Banian

Official Number 14629

The Banian was a full-rigged ship built by Peile, Scott and Co. at Workington. She was launched on Tuesday, 19th August 1856 for Joseph Bushby, a Liverpool shipowner, formerly of Clifton, Cumberland. She was described as a clipper in the newspaper report of her launch, and was built for the trade to India. Bushby owned many clippers built at the same shipyard, including at this time Mary Sparks, Amathea, Clymene, Maha Ranee and Invincible. The command of the Banian was given to Capt.George Graham, previously of the Mary Sparks, Invincible and Clymene and later to command the tea clipper Belted Will for the same owners. His first voyage took him first to Calcutta, then Hong Kong, returning to London. The Banian then stayed in the China trade until the end of the 1860's.

Like many of the China clippers, the Banian had to search for cargoes elsewhere after the opening of the Suez Canal reduced the opportunities for sailing ships. In September 1872 the Banian arrived at Sydney from Liverpool under the command of Capt. Richard Alleyne (see Source 10 for crew list). In February 1879 the vessel was reported ashore at Zulangbank (lat.4S, long.106E), with a cargo of sugar from Manilla for London. She was got off, and must have been sold by Bushby on her arrival in England.

The Banian was bought by Capt.Owen H.Williams, who had previously been master and owner of the Duchess of Lancaster, also built at Workington. The Banian, described as a barque in newspaper reports, left Rio` de Janeiro on the 6th March for Paranagua. She put into Antonina to load a cargo of matè for Valparaiso, but on leaving the estuary on the 23rd April she struck on the bank SSE of the Antonina bar and sank in nine fathoms of water. All the crew survived.

Sources :

1. Launch reported in the Liverpool Mercury, Monday, 25th August 1856.
2. 1857 Mercantile Navy List gives port of registry as Workington, official number and signal letters LNWF, tonnage 760.
3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1857-8: Banian, ship,  760 tons, built & yellow-metalled 1856,  owned by Bushby, registered at Liverpool, master Capt.G.Graham, voyage Workington - East Indies.
4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1861-2: Banian, details as previous, but vessel yellow-metalled in 1860 and voyage Liverpool - China.
5. Clayton's register of Shipping 1865: Banian, ship, 761 tons, 14 years A1, master Capt.G.Graham, owned by Bushby and Edwards, registered at Workington.
   
6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1865-6: Banian, details as previous, but vessel yellow-metalled in 1864, masters Capts.J.Masters & A.Chase, and voyage London - China.
7. Mercantile Navy List 1867 - Banian, ON 14629, signal letters LNWF, vessel registered at Workington, registered owner Bushby & Edwards, 23 King Stret, Liverpool.
8. "Merchant Sailing Ships 1850-1875; Heyday of Sail" by David R. Macgregor (1984), page 36.
9. Mystic Seaport Library Ship Register Search has shipping register details for most years from 1868 to 1883. Masters named include Capt.A.Chase (1868 to 1875), Capts.Alleyne (1875), Morgan and Edwards (1876/7), Granden/Grandin (1877-8) and H.Williams (1880-3). Owners were Bushby & Co. (later Bushby and Edwards) until 1880, then the master, Capt.H.Williams. The vessel was first registered at Liverpool, then from 1869 at Workington.
10. "Mariners and Ships in Australian Waters" - Banian
11. Grounding at Zulangbank reported in the Times newspaper, Wednesday 12th February, 1879, page 12.
12. Workington Shipping Register - the Banian was sold to Humphrey Williams, of Bangor, in December 1879. Registration cancelled 15th May 1883.
    
13. Capt.Williams career from Welsh Mariners website.
14. Wreck reported in the Freeman's Journal, 28th April 1883, and the Times, Friday 25th May, 1883, page 5 (citing from the Anglo-Brazilian Times, 1st May).

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