Matilda Wattenbach (Racehorse)
Records
show that this British clipper ship was built under special Lloyd's
Register of ng survey at St. Heliers, Jersey, by Frederick C. Clarke,
in 1853.
She was 1,058 tons; 211.5 x 35.4 x 20.2 ft (length x,beam x depth
of hold). Principal owners: J. J. Melhuish, of Liverpool, and T.
H. A. Wattenbach, of London.
She first traded between Liverpool and Calcutta under Captains
John Clare and James Berriman. After three years, Wattenbach became
the principal of numerous part-owners, and the Matilda
Wattenbach was reregistered at London.
In 1863, after trading for some years out of London to the Cape
of Good Hope and to New Zealand, she was acquired by Philip Blyth,
of London and the following year she was sold. Within a few days
she was purchased by Alexander Fotheringham and renamed Racehorse.
The "foreign" sale and the resale, within a few days,
to the Englishman Alexander Fotheringham were just to change
the vessel's name. Between 1786 and 1871, British vessels were
forbidden by law to change names. This was to help combat smuggling.
A shipowner could evade this law by selling the vessel to a
foreigner, then buying it back a few days later. Upon its sale
to the foreigner the vessel was considered no longer British,
so a British subject who purchased it even a few days later
could rename it anything he wished.
Fotheringham was joined as part owner by John Smurthwaite, a Sunderland
merchant, and the next voyage of the ship, its first under its
new name of Racehorse, was
from Sunderland to Hong Kong. For the next few years she traded
out of London, making voyages to Swan River and Madras, to Sydney
and Demerara, to Auckland and Sydney.
In July 1868, 104 days out from Gravesend, she struck a hurricane
with a tremendous sea which carried away her foretop-gallant,
mizzen to gallant and royal yards. The mizzen top mast was sprung
and much of her gear was carried away. The Captain and officers
said at the time they could not imagine a more terrific storm
and only the skill and determination of the crew and officers
saved the ship until the weather had abated. This ship brought
the first Albertland settlers to New Zealand.
In 1870, the Racehorse, ex Maltilda Wattenbach,
was purchased by Thomas Ridley Oswald, Sunderland shipbuilder, and
in 1872 she was sold first to William Wilkinson, of London, and
within a month or two to Thomas Redway, an Exmouth shipowner. Her
last voyage under the British flag was made during 1869-1871,
Masters:
1854/55-1855/56 - J. Clare
1856/57 - [not known]
1857/58-1858/59 - Berryman
1859/60-1860/61 - T. Denkin
1861/62-1863/64 - W. Goudie
1863/64-1865/66 - J. Mann
1865/66-1867/68 - Matthews
1867/68-1870/71 - W. Sewan
1870/71-1873/74 - E. Peacock
If you have notes on the Maltilda Wattenbach, Racehorse or any other vessels and would like to be considered for inclusion in this website,please e-mail.