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British Peer (ship)
Encyclopedia
The British Peer was a 1428-ton, 247.5 feet (75.4 m) long, 36.4 feet (11.1 m) wide and 22.5 feet (6.9 m) deep, three-masted iron
sailing ship
, built at the Harland and Wolff
yards in Belfast
, Ireland
, in 1865 for the British Shipowners Company. In 1883 she was bought by the Nourse Line
. Originally she was the fastest vessel in fleet until the British Ambassador was commissioned. Alterations to increase her tonnage by lengthening her hull by 32 feet (9.8 m) in 1878 completely spoiled her sailing powers however as she was never as fast again. Excluding her master she carried a crew of 22.
The British Peer, like other Nourse Line ships, was involved in the indenture
d labour trade. On 23 April 1892, she carried 527 India
n indentured labourers to Fiji
. Two months late, on 11 June 1892, she arrived in Suriname
with Indian indentured labourers. She also repatriated 450 Indians who had completed their indenture from St Lucia to India in September 1894.
The British Peer had first visited South Africa
in 1886 while on a voyage carrying indentured labourers. In November 1894 she again stopped in at the Cape of Good Hope
, carrying a cargo of salt and 471 India
n indentured labourers. On 8 December 1896, she struck a reef in Saldanha Bay
, South Africa and was destroyed with only four survivors. A Court of Enquiry, on 7 January 1897, found that “the loss of the ship was occasioned by reckless navigation on the part of the master”. The wreck of the British Peer itself still lies in about 9 metres (29.5 ft) of water in Saldanha Bay.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
sailing ship
Sailing ship
The term sailing ship is now used to refer to any large wind-powered vessel. In technical terms, a ship was a sailing vessel with a specific rig of at least three masts, square rigged on all of them, making the sailing adjective redundant. In popular usage "ship" became associated with all large...
, built at the Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff
Harland and Wolff Heavy Industries is a Northern Irish heavy industrial company, specialising in shipbuilding and offshore construction, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland....
yards in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, in 1865 for the British Shipowners Company. In 1883 she was bought by the Nourse Line
Nourse Line
The Nourse Line was a shipping company formed by Captain James Nourse in 1861. After taking delivery of his first ship, the Ganges, in 1861, Nourse went on to build up one of the last great fleets of sailing ships.- Early life of James Nourse:...
. Originally she was the fastest vessel in fleet until the British Ambassador was commissioned. Alterations to increase her tonnage by lengthening her hull by 32 feet (9.8 m) in 1878 completely spoiled her sailing powers however as she was never as fast again. Excluding her master she carried a crew of 22.
The British Peer, like other Nourse Line ships, was involved in the indenture
Indenture
An indenture is a legal contract reflecting a debt or purchase obligation, specifically referring to two types of practices: in historical usage, an indentured servant status, and in modern usage, an instrument used for commercial debt or real estate transaction.-Historical usage:An indenture is a...
d labour trade. On 23 April 1892, she carried 527 India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n indentured labourers to Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
. Two months late, on 11 June 1892, she arrived in Suriname
Suriname
Suriname , officially the Republic of Suriname , is a country in northern South America. It borders French Guiana to the east, Guyana to the west, Brazil to the south, and on the north by the Atlantic Ocean. Suriname was a former colony of the British and of the Dutch, and was previously known as...
with Indian indentured labourers. She also repatriated 450 Indians who had completed their indenture from St Lucia to India in September 1894.
The British Peer had first visited South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
in 1886 while on a voyage carrying indentured labourers. In November 1894 she again stopped in at the Cape of Good Hope
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa.There is a misconception that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Africa, because it was once believed to be the dividing point between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In fact, the...
, carrying a cargo of salt and 471 India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n indentured labourers. On 8 December 1896, she struck a reef in Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay
Saldanha Bay is a natural harbour on the south-western coast of South Africa, north west of Cape Town. The town that developed on the northern shore of the bay, also called Saldanha, was incorporated with five other towns into the Saldanha Bay Local Municipality in 2000. The current population of...
, South Africa and was destroyed with only four survivors. A Court of Enquiry, on 7 January 1897, found that “the loss of the ship was occasioned by reckless navigation on the part of the master”. The wreck of the British Peer itself still lies in about 9 metres (29.5 ft) of water in Saldanha Bay.