Hi all,
For my next project, I am planning on building none other than the Peerless by modifying a kit or kit-bashing (why I am choosing this method may become apparent later).
The problem I am hitting with Peerless is a lack of information; outside of port records and some immigration records documenting its journeys, there's not much out there. What makes this project a bit more fun and unique than most is that there's significant leeway not only for creativity, but in choosing which Peerless I am building (this will make sense with some background on the ships in question. See "Why the Peerless?").
Some old threads have been useful, but any advice, tips, tricks, or feedback would be appreciated re: my research, doing guesswork, and creating a model based on extremely limited information.
Additionally, I would appreciate anyone who has knowledge or expertise on shipping vessels from the 1850s and 1860s, who can chime in on my research, ideas, and conclusions.
Why The Peerless?
If you're confused as to what I mean by Peerless (or why the title says "One of" the ships named Peerless), that was not unintentional. Peerless (or the two ships named Peerless) were the subject of an extremely famous contract law dispute in England read by almost all Law Students and Lawyers since.
In the legal case, Raffles v Wichelhaus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_v_Wichelhaus), Wichelhaus ordered 125 bales of Surat Cotton from India to be delivered by Raffles aboard the ship "Peerless." There was one problem; there were two ships on the same Bombay to Liverpool shipping route named Peerless carrying Surat Cotton, with Raffles offering Cotton from the Peerless leaving port in December and Wichelhaus believing he was purchasing Cotton from the Peerless leaving port in October. By the time the December shipment arrived, the price of Cotton tanked, and Wichelhaus refused to buy the Cotton, claiming he had contracted for Cotton from the October shipment. The Courts held that, because there was no agreement (as the parties hadn't actually agreed on which Peerless would carry the Cotton), there was no contract and Raffles couldn't claim that Wichelhaus breached the contract.
In short, I am hoping to build one of these ships named Peerless from the case, as I have not seen or heard of anyone attempting a decent reproduction. The problem is figuring out, mostly from context and informed creativity, what either ship looked like.
See next post for relevant information on the ships with measurements and potential contemporary references.
For my next project, I am planning on building none other than the Peerless by modifying a kit or kit-bashing (why I am choosing this method may become apparent later).
The problem I am hitting with Peerless is a lack of information; outside of port records and some immigration records documenting its journeys, there's not much out there. What makes this project a bit more fun and unique than most is that there's significant leeway not only for creativity, but in choosing which Peerless I am building (this will make sense with some background on the ships in question. See "Why the Peerless?").
Some old threads have been useful, but any advice, tips, tricks, or feedback would be appreciated re: my research, doing guesswork, and creating a model based on extremely limited information.
Additionally, I would appreciate anyone who has knowledge or expertise on shipping vessels from the 1850s and 1860s, who can chime in on my research, ideas, and conclusions.
Why The Peerless?
If you're confused as to what I mean by Peerless (or why the title says "One of" the ships named Peerless), that was not unintentional. Peerless (or the two ships named Peerless) were the subject of an extremely famous contract law dispute in England read by almost all Law Students and Lawyers since.
In the legal case, Raffles v Wichelhaus (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raffles_v_Wichelhaus), Wichelhaus ordered 125 bales of Surat Cotton from India to be delivered by Raffles aboard the ship "Peerless." There was one problem; there were two ships on the same Bombay to Liverpool shipping route named Peerless carrying Surat Cotton, with Raffles offering Cotton from the Peerless leaving port in December and Wichelhaus believing he was purchasing Cotton from the Peerless leaving port in October. By the time the December shipment arrived, the price of Cotton tanked, and Wichelhaus refused to buy the Cotton, claiming he had contracted for Cotton from the October shipment. The Courts held that, because there was no agreement (as the parties hadn't actually agreed on which Peerless would carry the Cotton), there was no contract and Raffles couldn't claim that Wichelhaus breached the contract.
In short, I am hoping to build one of these ships named Peerless from the case, as I have not seen or heard of anyone attempting a decent reproduction. The problem is figuring out, mostly from context and informed creativity, what either ship looked like.
See next post for relevant information on the ships with measurements and potential contemporary references.
