Lot 357: Richard Henry Neville-Cumming (fl.1888-1912)

The training ship Mersey hove-to and taking on the pilot
signed and dated 'R.H.Neville Cumming/1912' (lower right)
pencil and watercolour heightened with white
15 x 24 in. (38.1 x 61 cm.)

Built for James Nourse's famous fleet of coolie ships by Connells of Glasgow in 1894, Mersey was registered at 1,829 tons gross (1,713 net) and measured 271 feet in length with a 39 foot beam. After thirteen years in the Indian coolie trade, Nourse sold her to the White Star Line for use as a cargo-carrying cadet training ship and, following some minor alterations to her rig and sail plan, she went into service with accommodation for up to 80 boys destined for a career in the company's steamers. Known as "a very good seaboat but no flier", she was put to work on the Australia run carrying a wide variety of general cargo on the outward passage but usually returned home deep laden with wool or grain.

When the Great War began in 1914, White Star deemed her far too vulnerable so sold her to Norwegian owners who stripped out her cadet berths and schoolroom and sent her back to sea as a normal commercial trader. Refitted as a training ship again in 1916 although never used as such, she spent her last few years trading as the Dvergso until broken up in England in 1923.

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.