PHOENICIAN

Shipbuildervessel built by Walter Hood & Co. (Shipbuilder, Footdee, Aberdeen 1839 - 1881)

Shipownervessel built for Aberdeen White Star Line (George Thompson & Co)

Date1847

Object NameBARQUE

MediumWOOD

ClassificationsShip

Dimensionslength 146 1/3' x breadth 24 7/12' x depth 19 1/6'
Registered Tonnage: 478ton

Object numberABDSHIP000321

Keywords

Aberdeen Built Ships

About MeYard: Walter Hood & Co.

Fate: Wrecked c.1865

Propulsion: Sail
Description: Barque rigged clipper, one-and-a-half poop decks, three masts, female figurehead.

Owners:
25/05/1847: Registered at Aberdeen for subscribing owners;
George Thompson, Jr., shipowner, Aberdeen, 40 shares; Hugh Sproat, shipmaster, 20 shares.
25/03/1848: George Thompson Jr. 32 shares to Alexander Morice, Shipowner, Aberdeen.
24/04/1848: Morice 16 shares to Thompson.
27/10/1848: Morice 16 shares to Thompson in trust for behalf of Creditors of Morice.
07/05/1849: Thompson 16 shares to James Edmond, Advocate, Aberdeen as Trustee on sequestered Estate of Alexander Morice.
21/09/1849: Edmond 16 shares to Thompson.
18/02/1851: Thompson by Bill of Sale 13/05/1850 8 shares to Francis Hay Nichol, residing in Aberdeen.
(Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))

Masters (Aberdeen register):
25/05/1847: Master Hugh Sproat.
01/03/1852: Master WIlliam Talbot.
21/01/1853: Master John Jameson.
1861-64: Master R. Savage. (Lloyd's)

Voyages:
1848-50: Aberdeen - Manilla.
1851: London - Sydney.
1861-64: Belfast - China.

General History:
PHOENICIAN was first of Aberdeen White Star fleet to make a reputation for speed under command of one of best known passage makers of the day, Capt. Sproat. 1st 3 voyages considered extraordinarily good for these days:-
1849-50 London-Sydney 90days, Sydney-London 88 days
1850-51 London-Sydney 96 days, Sydney-London 103 days
1851-52 London-Sydney 90 days, Sydney-London 83 days
(Basil Lubbock (1948 edn), "The Colonial Clippers" (James Brown, & Son, Glasgow), p. 132).

25/10/1850:
PHOENICIAN, barque, London to Sydney N.S.W., spoken 8 August, 52S, 34W [S. of Falkland Islands].
(Morning Chronicle).

24/06/1852:
"The Aberdeen Clipper-Built Barque Phoenician
(from the illustrated London News, February 21)
This fine vessel has just made the quickest passage from Sydney on record, bringing with her upwards of 80,000 (?) lbs of Australian gold. The PHOENICIAN left the colony on 12th November and arrived off Plymouth on 3rd instant. Thus makng the passage in 83 days. Sailing and carrying powers were never more happily combined than in this vessel, which has discharged 780 tons of dead weight and has invariably made such passages as have not been surpassed either by British or American Ships. The Sydney Herald of 11th November in reference to the PHOENICIAN says:- "This vessel will again leave this port tomorrow for London... She will probably arrive in England about the 20th February, thus accomplishing the passage out and home, including detention of loading and discharging, in the sport space of 8 months and a half... An Aberdeen correspondent of The Times expresses the hope that when the facts are duly considered it would no longer be contended that the American clippers have any just claim to be considered the fastest sailors or as worthy of a preference over British ships like the PHOENICIAN and others of the same build".
(The Argus, Melbourne)
(Source: http://ndpbeta.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/home (Historic Australian Newspapers Online)

29/11/1854:
Sydney, 15/09/1854, list of gold dust and sovereigns exported: PHOENICIAN (barque) 4204 ounces, 5000 sovereigns.
(Daily News).

28/02/1858:
PHOENICIAN, barque, of Aberdeen, bound south on 1 January, spoken in Lat. 42°25' N, Long. 13°15 W [off Cape Finisterre].
(Morning Chronicle).

02/02/1859:
Portsmouth 31 January - sailed barque PHOENICIAN for Sydney.
(Morning Chronicle)