John Bibby

Official Number
1980

The John Bibby was a full-rigged ship built at Maryport by Kelsick Wood, launched on the 9th February 1841. Her first voyage was from Liverpool to Canton under Capt.Snide. She was at Anjou in January 1842. In September 1842 she was again at Liverpool, loading for her second voyage, this time to Calcutta. She sailed from Saugor on the 18th March 1843 and arrived at London on the 2nd August.

The John Bibby under the command of Capt.Thomas Oates, arrived at Sydney from Liverpool on the 6th December 1855. From Sydney she sailed for Shanghai, in January 1856.

The John Bibby disappeared from Lloyd's Register of Shipping after 1856, but her career was far from being over. A Sydney newspaper reported her departing for Liverpool in September 1859, and she arrived at Liverpool in December of that year, from Manilla. She sailed from Liverpool for Batavia in March 1860. In March 1861 she put into Pwllheli storm-damaged, bound for Liverpool from Singapore. She sailed on the 14th November 1861 from Liverpool for Shanghai. On 14th June 1862 she was a Macassar, bound for China from Liverpool. The last report that I can find has her at Shanghai from Liverpool, Capt.Skeen, on the 17th June 1862.

The John Bibby was never owned by the Bibby Line, despite bearing the name of that fleet's founder.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
John Bibby
1841
486 om, 549 nm
  
  
 
3
 
 
12 years A1. 

Sources :

  1. "Shipbuilding at Maryport - A Checklist", published in 1989 by the Friends of Whitehaven Museum.
  2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1840-41 (Supplement): John Bibby, ship, 486 tons om, 549 tons nm, built and coppered at Maryport in February 1841, registered at Liverpool, owned by Taylor & Co., master Capt.J.Downes, voyage Maryport - Canton.
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1850-1: John Bibby, ship, registered at Liverpool, owned by Taylor & Co., master Capt.Cawkett, voyage Liverpool - Calcutta.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1855-6: John Bibby, ship, owned by Taylor & Co., master Capt.R.Pearson, no port of registry given.
  5. Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters
  6. Mercantile Navy List 1861: John Bibby, 549 tons, official no.1980, signal letters HMFW, registered at Liverpool.
  7. For Australian newspaper reports see the National Library of Australia website.