Chatham Reach

Description
Oil painting titled Chatham Reach.
The painting is described as showing ‘Rochester Castle in the distance and the Powder Hulks moored in the harbour of Chatham Dockyard’.
The piece depicts small sailing ships on the river and a small paddle steamer on the far right-hand side. The bigger sailing ships have had their sails removed-probably whilst they were in ordinary. The view also depicts Rochester Cathedral in the distance by the castle.
Donated by the late Captain R.L. Jermain, R.N.

The donor’s grandfather John Jermain married Sarah Davis in 1834-her father Gideon Davis lived at Hammond Hill, Chatham, Kent.
The painting is by a ‘Dr Turner’ who was a great friend of Gideon Davis. It was painted from the garden at the above address around 1815. It is assumed that the piece was then given to the Davis family and then handed to Sarah Jermain (nee Davis) before being passed to her sisters and finally coming to Captain R.L. Jermain.

The address where the piece was painted is located just off (what is now) the A2 near to the Sir John Hawkins Hospital site. So that explains the angle of the view in the piece and why we cannot see any of the Dockyard buildings themselves. The buildings we see in the image must be residential since the Dockyard site was (and is) situated just East of this particular road in Chatham.
The Jermain family obviously moved to Canada at some point and Captain R.L. Jermain wished to see the piece return to Kent.
Maker and role
Dr Turner: Artist See full details