Lothair (clipper)

Lothair was named after the British Prime Minister's Benjamin Disraeli's 14th novel Lothair published on 2 May 1870.[1] The novel was well received and even Charles Dickens welcomed Disraeli back to the ‘brotherhood of literature’. The first edition sold out immediately. A degree of Lothair mania hit the country with a perfume, a race horse, a street and of course a ship all being named after the novel. A perfume with the name Lothair is still produced today by Penhaligon. Who were perfumer to Queen Victoria.

Lothair
History
United Kingdom
Name: Lothair
Owner: William Waker
Builder: William Waker, Lavender Dock, Rotherhithe
Launched: 2 July 1870
United Kingdom
Owner: Killick Martin & Company, London
Acquired: 7 July 1873
United Kingdom
Owner: William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire
Acquired: 1885
Italy
Owner: G. Buccelli & D. Loero, Genoa, Italy
Acquired: 1891
Peru
Owner: F.G. Piaggio, Callao, Peru
Acquired: 1905
Fate: Lost in 1910
General characteristics
Class and type: Composite clipper
Tons burthen:
Length: 191.8 ft (58.5 m)[1]
Beam: 33.5 ft (10.2 m)[1]
Depth: 19 ft (5.8 m)[1]
Sail plan: fully rigged ship[1]

Lothair was launched on 2 July 1870 .[1] The launch was celebrated in some style. C. Fox Smith describes the event as follows:

At the time of her launch the Thames shipbuilding trade had been greatly depressed for some years, so the event was hailed as an augury of better times in store. She took the water in July, 1870, amid the cheers of a large crowd of spectators, and the launch was followed by a big luncheon, presided over by Mr. Walker, at which many leading shipping people were present.

Lothair was one of the fastest tea clippers built. On her maiden voyage under Captain Emlyn Peacock, departing London on 10 September 1870, she reached Yokohoma in 135 days. There's is a contemporary description of her speed, quoted in Stuart Rankin's Shipyards, Granaries and Wharves walk:[2]

I was second mate of a Newbury Port ship, and we were running our easting down bound out to Canton, and we were somewhere near Tristan d'Acunha when we sighted a vessel astern. It was blowing hard from the nor' west and the next time I looked a couple of hours later, there was the ship close on our quarter, and we doing 12 knots. "Holly jiggers" says I to the mate "there's the Flying Dutchman "Naw," says he, "It's the Thermopylae." But when she was abeam a little later, she hoisted her name, the Lothair, and it's been my opinion ever since that she was making mighty close to 17 knots.

This is quite a compliment - the Flying Dutchman was a ghost ship of maritime legend, and the Thermopylae was renowned as the fastest tea clipper on the sea, a reputation seriously challenged only by the Cutty Sark. Records of some of her achievements as follows:

  • In 10 September 1870 - 23 January sailed from London to Yokohama in 135 days.
  • 23 March 1871 - 1 July Sailed from Yokohama to New York in 96 days
  • 8 January 1878 - 2 April sailed from Amoy to New York in 84 days (a record).
  • 12 June 1882 - 15 September sailed from London to Hong Kong in 95 days.
  • 31 October 1884 - 6 February sailed from Hong Kong to New York in 98 days.

David MacGregor adds that in 1873–4, under the ownership of Killick Martin & Company she made the fastest passage in the fair monsoon hbetween Macao and Deal, which took her only 88 days. She was particularly fast in light winds.[1]

In 1873, she was purchased by Killick Martin & Company, the company led by Captain James Killick of ‘Challenger’ fame, and sailed in the tea trade to ports such as London, New York City, Yokohama and Hong Kong.[1] In 1885 when Killick Martin & Company sold Lothair to William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, for use in the South American trade - though she also sailed to China again under this ownership she was one of only four tea clippers left afloat (the others were Titania, Blackadder and Cutty Sark) and Lothair herself.

In 1891 she was sold to G. Buccelli & D. Loero, Genoa, and finally, in 1905 to F.G. Piaggio, Callao. Lothair was lost in 1910.[1]

References
  1. MacGregor, David R. (1983). The Tea Clippers, Their History and Development 1833-1875. Conway Maritime Press Limited. pp. 213–216. ISBN 0 85177 256 0.
  2. Andie Byrnes (8 July 2013). "Lothair 1870: The last large ship to be built at Rotherhithe". www.russiadock.blogspot.com.
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