Lot 70: Louis-Jean Baptiste Pellegrin (French, born 1808) 'British Queen of Kincardine Walter McLaren Master. Entering the Port of Marseilles, 1846

'British Queen of Kincardine Walter McLaren Master. Entering the Port of Marseilles, 1846
signed 'Lui Pellegrin', inscribed 'Marseilles' and dated 1846 (lower right)
pen, ink and watercolour
41 x 56cm (16 1/8 x 22 1/16in).

One of the less obvious consequences of the accession of the young Queen Victoria in 1837 was a plethora of new ships named in her honour, one of which was the little Kincardine brig British Queen. Built at Kincardine, on the Firth of Forth, in 1838 and registered in her home port at 152 tons gross (144 net), she was skippered by her owner Captain Meiklejohn who ran her to Vera Cruz, the largest entry port for Central America, at the start of her career. Usually trading out of London, she subsequently sailed to various African destinations, notably Madagascar, as well as ports throughout the Mediterranean. Latterly sailing out of Leith to the Baltic, she disappears from record around 1850 although she may be the brig of the same name wrecked off Flamborough Head on 25th November 1858.