Story
Text to Donate BUNT71 £5 to 70070
To help us celebrate the 200th Year of HMS Trincomalee please help us kick off the fundraising by supporting us to create a unique display dedicated to Eliza Bunt who travelled on the ship from Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) to Portsmouth, 1818-1819.
Eliza was a Royal Navy widow and after her husband’s death the Navy took responsibility for her
journey home.
We will recreate Eliza’s cabin on board the ship using information from the detailed diary she wrote on her trip. Her diary provides a unique record of a woman’s experience on a Royal Navy ship in the early 1800s. It is a frank record of how difficult she found the trip, but also describes the things that Eliza took comfort in, some of which we will include in the cabin.
The display will coincide with the centenary year of the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) formation.
Any donor giving over £50 will be offered a special tour of the display.
The display will:
- Highlight the wide range of experiences women have encountered on board a Royal Navy ship
- Increase understanding of life on board an early 19th century Naval ship
- Inspire visitors to want to find out more about HMS Trincomalee and the stories she can tell leading up to her 200th Anniversary