John Gregory (1841-1917) was born in Cornwall but spent his working years in South Shields and later Lowestoft as a painter-decorator and sign-writer in shipyards. The attribution is based on similar signed works in the Maritime Museum Lowestoft and Waveney District Council.
The ship 'Autumn' was built in 1884 and in 1904 sold to Norway and wrecked in 1908.