Description This gavel was a presentation for the christening or launching of The S.S. Chiapas. This general cargo steel steamer, weighing 996 tons, was launched in 1882. It crashed the same year seven miles from shore on its way from Glasgow to Trinidad. J. & G. Thomson Clyde Bank Ship Yard, the S.S. Chiapas shipbuilder noted on the gavel, was a major shipbuilding company established by brothers James and George in 1852. They moved operations to the River Clyde in 1872, and the name of the town was renamed Clydebank in 1882 after the company. The firm was taken over by steel manufacturer John Brown & Co. in 1899. Ships built under the John Brown name include the Lusitania, the Queen Mary and the QE2, its last major project. Condition: Generally fine, with only minor wear. Box nicely patinated with the usual overall light aging, handling, wear. References: “Clydebank (Barns o’ Clyde).” The Gazetteer for Scotland. 1995-2002. http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/towns/townfirst447.html (11 February 2003). “John Brown Shipbuilding and Engineering formed, 1852.” BBCi. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/timelines/scotland/john_brown.shtml (11 February 2003).
