Self-portrait of the artist which shows him as he would have looked around 1834 (Aberdeen City Council – Archives, Gallery & Museums collection)
In 1834 John Phillip was aged just 17 and an aspiring artist. Travelling from Aberdeen to the Royal Academy in London to see the finest new works would advance his style. But how was a teenager from a poor family to get to London? There were regular packets (steamships) which carried mail as well as passengers up and down the east coast. But £4 4 shillings for a cabin was beyond the young artist’s means (equivalent to three weeks’ wages for a skilled tradesman), and staying on the exposed deck for £1 1 shilling was not appealing.
The Brig 'Manly' by John Phillip
Many other ships carried cargo back and forth and Phillip sailed on the small Aberdeen-built and owned brig Manly, only 68 feet in length (approximately 21 metres). He paid for his passage by painting it. Look at the painting. In the distance on the right is a steamship - possibly the steam packet he avoided paying for passage on. Phillip went on to have a successful career as an artist, known particularly for painting Spanish scenes.
The brig Manly was less fortunate. In the evening of 4 October 1839 the brig ran for the Humber in a gale. At 7pm it struck a bank one mile from the shore. The sea breaking over the vessel forced the crew to climb the rigging to avoid being swept away. After 11pm the brig floated, but the crew's troubles had only just begun. Manly immediately capsized. The seven men scrambled onto the side of the vessel, “a space not exceeding nine feet square.”
By daybreak, two of the crew, James Annan and William Abernethy, a boy of 18, had died. The remaining five had their hopes raised and dashed when a rescue attempt failed. Huddled on Manly's side and drifting out to sea they must have despaired. However, about 9am a small boat was able to finally rescue the Aberdonians. The dangers of the sea passage were well illustrated and it is an irony that Manly was carrying sleepers for the railways that would make travel to London much easier.
Advertisement for the steam packet, The City of Aberdeen: Aberdeen Press and Journal - Wednesday 17 June 1835
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