Belted Will

Official Number
47146

The Liverpool Mercury, Saturday, 4th July 1863;

" SHIP LAUNCH AT WORKINGTON - On Thursday last, a fine vessel was launched from the Harrington & Workington Shipbuilding Company's yard at Workington, named Belted Will, burthen 907 yons o.m. and 863 n.m., for Messrs.Bushby & Edwrds, of Liverpool, and being built under cover, classified A1 for 14 years, to be commanded by Captain George Graham, late of the Banian, and previously of the Clymene (built by the same company), in which he sailed from Liverpool to the Hooghly in 80 days. The Belted Will is ornamented by a full length figure of the noted border chieftain, whose deeds, from his fastness at Naworth, have been the theme of story as well as song, and was christened by Philip H.Howard, Esq., of Corby Castle, late M.P. for Carlisle, a lineal descendant of the celebrated Lord William Howard, alias Belted Will, amidst the hearty cheers of a numerous concourse of spectators."

The Belted Will was a wooden full-rigged ship, with iron beams, built by J.T.Fell at Workington and launched on the 2nd July 1863. Bushby & Edwards, her owners, had bought many ships from this same Workington shipyard, Clymene being the eighth and followed by the Maha Ranee, Invincible, Banian, Kamehamena the Fourth, Corea, Dunmail, Volunteer and Melbreak. The Belted Will was a fast ship, perhaps the nearest of the Cumbrian-built clippers to the fastest of them all, Scawfell.

The Belted Will made her maiden voyage from Liverpool, leaving on 24th September 1863. She arrived at Canton via Hong Kong on the 5th January 1864, a voyage of 103 days.

Lloyd's Weekly Newspaper, Sunday, 6th November 1870;

" The fine clipper ship Belted Will, A.Locke commander, owned by Messrs.Bushby and Edwards, of Liverpool, has made a quick passage of 99 days from China, being the quickest by several days this season. She returns to Hong Kong immediately."

The Sydney Mail, 4th October 1873;

" Since the opening of the Suez Canal, and the employment of screw steamers, the China sailing clippers have been ignored to a great extent, and have had to seek freight for other ports. The Belted Will, which arrived on 21st inst.from Liverpool, is an exemplification. Hitherto this vessel has been engaged in the tea trade, and has made her mark as a clipper, having beaten the acknowledged crack Sir Lancelot from China to London by six days. The Belted Will is a fine wholesome craft of 812 tons register, carrying a large amount of cargo, and has arrived in port in excellent order. With respect to the passage from Liverpool we learn that she left on the 24th July, and cleared the land on the 27th of the same month; she met with moderate N.E.trades, and crossed the equator on the 21st August in longitude 31.15 W. The S.E.trades proved very adverse, hanging far to the southward and forcing the ship over on the Brazilian coast, where she was compelled to tack no less than four times, by which her voyage with respect to a fast outward passage was at once destroyed. The S.E.trades were virtually lost in latitude 21 S. The meridian of the Cape of Good Hope was passed on 21st September, in latitude 43.8 S, and having ran down her easting on a parallel of latitude 46 S, with the winds prevailing from the N.W. and attended with much rain, rounded the S.W Cape of Tasmania on the 15th instant, and since that date northerly winds have prevailed. The Belted Will is a perfect clipper, judging from present appearances, heavily sparred, and capable of spreading a large amount of canvas. She comes to the consignment of Messrs.Mason brothers.

The Belted Will continued in the China tea trade, her owners name being changed to Shaw, Bushby & Co. in 1880. Three years later she was bought by Anton Hulthen of Helsingborg, and ultimately she was broken-up at Nyhamn (May 1894) after stranding at Yttergrundet at Söderarm on the 2nd July 1893.

Voyages recorded in Source 1 include:

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Belted Will
1863
 812
 186.4
32.4 
20.8 
 
 
14 years A1, Special Survey 

Sources :

  1. "The Tea Clippers" by David R.MacGregor (Conway Maritime Press, 1972). ISBN 0 85177 059 2.
  2. The National Library of Australia website has photographs and newspaper reports of the Belted Will.
  3. Maritime History Virtual Archives - Sailing Ships: "Belted Will" (1863)
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1864-5: Belted Will, ship, 812 tons, built at Workington in July 1863, owned by Bushby & Co., registered at Workington, master Capt.G.Graham, voyage Workington - China.
  5. Clayton's Register of Shipping 1865: Belted Will, ship, 812 tons, built in 1863, classed 14 years A1, owned by Bushby &Edwards, of Liverpool, registered at Workington, master Capt.G.Graham (though Capt.Graham is named in the same register as master of the Banian.)
  6. Mercantile Navy List 1868: Belted Will, 812 tons, official number 47146, signal letters VMKB, registered at Workington, owned by Bushby & Edwards, of Liverpool.
  7. Mercantile Navy List 1880: Belted Will, barque, 773 tons, built at Workington in 1863, official number 47146, signal letters VMKB, registered at Workington, owned by John Bushby, of Liverpool.
  8. Wreck Report for damage sustained at Ascension Island in November 1882.
  9. Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1893: Belted Will, barque, 773 tons, built at Workington in July 1863, signal letters HRTF, registered in Sweden, owned by J.C.Hulthen, master Capt.H.Hammargren.