1860s Ships

Thu, 11/23/2023 - 21:12

Cropped from Panorama of Wanchai looking west towards Central (actually from the original at the University of Edinburgh website which has a much higher resolution).

Two ships are shown in this photo: A three-masted steamer and a paddle-steamer behind the masts. I usually ask Stephen Skentwell from Steamer Ship-owning Companies | Oldchinaships.com. Here are his answers:

The paddle-steamer is very likely FEI WAN/FI WAN. The ship was built by Hugh McDougall & Co., Hong Kong. 10/62 reg. at Hong Kong to Hugh McDougall. It is a very early vessel, fully enclosed from stem to stern, and of low tonnage. Stephen  has no details of the vessel's movements in this period (1863-65).

About the three-masted steamer he writes:  

The colour touching up very deliberately seems to show this vessel to be a three masted steamer of the British China coast company Dent & Co., which did not engage in the opium trade.[....] However the quarters of the flag are wrongly reversed.  According to Wikipedia, Dent & Co. faced a financial crisis in 1866 and collapsed in 1867. It is possible, I suppose, that the houseflag was flown upside down in 1866 in the standard indication of distress.[...].

He (and I) think that this is a hand-coloured version of an older photo. The steamer is moored at the Spring Garden Lane Pier [c.1870-c.1905]. I don't know who built or owned this pier, has possibly something to do with Dent&Co. Any further information is welcome.

Date picture taken
1864
Author(s)