Lothair (clipper)

Model of Lothair in the Hong Kong Museum of History
History
United Kingdom
Name	Lothair
Owner	William Waker
Builder	William Waker, Lavender Dock, Rotherhithe
Launched	2 July 1870
Owner	Killick, Martin & Co., London, 1873; William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, 1885
Italy
Owner	G. Buccelli & D. Loero, Genoa, Italy
Acquired	1891
Peru
Owner	F.G. Piaggio, Callao, Peru
Acquired	1905
Fate	Lost in 1910
General characteristics
Class and type	Composite clipper
Tons burthen	823.95 GRT 793.58 NRT
Length	191.8 ft (58.5 m)
Beam	33.5 ft (10.2 m)
Depth	19 ft (5.8 m)
Sail plan	fully rigged ship

Lothair was a composite clipper ship of roughly 794 tons, built in 1869 by William Waker at Rotherhithe. MacGregor suggests that she was the last composite ship to be built on the Thames. Her initial ownership was 56 shares held by her builder, William Walker, with the remaining 8 shares taken by her master, Emlyn Peacock. Though Walker owned shares in other clippers, this is the first example of him doing so for a ship that he had built. Therefore, there is speculation that Lothair might have been a speculative build with no buyer - or that the contracting purchaser defaulted on a payment. The market for new sailing ships was depressed at the time of her launch.

In 1873, she was purchased by Killick, Martin & Co. and sailed in the tea trade to ports such as London, New York City, Yokohama and Hong Kong.

In 1885, she was sold to William Bowen, Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, for use in the South American trade - though she also sailed to China again under this ownership. In 1891 she was sold to G. Buccelli & D. Loero, Genoa, and finally, in 1905 to F.G. Piaggio, Callao. Lothair was lost in 1910.