Driver (clipper)
{{short description|19th c. US clipper ship}}
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{{Infobox ship image |Ship image= |Ship caption= }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United States |Ship flag= {{shipboxflag|United States|civil}} |Ship name=Driver |Ship namesake= |Ship owner=David Ogden et al |Ship registry=New York |Ship route= |Ship ordered= |Ship awarded= |Ship builder=Currier and Townsend, Newburyport |Ship original cost= |Ship yard number= |Ship way number= |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=1854 |Ship sponsor= |Ship christened= |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship recommissioned= |Ship decommissioned= |Ship maiden voyage= |Ship in service=7 September 1854 |Ship out of service=1856 |Ship renamed= |Ship reclassified= |Ship refit= |Ship struck= |Ship reinstated= |Ship homeport= |Ship identification= |Ship motto= |Ship nickname= |Ship honours= |Ship honors= |Ship captured= |Ship fate=Lost at sea, February 1856 |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship characteristics |Hide header= |Header caption= |Ship type= |Ship tons burthen=1594 bom |Ship length= |Ship beam= |Ship height= |Ship draught= |Ship depth= |Ship hold depth= |Ship decks= |Ship deck clearance= |Ship power= |Ship propulsion= |Ship sail plan=Three-masted barque |Ship speed= |Ship range= |Ship endurance= |Ship test depth= |Ship boats= |Ship capacity= |Ship troops= |Ship complement= |Ship crew= |Ship time to activate= |Ship sensors= |Ship EW= |Ship armament= |Ship armour= |Ship armor= |Ship aircraft= |Ship aircraft facilities= |Ship notes= }} |
Driver was a clipper ship, constructed for David Ogden et al in 1854 at Newburyport, Massachusetts. She sailed between New York and Liverpool carrying immigrants to the US for the Red Cross Line. She was lost at sea with no known survivors after setting sail from Liverpool 12 February 1856. 377 died.
Development and design
Driver was constructed in Newburyport in 1854 for David Ogden et al. It seems likely that she was constructed by Currier and Townsend as were the other clippers owned by David Ogden that sailed for the same Red Cross Line.{{cite web |url=http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Shipbuilding/Shipyards/Clippers(MA).html |title=Clipper Ships built in the United States |access-date=June 17, 2019}}
Question has been raised over her characterisation as a true clipper ship due to her less clipper like hull shape, however her sail plan was lofty and heavily sparred allowing her to reach great speed.{{cite book |last=Knoblock|first=Glenn|year=2014 |title=The American Clipper Ship, 1845–1920|place= North Carolina|publisher=MacFarland and Inc., Publishers |pages=140 |isbn=978-0-7864-7112-6}} Advertisements of the day certainly described her as a clipper – "The magnificent first-class extraordinary fast-sailing American-built Clipper Ship DRIVER."{{cite news |title=Tapscotts American Packet Offices|work=Liverpool Mail|page=8|date=2 February 1856 |access-date=22 November 2018 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001300/18560315/148/0008| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
Service history
Driver made four successful return voyages between New York and Liverpool under the captaincy of Nicholas Holberton. He was an experienced captain who had been the master of the ships Noemi{{cite news |title=Maritime Intelligence|work=New York Herald|page=4|date= 4 June 1848 |access-date= 17 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1848-06-04/ed-1/seq-4/| via = Library of Congress}} and Andrew Foster{{cite news |title=Local Intelligence |work=Liverpool Mercury |page=14 |date= 3 February 1854 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000081/18540203/029/0014| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} for the same shipowners.
The ship left Newburyport on 7 September 1854 for St John's New Brunswick,{{cite news |title=Foreign |work=Shipping and Mercantile Gazette |page=2 |date= 28 September 1854 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001702/18540928/032/0002| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} then to Liverpool. She arrived in England for the first time 28 October 1854.{{cite news |title=Liverpool|work=Lloyd's list|page=4 |date= 30 October 1854 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000861/18541030/027/0004| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} After what seems to have been a number of aborted starts due to leaks,{{cite news |title=Maritime Extracts|work=Shipping and Mercantile Gazette|page=2 |date= 18 December 1854 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0001702/18541218/037/0002| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} Driver left for her first westward voyage to New York on 25 January 1855.{{cite news |title=Shipping Intelligence|work=Liverpool Mail|page=7 |date= 27 January 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001300/18550127/110/0007| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
Passage on the ship was advertised by the Tapscott's line for travel to New York. Freight was also carried. A berth could be booked for a family for £1 deposit. Weekly provisions for the journey were 3lbs of good Navy bread, 1lb of flour, 2lbs of oatmeal, 1lb of beef, 1lb of pork, 1lb of peas, 1lb of rice, 1lb of sugar, 2oz of tea, 2oz of salt and a pint of vinegar for the voyage. Each adult was provided with 3 quarts of water daily. Utensils and bedding were to be provided by the passengers. These advertisements were run extensively and continued to include Driver in their shipping list even months after her loss.
Driver arrived safely in New York on 14 February 1855.{{cite news |title=Maritime Intelligence|work=The New York Herald|page=8 |date= 15 February 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1855-02-15/ed-1/seq-8/#| via = Library of Congress}} For the return voyage on 21 April she had 151 passengers on board. Many were returning emigrants.{{cite news |title=Return of Emigrants to Europe, and the Causes Thereof|work=The New York Herald|page=1 |date= 29 May 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1855-05-29/ed-1/seq-1/#| via = Library of Congress}}
She arrived Liverpool 11 May 1855{{cite news |title=Outports|work=Shipping and Mercantile Gazette|page=2 |date= 12 May 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001702/18550512/021/0002| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} and left again for New York on 8 June.{{cite news |title=Outports|work=Shipping and Mercantile Gazette|page=2 |date= 9 June 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001702/18550609/029/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} She arrived in America after a voyage of 38 days on the 16 July.{{cite news |title=New York|work=Lloyd's List|page=4 |date= 30 July 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000861/18550730/013/0004| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
Her following journeys were as follows; left New York around 27 August 1855,{{cite news |title=Shipping|work=The New York Herald|page=7 |date= 26 August 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1855-08-26/ed-1/seq-7/#| via = Library of Congress}} to arrive back in Liverpool 19 September.{{cite news |title=Liverpool|work=Lloyd's List|page=1 |date= 21 September 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000861/18550921/002/0001| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} Then she left Liverpool 17 October{{cite news |title=Liverpool|work=Lloyd's List|page=2 |date= 18 October 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000861/18551018/010/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} and arrived in New York before 27 November.{{cite news |title=Shipping Intelligence|work=Liverpool Mercury|page=7 |date= 25 September 1855 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000081/18550925/025/0007| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
While on her final eastward voyage to England, 17 year old seaman Peter Connolly stabbed able seaman William Henry Barnes during an altercation. Barnes died in hospital not long after their arrival in Liverpool on 19 January 1856.{{cite news |title=Alleged Murder on the High Seas|work=Liverpool Daily Post|page=4 |date= 25 January 1856 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000197/18560125/037/0004| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} Connolly was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a month's imprisonment with hard labour. The judge considered this a lenient service for Connolly as the deceased was "a very violent man".{{cite news |title=Crown Court Thursday, April 3|work=Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser|page=12 |date= 5 April 1856 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000206/18560405/038/0010| via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
Two passengers on board ship for this journey were convicted of theft from a fellow passenger. A box of goods worth £350 was taken from Louis Sancan by John Flood and William Johnson. They were convicted after Mr Sancan identified his belongings in the accused home.{{cite news |title=Police Intelligence|work=Liverpool Mercury|page=3 |date= 23 January 1856 |access-date=17 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000081/18560123/009/0003 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
Driver left Liverpool for on her final voyage on 12 February.{{cite news |title=Liverppol|work=Lloyd's List|page=2 |date= 13 February 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000861/18560213/015/0002 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}} She carried a crew of 6 officers, 22 men and 344 passengers. A full list of passengers and officers was published in the New York Herald of 22 June 1856.{{cite news |title=The Missing Clipper Ships Driver and Ocean Queen.|work=The New York Herald|page=8 |date= 22 June 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-06-22/ed-1/seq-8/| via = Library of Congress}}
Loss at Sea
Driver was never heard from again. She was presumed lost in the ice of the North Atlantic. Newspapers of the time reported that the ice was particularly bad this year. Other ships encountered dangerous conditions, for example the G. B. Larmer was a day and half fixed in the ice and "narrowly escaped destruction".{{cite news |title=Foundering of the Ship Ocean Queen|work=Liverpool Mercury|page=4 |date= 23 June 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000081/18560623/023/0004 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription}}
A possible sighting was made by the crew of ship Amazon on 28 April 1856. For a time this may have raised hopes that Driver was delayed. However the sighting was never confirmed.{{cite news |title=Miscellaneous and Disasters|work=The New York Herald|page=8 |date= 24 May 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-05-24/ed-1/seq-8/| via = Library of Congress}}
A number of other ships were lost around the same time, also presumed to be due to the ice.{{cite news |title=Missing Ships – The Gales of the Past Winter- A Melancholy Catalogue |work=The New York Herald|page=12 |date= 3 June 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-06-03/ed-1/seq-12/| via = Library of Congress}} Notably the Ocean Queen set sail from London on 12 February 1856. She signalled 'all well' off the Isle of Wight on 15 February, but no other word was heard. She carried a crew of 33 and 90 passengers.{{cite news |title=Loss of the Ship Ocean Queen|work=The New York Herald|page=1 |date= 12 July 1856 |access-date=18 June 2019 |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030313/1856-07-12/ed-1/seq-1/| via = Library of Congress}}