John Sweatman b. 1825

  • Artist (Draughtsman)
While serving as a ship's clerk on board the HMS Bramble, Sweatman kept a journal illustrated with a number of engravings or original watercolours attributed to Harden S. Melville. Sweatman himself painted and sketched crudely in watercolours and ink.
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Biography <p>sketcher and ship's clerk, was born on 16 July 1825 in Marylebone, London. He was taught by Rev. G. Porticury before entering the junior section of Kings College, London, in August 1839. On 18 February 1842, the 16-year-old Sweatman joined HMS <i>Fly</i>_Fly_ as a clerk. Later he served on HMS <i>_Bramble</i>_ , first as a clerk and later as clerk-in-charge of provisions. The surviving second volume of Sweatman's journal (ML) documents two surveying cruises of HMS <i>_Bramble</i>_ from February 1845 until July 1847 and is illustrated with a number of engravings and original watercolours, most either by or after <b>*Harden S. Melville</b>* . They include lithographs and engravings from Melville's <i>_Sketches in Australia</i>_ and from <b>*J.B. Jukes</b>* 's official <i>_Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of HMS Fly ...</i>_ (2 vols, London 1847) as well as what appear to be some of the original watercolours for the plates in Jukes's book. Unpublished ethnographic illustrations in the journal are attributed to Melville, who also appears to have drawn the vignette for Sweatman's title-page. Sweatman himself seems to have been responsible for only a few crude watercolour and ink sketches, mostly marginal drawings and coastal profiles. Allen and Corris also attribute to him two ambitious but crude full-page watercolours, <i>_Cape Possessions and Mt Victoria, New Guinea, at Daybreak</i>_ and <i>_Gigantic Canoe, New Guinea</i>.</p> <p>_ .¶

In July 1847 the crew of the <i>_Bramble</i>_ were paid off and their return passage to England procured in the <i>_Thomas Arbuthnot</i>_ . Sweatman arrived in London on 20 January 1848 after 'a long and uncomfortable passage', having been away for five years and ten months.</p> <p></p>