Belted Will

Official Number 47146

The Belted Will was a wooden full-rigged ship, with iron beams, built by J.T.Fell at Workington in July, 1863. She was one of several Workington-built ships owned by J.H.Bushby of Liverpool (others included the Banian, Corea and Dunmail). 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. She 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:

• Hong Kong, dep. 3rd June 1864, arrived London 20th September 1864 (Capt. Graham, 109 days)
• Macao, dep. 5th June 1865, arrived London 8th October 1865 (Capt.A.Locke, 125 days)
• Hong Kong, dep. 9th June 1866, arrived London 26th September 1866 (Capt.A.Locke, 109 days)
• Macao, dep. 2nd June 1867, arrived London 24th September 1867 via Anjer (1st July) and St.Helena (18th August) (Capt.A.Locke, 114 days)
• Macao, dep. 25th May 1868, arrived London 8th September 1868 (Capt.A.Locke, 106 days)
• Canton, dep. 9th July 1869, reported Macao 15th July, reported Dover 19th October 1869 (Capt.A.Locke, 102 days)
• Hong Kong, dep16th July 1870, reported off Cape Town, 9th September, arrived London 25th October 1870 (Capt.A.Locke, 101 days)

Sources :

1. "The Tea Clippers" by David R.MacGregor (Conway Maritime Press, 1972). ISBN 0 85177 059 2.
2. There is a photograph of the Belted Will as a barque, at Helsingborg, in the online catalogue of the State Library of Victoria, searchable at http://catalogue.slv.vic.gov.au/webvoy.htm
3. Maritime History Virtual Archives - Sailing Ships: "Belted Will" (1863)
4. Record of American and Foreign Shipping, 1885 names owner as J.C.Hulthen, master as Capt.Ohlsson, the vessel belonging to Helsingborg.