The most likely origin of the figurehead is from the floating factory ship of that name, built at
T & W Smith’s yard in North Shields, and launched 0n 17th April 1855
She was originally intended as a screw collier, but whilst in the course of her construction she was purchased by the Ordnance department of Her Majesty’s Government and fitted out as a floating workshop, or factory ship. Equipped with a wide variety of machinery for both wood and metalworking, she served in the Crimea providing an invaluable service for the repair, maintenance and manufacturing of equipment for use ashore. The ship was broken up in 1901 and the figure retained at Chatham.
Maritima has been commissioned to restore the figurehead, which over the years, has suffered badly form decay.Photographs will be added to this post as work progresses.
