HMS Cornwall Teak Bookmark
Bookmark handmade in Teak taken form HMS Cornwall.
HMS "Wellesley" named after the Duke of Wellington, was built by the East India Company at Bombay and launched on 24th February 1815. She captured Karachi for the British, and participated in the First Opium War, which resulted in Britain gaining control of Hong Kong.
She was loaned to the School Ship Society by the Admiralty in 1868, and fitted as a training ship, was re-named "Cornwall" to be moored off Purfleet in April of that year. Owing to development at Purfleet, she was moved to Denton 1928.
Severely damaged in 1940, she gained the distinction of being the last British ship of the line to be sunk by enemy action and the only one to have been sunk by an air raid. Raised in 1948 & beached at Tilbury-Ness, where she was broken up. Her timbers in good condition were used in the rebuilding of the Law Courts in London. Her figurehead was taken to Chatham Dockyard, where it still stands, just inside the Main Gate under her original name of Wellesley. Many souvenirs were made from her timber, such as ashtrays, candlesticks, serviette rings etc, each with a metal plate giving details of the ship.
The wood for this pen came from a cutting board as pictured below;
The bookmarks are finished with either Gold or Chrome plating. Measuring around 50mm overall length.
The book mark will be shipped in the velvet style pouch pictured with a small certificate giving details of the wood.
All items are handmade by me beginning with rough cut woods for the body. The wood is then sanded, sealed, waxed and polished to its final finish. Assembly is completed by using pre-made high quality components for long lasting performance.