Aerolite

Official Number 406

The Aerolite was a full-rigged ship built in 1853 by Charles Lamport at Workington. She was designed for fast passages, and an article in the Times shortly before her launch (see Source 2), wrote of  "the splendid new clipper Aerolite, to be launched in a few days at Workington, where she has been built by Mr.Lamport expressly for the Australian and China trades, and to compete with the fastest American and Aberdeen clippers." Early in September an advertisement in the same newspaper, for James Baines' Black Ball Line, announced that the Aerolite was loading in Liverpool's Salthouse Dock, and would soon sail for Melbourne under the command of Capt. Joseph Scott, late of the ship Confucius. The advertisement proclaimed "This ship has been built by Mr.Charles Lamport, Workington, and was modeled entirely for swift sailing qualities, without regard to capacity. She is expected to compete successfully with the fastest clippers of any nation. The Aerolite is fitted up for first and second cabin passengers only, and attention is requested to her very superior accommodations" (see Source 3).

The Aerolite sailed on her maiden voyage from Liverpool (destination given as Swan River) on the 12th October 1853. Her passage to Melbourne was achieved in 93 days (see Source 6). Her return voyage was completed on the 1st July the following year, when the vessel arrived in the Thames. Her second voyage was also to the Swan River, the vessel leaving the Thames on the 12th October 1854. In the following years the Aerolite continued to trade to Australia and to China. In October 1857 she was discharging at Shanghai (see Source 4).

In 1863 an advertisement in the Times stated that "the Aerolite, London packet, for Sydney, to sail 28th Dec., is the celebrated China clipper and favourite passenger ship. She has proved herself to be one of the fastest ships afloat, having made the passage from Shanghae to London in 79 days, and is still commanded by Capt.Alleyne. Her saloon is elegantly furnished, and replete with every comfort and luxury that passengers could desire. Takes a limited number of second-class and steerage passengers, in the poop." The vessel arrived at Sydney in April 1864 with a surgeon aboard and 6 cabin passengers, and 20 in steerage (see Crew and Passenger List).

The claim of a 79 passage from Shanghai to London is not believable. The Scawfell, also built by Lamport at Workington, achieved an 88 day passage from Whampoa to London, acclaimed as one fastest of all the clipper passages. In Source 6 McGregor records a 98 day passage from Shanghai to Liverpool for the Aerolite, and this is more likely to be correct.

On the 26th August 1867 the Aerolite, still under the command of Capt.R.E.Alleyne, picked up in lat. 49.5 N long. 6.53 W, Andrew Armstrong, sole survivor of the crew of four of a 22 ft. schooner-rigged yacht, the John T.Ford, that had attempted to sail from Baltimore to Paris, but had capsized in foul weather. The Aerolite was bound for Bombay and the position was 39 miles SSW of the Old Head of Kinsale (see Source 7).

The Aerolite was owned by a Mr.Sykes, of York, in 1867. After 1871/2 she had disappeared from Lloyd's Register of Shipping, but the last newspaper report that I can find for her is of her arrival at Liverpool from Karwar in April 1869. Probably she was sold to foreign owners and renamed. Captain Alleyne was in command of the Banian in 1872.

Sources :

1. American Lloyd's Register of American and Foreign Shipping, 1862 to 1870 - names master as Capt.R.Alleyne, owner as J.Atkin & Co., ship registered at Liverpool.
2. The Liverpool Standard newspaper, 11th October 1853 states "There is an evident lull in the Australian passenger trade, which is evident from the fact that the splendid new ship Guiding Star, belonging to Messrs.Miller and Thomson's 'Golden Line' of Australian packets, has been for the present transferred to their American line of packets. The beautiful new ship Aerolite, belonging to Messrs.Baines and Co.'s 'Black Ball' line of Australian packets, will take her departure from the Mersey this day (Tuesday) with a full cargo of valuable goods, for which the freight of £6 per ton has been obtained, and sixty first and second class passengers. "
3. The Argus newspaper (Melbourne, Victoria), Saturday 14th January 1854 : " SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE - Arrived, 13th January - Aerolite, ship, 1100 tons, Joseph Scott, from Liverpool, 11th October. Passengers - cabin: Mrs.Young and family, Miss Crisworth, Mrs.Rudd, family and servant, Mr.and Mrs. Sloane, Mrs.Salkeld and family, Lieut.C.Acres, Messrs.Wilkinson, Kennedy and eighteen in the second cabin. Willis, Merry and Co., agents."
   
4. The Times newspaper, Friday, 22nd July, 1853, page 5.
5. The Times newspaper, Friday, 9th September, 1853, page 1 - one of the agents named as J.Aikin, Son & Co.
6. Shipping Intelligence, the Times newspaper.
7. The Times newspaper, Tuesday, 24th November, 1863, page 2.
8. "Fast Sailing Ships: Their Design and Construction, 1775-1875" by David R. MacGregor - information thanks to John Stevenson.
9. The Times newspaper, Monday, 2nd Sept. (page 10) and 9th Sept. (page 10) , 1867.
10. Mercantile Navy List 1857 gives official number, vessel 911 tons, registered Liverpool.
11. Mercantile Navy List 1867: Aerolite, 911 tons, registered at Liverpool, off.no.406. signal letters HCRB, owned by James M.Sykes, Lindley, York.
    
12. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1871/2 - vessel registered at Workington.
13. Last newspaper report : Daily News, Tuesday, 6th April, 1869; "Liverpool, arrived, April 3, Aerolite, from Karwar.