I first saw this little model when I was 9 years old in 1966 at my Boarding School, Brondesbury at Stocks in Hertfordshire. It was the ‘House’ Mascot. I was immediately taken by it. Every year near Trafalgar Day on 21st October the school celebrated The Royal Navy and The Revenge naturally formed part of this.
Although no one at the time seemed to know who actually made the original model, there is a most interesting description attached to its unusual mounting:
H.M.S. REVENGE
1577 – 1944
DEO, PATRIAE, AMICIS.
( God, Country and Friends )
The model of Sir Richard Grenville’s ‘Revenge’ is mounted on the metal flag taken from the Admiral’s barge of the 25,750 ton Battleship ‘Revenge’ launched in 1915, the eighth ship of the name in the Royal Navy.
This flag was presented to the school by Deirdre Bacon (1945-1950) in memory of her grandfather Surgeon Rear Admiral Sir William Ireland de Courcy Wheeler M.D., F.R.C.V.S. who died in the service on the 10th September, 1943.
When the school closed down in 1973 the headmistress, knowing my fondness of the model, and assuming she had committed it to safe hands, presented me with The Revenge. I was thrilled.
I have to say that at that time it was not in great condition and in need of re-rigging. Initially this was undertaken by someone in Cheltenham. It was returned with very coarse rigging and I was somewhat disappointed. Nevertheless I placed it on a wide window sill in my sitting room, where it remained for many years.
Sadly my headmistress’s assumption took a further knock when last year a friend’s dog decided to look out of the window and jumped up on it disaster. The masts were broken, the sails torn and the rigging splayed all over the place, as if the ship had emerged from one of its most furious battles. In desperation I contacted Maritime Models, Hereford.
All I can say is that this was inspired advice. Steve Parks has been fantastic, he took a look at the model and has now completely re-rigged her in authentic materials and has made good the masts, taking great care to keep the original sails.
I am absolutely thrilled and proud to have The Revenge back home. It is now in a cabinet away from naughty paws and I hope at last fulfilling my headmistress’s wishes!
Many thanks Steve Parks and Maritime Models