Ship ‘County of Inverness’

Dundee’s Heritage Trust at VERDANT WORKS acquired a fine oil painting of the “County of Inverness” (as a full-rig ship) – resulting from lengthy facilitations made through this website!

A former jute mill has become a major exhibition centre for the Trust. Expert curators continue to develop a visual & documented history of the original 19th/20th century JUTE industry on the River Tay. It is one of the ‘must see’ museums when visiting Dundee.

The painting is attributed to the well known pier-head artist Lai Fong (active 1870-1910) of Calcutta. It has been on show to the public since 2016.

This was the third 4-masted ship for R&J Craig, launched on 4th January 1877. It was another highly successful vessel with a long career as a “County” until 1911; ultimately it had 5 owners! From 1925 a trading Company in what is nowadays Tallin (in Estonia) operated the vessel mostly to countries bordering the Baltic. In this latter period the ship visited Hull (N.E. England) on several occasions. It was renamed “Dora” from 1911, “Carmen” from 1916 and “Nemrac” from 1925. Its last name change was to “Amicizia” around 1940. It came to a sudden and sad end . . . .

Nemrac” (ex “County of Inverness”) as a steam powered vessel, under
Estonian ownership ~
circa 1928. {Courtesy Tallin Maritime Museum 2010}.