Mermaid

A clipper ship built in 1853, John McDonald, St John's, Nova Scotia. Dimensions 188'0"x34'3"x22'5" and tonnage 1321/1233 tons. [1106 GRT, 1077 NRT and 1032 tons under deck] Partly fastened with iron bolts and classed seven years A1 at Lloyd's Register.

1853: Launched at the shipyard of John McDonald, St John's, Nova Scotia for John & Arthur McDonald, St John's.
1854: Sold to Pilkington & Wilson, Liverpool, and was put on the White Star Line's Australia trade. Assigned the official British Reg. No. 6024 and signal JMCP.
1854 May 3 - July 17: Sailed from London to Melbourne in 74½ days.
1854 August 18: Sailed from Melbourne - Liverpool.
1855: Sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne in 82 days.
1856: Sailed from Liverpool to Melbourne in 87 days.
1856: Sailed from Melbourne to Liverpool in 86 days.
1859 July 11 - October 19: Sailed from London to Auckland in 100 days.
1860: Sailed from London to Melbourne in 81 days.
1861 - 1869: In command of Captain H. Rose.
1861 September 3 - December 16: Sailed from London to Auckland in 101 days.
1862: Sailed from Lyttleton to the Channel in 75 days and docked 78 days out.
1862: Chartered to Shaw, Savill & Co., London.
1862 September 17 - December 27: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 81 days.
1863 November 15 - February 16: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 93 days.
1864 October 26 - January 21: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 86 days.
1865 October 1 - January 1: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 92 days.
1865: Owners: Wilson & Co., Liverpool.
1866 September 16 - January 5: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 81 days. [The departure date given by Brett should probably be October 16.]
1867 October 5 - January 2: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 89 days.
1868: Sold to Shaw, Savill & Co., London.
1868 October 6 - January 8: Sailed from London to Lyttleton in 84 days.
1869: Sold to Davies & Plain, Cardiff.
1872: Sold to "foreigners". [Wright]
1883 November 10: Left Quebec for Liverpool with a cargo of timber.
1883 December 13: Drifted ashore in a severe gale at Horse Bank off Southport, England. The crew abandoned the wreck in two boats and were saved by the Southport and Lytham lifeboats.
1883: Wrecked at Leightham,

References:

Clipper ships, general references.
Brett, Henry: White Wings. Fifty Years of Sail in the New Zealand Trade 1850-1900.
The Brett Printing Company, Auckland, 1924. 8vo, 368 pp, ill.
Higham, Douglas J.: Black Baller's Career.
Sea Breezes Vol. 13 (1952), pp 228-229.

Updated 1998-04-19 by Lars Bruzelius.

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