Invincible

Official Number
15078

The Invincible was built at Workington, one of a series of China clippers built for Liverpool shipowner Joseph Bushby. She was a full-rigged ship, built under Lloyd's special survey and classified A1 for 13 years. She was launched in January 1854 and must have been fully-rigged and fitted out because she arrived at Liverpool for loading in the same month. Her first master was Capt.George Graham, previously of the Mary Sparks and Clymene. It took five weeks to load the vessel, and she departed for Calcutta on the 1st March 1854. Subsequently the Invincible seems to have operated exclusively in the China trade, until its demise in the early 1870's. Capt.Graham left to take command of the Banian, another Bushby clipper, on her launch in 1856.

The Invincible had a long career in comparison to other China clippers, and was still working in the 1880's, owned in Sunderland.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Invincible
1854
764 om, 718nm
174.0 
 30.0
20.0 
3
 
 
 13 years A1, Special Survey

Sources :

  1. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1854-5: Invincible, ship, 764/718 tons, built and yellow-metalled at Workington in 1854, special survey, owned by Bushby & Co., registered at Workington, master Capt.Graham, 13A1.
  2. Liverpool Mercury, 20th January 1854, noted the Invincible, Graham, 718 tons, entered for loading for Imrie and Tomlinson for Calcutta. The same newspaper reported her departure on the 3rd March.
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1857-8: Invincible, same details as previously, but yellow-metalled in 1857, and voyage given as London - China.
  4. Mercantile Navy List 1860: Invincible, registered at Workington, 657 tons, signal letter LQTD, official number 15078.
  5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1861-2: Invincible, same details as previously, but 657 tons, yellow-metalled in 1860, master Capt.C.Rollason.
  6. Clayton's Register of Shipping, 1865: Invincible, ship, 658 tons, 13 years A1, master Capt.G.Graham, owned by Bushby & Edwards, of Liverpool, and registered at Workington.
  7. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1866-7: Invincible, same details as previously, but, yellow-metalled in 1867, masters Capts.Tallentyre and Beeching.
  8. Mercantile Navy List 1867: Invincible, registered at Workington, 658 tons, registered owner Joseph Bushby, of Clifton, Cumberland.
  9. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1868-9: Invincible, ship, 657 tons, yellow-metalled 1868, owned by Bushby & Co., registered at Workington, master Capt.Beeching, voyage London - China.
  10. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1872-3: Invincible, ship, 657 tons, yellow-metalled 1872, owned by Bushby & Co., registered at Workington, master Capt.Braithwaite, voyage Liverpool- South America.
  11. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4: Invincible, ship, owned by R.B.Porrett and registered at Sunderland.