OMAR PASHA
Shipbuildervessel built by
Walter Hood & Co.
(Shipbuilder, Footdee, Aberdeen 1839 - 1881)
Date1853
Object NameCLIPPER
MediumWOOD
ClassificationsShip
Dimensionslength 203 3/6' x breadth 33' x depth 22 1/3'
Registered Tonnage: 1279 ton
Registered Tonnage: 1279 ton
Object numberABDSHIP000340
Keywords
Fate: Burned at sea when homeward bound from Brisbane, wool-laden, master J. McKey. 28N, 43W [Mid Atlantic East of W. Indies] 22 April 1869.
Propulsion: Sail
Description: ship rigged clipper 2 decks and one forecastle and 1½ poop decks, round stern, carvel built, full length male figurehead, standing bowsprit.
(Source: Aberdeen Register of Shipping (Aberdeen City Archives))
Owner:
George Thompson, jun., & Co.
Masters:
1858: Master B. Thompson
1862-63: Master Henry
1868: Master J. M 'Key
General History:
Named after the Ottoman General Omar Pasha (1806 - 1871) who defeated the Russians at Crimea and thus became a hero in Britain.
17/05/1854:
'Launched Saturday last [...] magnificent clipper ship [...] the "OMAR PASHA" - a popular name at present [...] the property, chiefly of our enterprising city member Mr Thompson for possibly Australian or China trade. 'To be commanded by Capt. Thomson, formerly of the "John Bunyan". 'She is the largest vessel ever launched at Aberdeen.'
(Aberdeen Journal)
10/01/1855:
Ship OMAR PASHA, London for Bombay, spoken 26 November, 7.20N, 25W [off West Africa].
(Aberdeen Journal)
24/11/1856:
Ship OMAR PASHA from Sydney has 2,260 ounces gold dust and £1000 in sovereigns, total value £10,040.
(Daily News)
26/11/1856:
Births - at sea, on board ship "OMAR PASHA" on 12th November, the wife of Captain John Thomson of a daughter.
(Aberdeen Journal)
03/03/1864:
Ship OMAR PASHA has arrived from Melbourne with £71,272 Australian gold on freight.
(Leeds Mercury)
14/05/1869:
Reported ship OMAR PASHA, burnt at sea, had £30,000 in gold aboard.
(Newcastle Courant)
21/05/1869:
OMAR PASHA left Moreton Bay [Queensland] 1 February with her full complement of passengers, which with crew made 84 souls. She was laden with wool and other colonial produce and all went well until 22 April, when fire broke out in the hold at 4.30am - so rapidly did the flames spread, owing to inflammable nature of cargo, that by 11.00am ship was burning from stem to stern and in 7 hours after she went down. Some time previously Captain, crew and passengers got into the boats and on the same day were picked up by an Italian barque bound for New York. They remained on board her until 26th when four vessels were fallen in with, which took them off. All crew and passengers thus saved. 53 souls including Captain Grey were landed by full rigged ship ZEALANDIA at Cork. They were almost entirely destitute of wearing apparel or money. The rapidity of the fire barely allowing them to escape with their lives. In Queenstown all necessaries were supplied to them and they left on Tuesday night for England. OMAR PASHA had no specie [gold] aboard.
(Glasgow Herald)
'The Colonial Clippers' - Lubbock:
The manifest of the ship on a voyage homeward bound from Melbourne in 1864 was:-
3,550 bales of wool, 14,000 hides, 80 casks of tallow, 20 tons spelter, 4,000 ounces gold and 12 passengers.
Port charges at Melbourne one shilling per ton, plus pilotage in and out at £28.18s.6D.
Note: Spelled OMAR PACHA in 1856 Lloyd's Register of Shipping.
