“Gunboats in the form of coffins are foundering or about to founder. Each has a single cannon in the bows, and a mast with a triangular sail whose corner is held in the teeth of the skull which surmounts the mast. The crews all wear shrouds and bonnets rouges; on the skulls also are bonnets rouges. Some of the men are screaming in the water, where a floating skull holds the end of a sail in its teeth, looking round fiercely at one of the drowning men. Others are still in the coffin-gunboats, holding muskets or making gestures of despair. One says: “Oh de Corsican Bougre, was make dese Gun Boats on purpose for our Funeral.” In the background are two British men of war. Two tiny sailors say: “I say Messmate if we dont bear up quickly there will be nothing left for us to do”, and, “Rigt [sic] Tom, & I take them there things at the mast head to be Boney’s Crest, a Skull without Brains.” A satire on the manifest impracticability of an invasion (see British Museum Satires No. 10008) by gunboats without the command of the sea, cf. British Museum Satires Nos. 9995, &c, 10125, 10223, 10231, 10260, 10277.”–British Museum online catalogue.
- Printmaker: Williams, Charles, active 1797-1830, printmaker.
- Title: The coffin expedition, or, Boney’s invincible armada half seas over [graphic].
- Publication: [London] : Pubd. Jany. 6th, 1804, by S.W. Fores, 50 Piccadilly, [6 January 1804]
804.01.06.01
Acquired November 2023
A copy in reverse of William Hogarth’s Plate 6 of A harlot’s progress: A dilapidated room with Moll Hackabout’s friends, mostly prostitutes, gathered around her open coffin, several of them weeping; one young woman stands with her back to the scene as she gazes at herself in the mirror. On the right, a clergyman spills his brandy as he surreptitiously gropes beneath a woman’s skirt; Moll’s serving woman, standing at the coffin with a wine bottle and glass in hand scowls at the pair. Under the window and to the left, the undertaker flirts with a pretty young prostitute who picks a handkerchief from his pocket. In the foreground Moll’s small son plays with a spinning top. Sprigs of yew (rosemary?) decorate her coffin; a plate of yew rests on the floor at the parson’s feet, another spring at her son’s feet.
An illustrated broadside with text describing in detail the ceremonies and events around the funeral and burial of Queen Caroline from Monday 13th August as her body lay in state at Brandenburgh House, through the early afternoon interment in Brunswick on 25th August. The broadside records the argument between Sir George Naylor and Mr. Bailey who had assigned responsibility for the events by the George IV and the Caroline’s executor Dr. Lushington. The official route attempted to negate the threat of violence from a mob by steering it away from the city center. However, a mob blocked the cortege’s path forcing it to re-route through the city. Chaos erupted and soldiers opened fire killing two men and other injuries. The internment was precided over by J.W. Wolff who said a prayer in German, a translation of which is included in the text of the broadside.