate, she became a training ship in 1865; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Ganges_(shore_establishment).

The ship pictured shows only 30 gun ports, double it and allow for bow and stern chasers and you have a 64 at the most. It looks very alike but is considerably smaller so only a 3rd or 4th rate.

The picture also shows windows under the poop deck whereas Ganges shows gun ports making 42 in view.

John915

[John915]

For some reason the link doesn't work properly, you need to click on where it says "did you mean"

John915

[John915]

This may help as well but will have a go myself; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_maritime_signal_flags

John915

[John915]

Good evening,

Well, have tried deciphering the flags and all I get is gobbledegook. Some letters, some numbers and some that don't appear on the list at all. There were several different flag sets used by the RN during the 1800s and then you have to take into account the code books used.

John915