Blackadder

A fullrigged iron clipper ship built in 1870 by Maudslay, Son & Field, London. Dimensions: 216'6"×35'2"×20'5" and tonnage: 908,5 NRT and 872 1/3 tons under deck. The forecastle was 34 ft long and the poop 30 ft. She was a sister ship to same owner's Hallowe'en also built in 1870.

The Blackadder was named after the river in Berwickshire.

Rigged with double top-sails and single top-gallant sails. Later re-rigged as a barque (before 1889 according to Lloyd's Register, but not until her sale to Norway according to other sources).

1870 February 1: Launched at the shipyard of Maudslay, Son & Field, London, for John Willis & Son, London. Assigned the Official British No. 63573 and signal JLVN. Captain J. Robinson was given command of the new vessel.
1870 March 24: Left the Downs for her maiden voyage to Shanghai.
1870 May 10: Dismasted due to faulty designed lower mast trestle trees. Was able to reach the Cape under jury rig 63 days out.
1870 December 7: Collided with the French mail steamer Volga and arrived at Shanghai four days later with the forepeak waterfilled.
1871 July 23 - November 17: Sailed from Penang to London with a cargo of tea in 117 days.
1872: Captain W.F. Moore replaced Captain Robinson.
1872 January 3 - April 7: Sailed from Deal to Shanghai in the record time of 95 days.
1872 June 28 - October 27: Sailed from Foochow to London in 121 days with a cargo of tea.
1872: Captain Samuel Bissett was given command of the ship.
1872 November 21 - February 23: Sailed from London to Sydney in 83 days.
1873 May 3: Partly dismasted in a typhoon on voyage from Newcastle, NSW, to Shanghai with a cargo of coal.
1873 October 22: Sailed from Iloilo to Boston with a cargo of sugar, where she arrived after two months and eleven days after having struck an unchartered reef at the Island of Bankquey.
1875 July 19 - November 20: Sailed from Woosung to London in 120 days with a cargo of tea 1.200.300 pounds of tea under command of Captain J. Whyte. [Lubbock has 126 days to Deal]
1875 December 27 - March 20: Sailed from Deal to Sydney in 78 days
1876 August 5 - December 8: Sailed from Woosung to London in 125 days with a cargo of 1.109.500 pounds of tea. [Lubbock has Shanghai to Scilly Islands]
1877 October 26 - February 16: Sailed from Woosung to London in 113 days with a cargo of tea.
1879: Master: Captain Allan. [LLoyd's Register 1879-1880]
1880 September 26 - February 3: Sailed from Foochow to London in 130 days with a cargo of tea. Her sister ship Hallowe'en arrived the following day, 126 days out from Foochow.
1881: Captain F. More.
1881 December 18 - April 2: Sailed from Shanghai to New York in 105 days with a cargo of tea.
1882: Captain More and part of the crew were transferred to the same owner's clipper Cutty Sark.
1886 October 27 - February 23: Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to London in 119 days with a cargo of wool.
1888 November 17 - February 15: Sailed from Newcastle, NSW, to London in 90 days with a cargo of wool.
1889: Master: Captain J. Grassam. [LLoyd's Register 1889-1890]
1890 November 27 - Febrary 26: Sailed from Brisbane to London in 91 days with a cargo of wool.
1893 December 20 - March 30: Sailed from Brisbane to London in 100 days with a cargo of wool.
1894 October 20 - February 200: Sailed from Brisbane to London in 123 days with a cargo of wool.
1900: Sold to A/S Blackadder (J. Aalborg), Kragerø, Norway.
1901: Captain John Olsen, Kragerø.
1904 December 20: Sailed in ballast from Moss to Barbados in 37 days under command of First Mate Stian Oedersen, Kragerų. Logged 346 miles in 24 hours four days out.
1905 March 4 - March 29: Sailed from Fernandina, FL, to Kragerø in 25 days with a cargo of rosin for St Petersburg.
1906 [?]: Captain C. Berntsen [Norske Seilskibe].
1905 September 11: Left Barry for Bahia with a cargo of coal.
1905 November 5: Wrecked at Bahia when entering that port. Other sources say that she was destroyed by a tornado while loading at Bahia. [April 9 according to Sea Breezes and Lubbock.]

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
Anthony Henderson: Willis's Black Adder.
Sea Breezes Vol. 21 (1956), p 89.

Updated 2001-10-10 by Lars Bruzelius

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