Scale: 1:24. A contemporary full hull model of a ship’s jolly boat (circa 1838), built plank on frame in double-diagonal construction in the Georgian style. Model is complete with four thwarts, bottom boards and seating in the stern. Rudder and tiller are missing. It is mounted on wooden turned pillars above a beaded baseboard complete with bun feet. The base is inscribed with the number ‘5’. It is one of a set of ten boat designs (SLR0768-0777) proposed by Sir William Symonds, Chief Surveyor of the Navy, to be carried by a first-rate man-of-war.

The origins of the name jollyboat can be traced as far back as 1485 where an inventory for the ship `Soveriegn’ mentioned a `bote called the jollyvatt’. According to this reference, these were the smallest to be carried and were rowed by four oars and sailed by a small triangular sail. By the beginning of the 19th century, they were still in use and available in 17 lengths ranging from 12 feet to 34 feet.