UMVOTI

Shipbuildervessel built by Hall, Russell & Company, Limited (Aberdeen, Scotland, 1864 - 1992)

Date19 October 1869

Object NameBARQUE

MediumIRON

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 152 5/12' x breadth 24 7/12' x depth 15 9/12'
gross tonnage: 465 ton

Object numberABDSHIP001811

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Hall, Russell & Co.
Yard Number: 167
Official Number: 60628

Fate: broken up 1928.

Propulsion: Sail
Description: 2 decks, 3 masts, ship rig, altered to barque June 1872, round stern, clencher built, no galleries, semi female figurehead.

Owners:
25/10/1869: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners; John Thomson Rennie, shipowner, 52 shares; John Cook, shipowner, 8 shares; Robert Abernethie, engineer, 4 shares, all Aberdeen.
06/1872: Rig altered from ship to barque.
1891: Sold to Captain William B. Hay who operated the vessel on the Mauritius-Australia and Mauritius-South Africa trades
10/1912: the vessel was sold to Ireland, Fraser & Co., Port Louis, Mauritius - registered at Port Louis.
1928: the vessel was broken up.
(Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))

Masters:
1870-72: Master J. Stewart
1873: Master Miles
1874-87: Master C. Reeves
1889-91: Master P. Buck
1891-1912: Master W. B. Hay (Lloyd's)
10/1894 - 06/1895: Captain Alexander Milne was the master of UMVOTI for Hay. He was offered to again master the vessel later in 1895, but declined the offer. (Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))

Voyages (from Lloyd's):
1870: Aberdeen - Natal
1871-72: London - Natal
1873: London - Zanzibar

General History:
21/06/1872:
[For] Port Natal - the high classed clipper ship UMVOTI is fast filling up to sail in a few days. Her passenger accommodation is most commodious and elegant. Apply John T. Rennie, Lime Street.
(Daily News)

26/06/1873:
UMVOTI, Thomas Mills master, arrived 26 June from Port Louis (Mauritius) 23 May.
(South Australian Register (Adelaide))

19/07/1873:
Marine board investigation into grounding of barque UMVOTI in Port Adelaide on night of 28 June last, board do not consider that any blame is attached to Mr Pilot Barrett and acquit him of the charge.
(South Australian Chronicle)

17/04/1879:
Reinforcements for Natal - a Lloyd's telegram from Aden contains intelligence that Messrs John T. Rennie, Sons & Co.'s barque UMVOTI had sailed from Mauritius 12 March with troops for Natal.
(Bristol Mercury)

10/12/1889:
UMVOTI, barque, Capt. Buck, arrived at Queenstown [Cobh, Ireland] from Mauritius 8 Dec.
(Aberdeen Weekly Journal)

04/02/1892:
Barque UMVOTI, Capt. Hay, 40 days from Mauritius reported from the heads early yesterday and getting close it was ascertained there was sickness aboard. Tow line was thrown aboard and pilot Paton directed vessel's movements from the tug. On reaching quarantine ground customs boat with Dr. Drysdale (health officer) stopped just within speaking distance. Captain reported that early in December a native member of crew fell sick and developed rash which looked like smallpox. Dr Drysdale examined the man, now convalescent, and states he was unmistakably had severe attack of smallpox. Seaman who had been looking after him sickened and died shortly after vessel was towed inside the heads. Health officer quarantined the vessel and yellow flag was hoisted. Captain (and his wife) and officers will remain aboard and thoroughly fumigate her. Crew were sent to quarantine island. (Fort Chalmers, near Otago, N.Z.)
(Hobart Mercury)

28/04/1892:
UMTOVI, Capt. W. Hay, arrived Freemantle 7 April from For Chalmers, N.Z.
(Perth Daily News)

20/09/1892:
British barque UMVOTI, from Freemantle, has arrived at Mauritius with 12 frames broken alongside the wharf at Hamelin.
(Glasgow Herald)

21/09/1892:
Barque UMVOTI arrived Mauritius 24 August from Hamelin, sailed 19 July.
(Perth Inquirer)

07/02/1894:
Port Adelaide, 7/2/1894 - Charles Williams was charged on the information of Joseph Robert Whitestone, 2nd officer of Barque UMVOTI, with striking him on the face on high seas on 5 Nov. and of using bad language. Defendant, one of the crew, pleaded guilty and was fined £2 or 14 days.
(South Australian Register)

07/01/1896:
Well known Barque UMVOTI, which acted as troop ship during Zulu war and later conveyed troops for general colley from Mauritius to Port Natal, reached Sydney on Sunday from Mauritius. Captain Meldrum writes that she sailed from Port Louis 29 Nov. and had chiefly light winds but very heavy sea to 40 degrees S, then E and SE to 46 degrees S. Then a strong NNW gale lasting 21-23 Dec., vessel shipping a lot of water which carried the poop ladder away and flooded the cabin. Cargo is of 500 tons sugar. (Arrived Sydney 4 Jan.)
(Newcastle Morning Herald)

06/02/1905:
UMVOTI, W.B. Hay, arrived 4 Jan. from East London in ballast for orders.
(Adelaide Advertiser)

25/07/1905:
UMVOTI, from Adelaide to East London with cargo of wheat, arrived Albany (Western Australia) with her bulwarks damaged. Cargo also damaged but not seriously, master intends survey and temporary repairs here.
(Sydney Morning Herald)

26/10/1905:
UMVOTI, which left Adelaide 7 June for East London and put into Albany 24 July in distress, resumed her voyage after repair 12 Aug. Has again put into port, this time Mauritius, stated she is to discharge the crew and ship a fresh one.
(Newcastle Morning Herald)

17/09/1908:
UMVOTI in port of Bunbury loading cargo of jarrah for Mauritius. Capt. Hay states he 12 years since withdrew from competition with steam driven tramps in this portion of the globe and was forced to seek less frequented ocean byways.
(Bunbury Herald (Western Australia))

09/03/1912:
Master of barque UMVOTI, ready to leave with cargo of timber for Mauritius, has been unable to secure men to complete the crew after recent desertion of members of crew. Offers reward of £10 for information leading to their recovery.
(Bunbury Herald)

13/03/1915:
UMVOTI, which has been regularly running between Mauritius and Western Australia, is engaged carrying horses at the present time.
(Bunbury Herald)

07/09/1910:
On the vessel INTABA, "[...] Mr G. H. Rennie, senior partner of the firm of owners, said the chairman had told them that that was the fifteenth vessel that Messrs Hall, Russell, and Company had built for them. His (Mr Rennie's) memory went further back, and he made the number 16. In 1869 they built a vessel called the UMVOTI, the first that Hall, Russell, and Company built. The UMVOTI was still going today, so it seemed that Hall, Russell, and Company had gone on as they had commenced."
(Aberdeen Journal)