New display of 'historically significant' 16th century ship painting unveiled to the public

A new display and interactive touchscreen depicting a historically significant painting of a Tudor ship which was inadvertently discovered during the renovation of a Tavistock shop opened on Friday (September 6) for public view.

Tavistock Heritage Trust invited councillors, historians and members of the public to Tavistock Guildhall for the opening of the exhibit as part of the National Heritage Open Days programme (September 6 – 15).

It’s one of hundreds of events organised across the UK by local volunteers which aims to celebrate our history and culture.

The new exhibition was part funded by Devon County Council through the Interreg Atlantic TIDE (Maritime Heritage Tourism) project and follows extensive research by Tavistock Heritage Trust.

The display itself depicts a wonderfully detailed wall painting of a 16th century warship - the painting itself was first uncovered during works to 4 Market Street and its refurbishment led to the find becoming the centre of renewed attention.

An assessment of the painting and its context has been co-ordinated by Dr Geri Parlby, art historian and Chair of the Tavistock Heritage Trust, supported by Devon County Council.

This has included studies by Dr Ian Friel (Maritime Historian), Ruth McNeilage of McNeilage Conservation, Catherine Hassall (Paint Analysis) and Dr Stuart Blaylock an Historic Building Specialist.

The painting is of a sizeable ship and is very similar to those depicted on the Anthony Roll – a colourful record of Henry VIII of England’s navy that was made in 1546, towards the end of his reign.

Although only part of the painting survives, clearly visible is the warship’s bow, its multi-decked forecastle, foremast with top castle and part of the ‘waist’ – the open deck between the forecastle and mainmast - and part of the mainmast itself.

The detail of the painting is striking – you can clearly see that the forecastle is decorated with crosses of St George.

A streamer in the green and white of the Tudor dynasty overlain with a red cross of St George flies from the foremast.

The top castle contains a supply of incendiary darts, ready to be hailed down on an enemy vessel in close-quarter fighting. There are two guns in the waist, both with the banding typical of wrought-iron ordnance.

Over the waist there is anti-boarding netting. The rigging is detailed, with the foresail rigged and the mainsail apparently furled as if undertaking a battle manoeuvre.

Dr Friel has said that he believes that the artist either knew about ships or was working from a drawing prepared by someone with a sea-faring background.

The painting itself is on the wall of a first-floor chamber, with a moulded-beamed panelled ceiling.

This was an extension to an existing late-medieval house and was jettied out over the ground floor into Market Street. A second storey was jettied out above that.

Dr Blaylock said that he believes that this extension dates to the late 15th or first half of the 16th century. The layering of original and later plasterwork suggest that the warship was painted relatively early in the life of the chamber.

Dr Friel has written that ‘big war carracks’ of this type were becoming obsolete by the 1560s and suggests a date range of 1509 to 1570 as the most likely period in which one would have been depicted.

Bill Horner, County Archaeologist, said: “It may seem odd that a warship should feature in the interior décor of a domestic residence in a landlocked town in the foothills of Dartmoor.

“However, Tavistock was a wealthy merchant town in the 16th century. Half of Devon’s tin production passed through the town and there was a thriving wool trade.

“Moreover, the major port of Plymouth, some 14 miles away down the River Tavy, offered merchants and adventurers ready access to the then known world.”

Famous citizens of Tavistock included Sir William Hawkins, who in the 1530s to 1550s contributed to the development of the ‘triangular trade’ between Europe, West Africa and the Americas. Hawkins went on to become Member of Parliament for Plymouth.

The next generation, Sir John Hawkins and his second-cousin Sir Francis Drake, who was also born near Tavistock, were also famous (or infamous) merchants, privateers, slave traders, explorers and colonists. Both were Vice Admirals of the English Navy during the Armada Campaign of 1588.

Whilst there is no clear link between the painting and either Hawkins or Drake,  Dr Parlby has found evidence of a link between a leading Tavistock merchant called Nicholas Glanville and the Hawkins family. 

Port records reveal that in 1579 Nicholas Glanville was trading in weapons in a ship called the William & John that may have been owned by William & John Hawkins.

Arms trading was a very lucrative business during the latter half of the 16thcentury when Queen Elizabeth was unofficially helping the Moroccan ruler Mulay Ahmad al-Mansur to fight a rear-guard action against the Spanish, 

English ships were sailing to North Africa trading military ordnance, timber, tin  and lead (stripped from deconsecrated English churches) so the Moors could build ships and cast cannons and guns.

In return, along with luxury goods, the Moroccans were sending England saltpetre which was potassium nitrate an essential element in making gunpowder to enable the English to arm the cannons in their ships.

“Records show that Glanville himself owned several ships and even became involved in the Roanoak Voyages to America”, said Dr Parlby.

“Unfortunately records of the ownership of 4 Market Street do not go as far back as the late 16th century but we know that at a later date members of the Glanville family did live there.  We are currently investigating the possibility that our ship formed part of the decoration of a trading house in the town, where maritime voyages would have been planned and finances raised."

With the rediscovery of this fantastic painting and its virtual recreation and exhibition,  visitors to Tavistock Guildhall will now have the opportunity to celebrate Devon’s rich and sometimes controversial maritime heritage.

Councillor Debo Sellis, Local County Councillor for Tavistock and Devon County Council's representative for World Heritage in West Devon said: "I would like to thank Tavistock Heritage Trust for their hard work  and officers in the historic environment team for their support in creating an exhibit that not only does justice to a significant historical discovery but presents the information in such a way that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.”

• Thanks to the current owner of 4 Market Street, Dr Malvern Tipping, Dr Geri Parlby of THT, Ruth McNeilage, Dr Ian Friel and Dr Stuart Blaylock for hrlp withy this article. 

The display is in Tavistock Guildhall, which is run by Tavistock Town Council: https://tavistockguildhall.org/.