The brig Ceres, in three positions, off the entrance to Whitehaven

Despite the surprisingly large number of late eighteenth century sailing vessels, mostly brigs, named Ceres in honour of the Roman goddess of agriculture, the brig portrayed here is probably identifiable as one built at Whitehaven in 1798. Measured at 100 tons and owned by Mr. Daniel Brocklebank, her builder, and also the man whose two sons would shortly found the famous ship-owning dynasty of Thomas & John Brocklebank, she was commanded by Captain Merrick and traded coal out of Whitehaven to St. Petersburg and other Baltic destinations.

It is well documented that Daniel Brocklebank was extremely reluctant to send his ships too far afield given the prevailing war with France and as if to confirm his fears, Ceres was captured by the French in 1799 and never heard of again. It is therefore possible that this portrait of her was commissioned by Brocklebank as a memento of the virtually new brig he had lost to enemy action.