3-020-994 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

"Military Train Crossing the Sands to Elizabeth Castle,. Jersey, in the Time of the Civil War," by R. Beavis, from the late exhibition of the Royal Academy, 1865. 'The visitor to Jersey will be aware that the boldly and picturesquely situated fortress Elizabeth Castle (so named from its chief foundress, "Queen Bess") is only accessible on the land side for a short time at low water, and by a naturally-formed causeway of shingle and sand...Mr. Beavis, the painter of the picture we engrave - [has depicted] the "loyal" Jerseymen [having] armed, manned, and put in a state of defence the almost impregnable old castle. The incident here rendered must...necessarily have been one of ordinary occurrence during the Civil War...we are at liberty to suppose that these preparations are being made at the particular period when the Parliamentarians had at length, after the death of Charles, gained possession of the sister island of Guernsey, and when, therefore, the danger to the Jersey islanders of an attack became imminent...We should add that Mr. Beavis's picture was in the last Academy exhibition; but, like many other works of ability and promise, it was hung too high for a fair examination of its numerous figures'. From "Illustrated London News", 1865.