Mindanao

Official Number
23956

The Cumberland Pacquet and Ware's Whitehaven Advertiser, Tuesday, 16th May, 1854, page 5;

" On Friday last a very handsome new clipper ship was launched from the building yard of Mr.Richard Williamson, at Harrington. The new craft which received the name of the Mindanao, is 482 tons, O.M., or 472 tons, N.M., coppered and copper-fastened throughout, and is classed A1 at Lloyd's, 13 years. The vessel has been built for Capt.John Ponsonby, of this town."

The Mindanao was a full-rigged ship, one of two built by the firm of R.Williamson & Son at Harrington for the Liverpool/Whitehaven firm of Thomas & John Brocklebank (see also Maiden Queen). The Mindanao was built in 1854, and traded for the Brocklebank Line for 20 years. She sailed to the west coast of South America, mainly Callao and Valparaiso, also Iquique. For her first 12 years her master was Capt.Ponsonby, succeeded by Capt.William Ray in 1866, then Capts.Leech, Forsyth and Wright.

The Mindanao was one of several vessels that sank in Hong Kong harbour during a typhoon on the 23rd September 1874. She was partly laden with general merchandise intended for Sydney, and all the crew except one man was saved.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Mindanao
1854
482 
130.5
27.5 
18.0
3
 
 
13 years. A1 

Sources :

  1. "From Cumberland to Cape Horn" by D.Hollett.
  2. "Brocklebanks 1770-1950, Volume 1" by John Frederic Gibson (1953).
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1857: Mindanao, 426 tons, official number 23956, signal letters NTSB, vessel registered at Liverpool.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1874-5: Mindanao, ship, 477 gross tons, official number 23956, signal letters NTSB, owned by Brocklebank, registered at Liverpool, master Capt.Wright.
  5. Loss reported in the Times newspaper, Wednesday, 30th September, 1874, page 8 and the Morning Post, Monday, 5th October, 1874, page 2.