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CONQUEROR

Shipbuildervessel built by Alexander HALL & Co. (Footdee, Aberdeen)

Date27 April 1850

Object NameCLIPPER

MediumWOOD

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 135' x breadth 25 1/12' x depth 18 1/12'
gross tonnage: 458 ton

Object numberABDSHIP001061

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Alexander Hall & Co.
Yard Number: 173
Official Number: 6874

Fate: wrecked on northwest side of Long Cay, Bahamas, 13 February 1867, during a voyage from Santiago de Cuba to Swansea with a cargo of copper ore.

Propulsion: Sail
Description: Ship rigged clipper, one and a half poop decks, 3 masts, ship rigged, round stern, carvel built, male figurehead.

Owners:
25/05/1850: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners;
John Thomson Rennie, shipowner, 16 shares; Alexander Burnett Whyte, merchant, 4 shares; David Wyllie, banker, 4 shares.
Other shareholders;
William James Lumsden, Balmeddie, 8 shares; James Abernethy, founder, 8 shares; Alexander Davidson, advocate, 4 shares; James Wyllie, merchant, 4 shares; William Spark, Crag'ie, Park, 4 shares; Robert Cruickshank, merchant, 4 shares; Robert Abernethy, founder, 4 shares; William Lumsden, merchant, 4 shares.
07/1855: vessel sold to John & James Richardson, Swansea.
1856: Registration transferred to Swansea.
(Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives)
1855-67: John & James Richardson, registered at Swansea.

Masters:
1852-55: Master G. Rennie
1856-61: Master Williams
1861-62: Master E. Charlton
1863-67: Master L. Oldrieve

Voyages (from Lloyd's Register):
1852-53: Aberdeen - Calcutta
1853-55: London - India
1856-62: Swansea - South America
1863-64: Swansea - West Indies
1865-67: Swansea - Cape of Good Hope

General History:
CONQUEROR’s maiden voyage to Calcutta began at Hartlepool on 20 June 1850. This port was evidently chosen to enable it to load 520 tons of coal, but it also carried 170 bales of ‘goods from Manchester’, clearly textiles. Considerable excitement was caused in Hartlepool by this new clipper, with many people watching its departure and two guns being fired to cheers from the crowd. George Rennie, possibly a brother of the principal shareholder John Thomson Rennie, was master from the outset. A year later it sailed again to Calcutta, this time from the London Docks. In the later years of its Aberdeen ownership its voyages were from the Clyde. In 1853 it was advertised to sail from Glasgow to Mauritius on 28 August. It returned to Greenock from Mauritius on 1 April 1854. On what must have been its last voyage for Rennie and Co., it was advertised to leave Glasgow for Valparaiso on 20 May 1854. Captain Rennie had now been replaced by Capt. G. Smith. The Glasgow agents were Patrick Henderson and Co., which became a well-known and long-lasting Clyde shipping line.

CONQUEROR’s owners from 1855 were Richardson and Co., based at Copper Ore Wharfs, Swansea. For the rest of its career it appears to have been in the ore trade. For example, in 1857 it was advertised to sail from Swansea to Coquimbo, Chile, about 7 February. It was well suited to its new trade. The quality of its saloon and steerage accommodation was emphasised in this and subsequent sailings from Swansea to Chile (as, for example, in January 1862). Private accommodation could be provided for families. At this period considerable numbers of British people moved to Coquimbo, where a large British colony was supported by gold and copper discoveries. The vessel’s return voyages would be with consignments of ore. In 1864 CONQUEROR, still in the ore trade, was in South Africa. In May of that year the Cape Copper Mining company announced the charter of the vessel to carry about 800 tons of ore to Swansea.
Sources (newspaper refs from British Newspaper Archive):-
Cape Natal News, 30/05/1864; Durham Chronicle, 21/06/1850; North British Daily Mail, 15/08/1853, 09/05/1854; Morning Herald, 28/05/1851; Shipping and Mercantile Gazette, 17/05/1850; Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, 18/07/1855, 04/02 and 04/11/1857; West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser, 17/01/1862; Wikipedia, accessed 08/10/2024.

Newspaper extracts:
01/05/1850:
LAUNCHES. - On Saturday, there was launched from the building-yard of Messrs Hall & Sons, a full-rigged ship, named the CONQUEROR. She is a 12 years A 1 vessel, of 487 tons and has a very fine figurehead of the Duke of Wellington, representing His Grace as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The vessel is an addition to the tonnage of our own port and is to be commanded by Captain Rennie of the LORD HADDO.
(Aberdeen Journal)

03/07/1850:
Thurso, 25 June (From Northern Ensign) Wednesday evening last the splendid CONQUEROR, of Aberdeen, bound for Calcutta, came to anchor in our bay. While she filled water casks she was visited by a party of gentlemen, who sailed round the ship admiring the exterior, which presented the most remarkable improvements now being made in naval architecture. Her commander Mr Rennie, very heartily welcomed us aboard and showed us to the cabins. We were struck with the grandeur and elegance with which they were fitted up, being composed of solid mahogany, beautifully carved with rich gilt moutings. Ceiling was decorated with pictures of heroes of past and present, Wellington, of course pre-eminent Captaine Rennie described as ''the most gentlemanly, well informed, agreeable and unassuming person who ever trod a quarter deck''. Cargo valued at £50,000. Ship ''the finest example of a clipper built ship ever launched on the east of Scotland''.
(Aberdeen Journal)

21/05/1851:
For Calcutta direct, to sail 15 June, the splendid Aberdeen clipper built ship CONQUEROR, 12 years, Captain Rennie commander, loading in the London docks, this vessel has very superior accommodation for passengers. For passage apply Captain Ludlow, Cornhill, London for freight or passage, John T Rennie, 41 Marischal Street, Aberdeen.
(Aberdeen Journal)

14/07/1855:
For Coquimbo, Chile, splendid British built clipper ship CONQUEROR, John R Williams, Commander, will sail from Swansea to Coquimbo direct on or about 27 July.
(Bristol Mercury)

21/03/1867:
The EMMA IVES Laraway, from St. Jago, [Cuba] brought on four of the crew of the British ship CONQUEROR, of and for Swansea from St. Jago, which was wrecked Feb. 14 on Fortune Island.
(Liverpool Journal of Commerce)

Notes:
Contracted cost £6745 or £14 per ton (Builder's List in the Lloyd's Library of the Aberdeen Maritime Museum)
Damage sustained and repaired in 1855.
Further running repairs in 1863.