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The key feature was a first-class cabin mounted on gimbals that was designed to swing back and forth supposedly cancelling out the actions of the waves.

Dr Robb Robinson, honorary research fellow at the University of Hull, described Bessemer as “one of those giant figures of the 19th Century”.

“He was also reputedly a man who suffered very badly with seasickness,” Dr Robinson said.

“And he felt that in the modern Victorian age it must be possible to be able to come up with an invention, a mechanical invention, that would reduce seasickness.”

Bessemer raised £250,000 to build the 350ft (107m) long vessel and it was constructed at Earle’s shipyard, located on the Humber Estuary at Victoria Dock.

Dr Robinson said the ship was plagued by a series of misfortunes.

“The first one was when it was caught by the tide in a storm and it ended up coming aground near Barton,” he said.

“It was brought back without much damage.”