Drawing, inscribed at the bottom by the artist, 'The Shannon' and bottom right, 'Sheerness September 4th 1844'.

The 5th-rate, 38-gun 'Shannon', built in 1806 by Brindley's at Frindsbury, across the Medway from Chatham Dockyard, became famous in the Anglo-American War of 1812 when, commanded by Captain Philip Broke, she captured the American frigate 'Chesapeake' (Captain Richard Lawrence) in a ferocious 20-minute action off Boston. She became a receiving ship for men in 1832 but is probably shown here later just as a storage hulk. Although her name was officially changed to 'St Lawrence' in 1844, her fame ensured that her real identity persisted among naval men, as Mends' title shows. In PAI0854, which is a drawing made from on board her, he similarly calls her the 'Old Shannon'. She was broken up at Chatham in 1859.