Benicia

Official Number 87916

The Benicia was an iron full-rigged ship built by the Whitehaven Ship Building Co. at Whitehaven, launched on the 22nd October 1883. She had a poop deck 48 feet long and a  forecastle 30 feet long. Her initial owners were Lowden, Edgar & Co.of Liverpool. She was engaged by Ismay, Imrie & Co. (the White Star Line) for departure from Liverpool for Melbourne in December 1883, carrying goods and some passengers. Her master was Captain G.C.R.Taylor. The voyage was interupted collision with a barque, the Hotspur, and the Benicia had to put back to Liverpool for repairs.

There are four on-line photos of the Benicia at the State Library of Victoria. These state that she was later renamed Manicia. Two of the photos show the ship in rough weather in the North Sea in 1921. By this time the vessel was owned in Norway.

The Benicia was broken-up in 1922.

Sources :

1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984), which states that the vessel was renamed Manicia whilst owned in Norway.
2. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4 (Supplement): Benicia, iron ship, 1868 grt, 1810 nrt, built by the Whitehaven S.B.Co. in October 1883, owned by Lowden, Edgar & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.Taylor.
3. Photographs and reports from Australian newspapers at the National Library of Australia website.
   
4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1899-1900: Benicia, iron ship, tonnage and builder as 1883, official number 87916, signal letters JCHP, owned by J.Edgar & Co., registered at Liverpool, master Capt.D.Jones.
5. There are photographs of the Benicia at the State Library of Victoria, best accessed through the Picture Australia website.
6. Closure of British registry in 1911 (National Archives, BT 110/253/10).
   
7. Miramar Ship Index
   

• HOME
• Contents
• Ship Index - Whitehaven
• Bibliography