Captain Charles Chapman's gold ring
This object chosen by the Curator is a gold ring inscribed with a dedication to Captain Charles Chapman.
Captain Chapman commanded the ss Great Britain briefly during voyages in 1873-4, after the previous Captain, John Gray, mysteriously disappeared overboard.
The inscription suggests that a grateful passenger may have given the ring to the Captain. It was very common for first-class passengers to recognise and pay respect to the commander in this way at the end of the long voyage to Australia.
Often they collected large sums towards a present of money or valuables, or signed a testimonial praising the Captain’s character and abilities. Gifts and testimonials were usually presented during celebratory dinners on the last night at sea.
This ring, however, looks as if it might have been a more private gift, from an individual donor.
Could the donor have bought a ring, and arranged for its inscription, on board ship? How did he or she know what size the ring – which is unusually large even for a man’s hand - should be?
This object prompts interesting questions about passengers’ perception of their Captains.
The ring, which is displayed in the Dockyard Museum, has been generously loaned to the Trust. If you have an artefact or document connected with the ss Great Britain please contact the curatorial team on 0117 926 0680 or email the curator.
The Trust is always interested to learn about sources that may contribute to public knowledge about the ship.
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