Inscribed: "His Majesties Ship the 'Blenheim' so called from One of the Glorious Victorys Obtain'd by that Renowned General his Grace the Duke of Marlborough To whom this Plate is most humbly Inscrib'd". The 96-gun second-rate ‘Blenheim’ – the first of four British warships spanning over 150 years to be given this name – is shown in starboard-quarter view on a placid sea, with topsails lowered, all her guns run out, and a crowded, busy upper deck. Either side of her, passenger-bearing boats are being rowed away; one, which flies a Union flag, heads in the direction of a walled, coastal settlement shown distantly at extreme right. The overall impression given is that ‘Blenheim’ has arrived at a foreign port and is sending emissaries ashore. Accordingly, she flies Union flags and ensigns at her main mast, jack and ensign staffs.

The square tuck shown on the 'Blenheim' must be incorrect and, judging by other sea-pieces engraved by Kirkall, it is likely that he misinterpreted Baston's original. It is unlikely that the mistake was Baston's, particularly as it is possible that he drew ship draughts: an English draught with the initials used by Thomas Baston is now in the Danish National Archives.

The ornate, multiple-font, inscription below the image is set symmetrically either side of a coat of arms identifiable as those bestowed on John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough (1650-1722), by Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor, as Prince of Mindelheim on 18 November 1705 in the aftermath of his famous victory at Blindheim (Blenheim) the previous year. Mindelheim was annexed by the Elector of Bavaria in 1714 under the Treaty of Utrecht, thus ending Marlborough’s sovereignty, and although he then attempted to get it swapped for the county of Nellenburg in Upper Austria, and have that elevated to a principality, the plan was dropped in or after 1717 (wiki), so the appropriateness of these arms would appear to be questionable at the time this print was made.

Print removed from album "Twenty-two prints of several of the capital ships of his Majesties Royal Navy with variety of other sea pieces" (formerly bound with PAG6933-PAG6939, PAG6941-PAG6954; plate no.8; page no.8). As per each of the other prints in this album, the initials J.S.A. have been added (here, at the extreme bottom-left of the scene), which indicates this impression was once owned by Sir John St Aubyn, 5th Baronet (1758-1839); http://www.marquesdecollections.fr/detail.cfm/marque/7880 locates this stamp and lists four posthumous St Aubyn sales.