Scawfell

Official Number 44172

The Scawfell was a wooden full-rigged ship built by Charles Lamport at Workington in 1858. She was strongly built, with teak beams, strengthened with iron braces, and with oak planking and an oak deck. She could carry a cargo of just over 1 million pounds of tea (approx. 500 tonnes in modern measurement). The Scawfell was a true tea clipper, and under Capt. Robert Thomson achieved one of the fastest ever voyages from China to England, leaving the Canton River on the 14th January 1861 and arriving off Point Lynas, bound for Liverpool, on the 11th April (85 days pilot to pilot). Other China voyages recorded in Source 1 include:

• Foochow to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 114 days, arr.Deal 29th April 1859).
• Foochow to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 111 days, arr.London 4th May 1860).
• Whampoa to Liverpool (Capt.R.Thomson, 88 days, arr.Liverpool 11th April 1861).
• Hong Kong to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 123 days, arr.London 15th October 1862).
• Shanghai to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 120 days, arr.London 30th October 1863).
• Whampoa to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 128 days, arr.London 13th October 1864).
• Hong Kong to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 115 days, arr.London 27th December 1865).
• Foochow to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 100 days, arr.London 15th January 1867).
• Canton to London (Capt.R.Thomson, 115 days, arr.London 13th December 1869).

From the Times newspaper, Weds, 31st January, 1883, page 6;

" Captain Kane, of the barque Rosedale, of Belfast, reports that on the 9th inst. he rescued the master and crew of the barque Scawfell, which was then in a sinking conditon. Subsequently the rescued crew were transferred to a German vessel, and thence to the ship Norwhal, which has landed them at Falmouth."

Sources :

1. "The Tea Clippers" by David R.MacGregor (Conway Maritime Press, 1972). ISBN 0 85177 059 2.