A portrait of the ship ‘Cilurnum’ shown in Chinese waters. She flies the flag of the Hall Brothers Steam Ship Co., Ltd from the mainmast. A Chinese junk can be seen on the far left with an island visible in the distance beyond. She was known to have been in Hong Kong in 1877 and this painting may date from this period.

Cilurnum is the Roman name for Chester. The ‘Cilurnum’ was an iron sailing ship belonging to the Port of London and was built at Barrow-in-Furness in 1874. She was sunk on 19 August 1885 when she caught fire, with the loss of only one life. At the time of her loss she was the property of Hall Brothers of Newcastle-on-Tyne.