Rajmahal

Official Number
21495

The Rajmahal was a full-rigged ship, built at the Brocklebank shipyard at Whitehaven and launched on the 16th April 1858. She was the largest vessel built by the Brocklebanks at Whitehaven. She was registered at Liverpool and  operated in the Calcutta trade for T & J Brocklebank & Co., carrying a crew of 33.

Captain James T.Rorison, born 1817,  was master of the Rajmahal and the Sumatra, and died at sea whilst in command of the Rajmahal in 1864. Capt.Rorison's son, Capt.James A. Rorison, was master of the Brocklebank ships Burdwan and Bowfell, as well as the Tantallon Castle, Knight Templar, Drucalion and Achilles.

The Ramahal sailed from Liverpool on the 27th September 1870 in company with the Bowfell, both vessels bound for Calcutta. Despite only seeing each other once during the passage (off Tristan da Cunha), both ships arrived in Calcutta within one hour of each other, on the 14th January 1871.

In 1883 the Rajmahal was bought by Capt.H.Williams, of Bangor, North Wales. After leaving the Mersey on the 2nd August 1883, bound for Bombay with a coal cargo, the Rajmahal was last seen on the 28th October in the South Atlantic (39S, 10W). She was lost with all hands.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Rajmahal
1858
1302
224.5
36.9
22.3 
3 
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
  2. "Merchant Fleets", Vol.27 by Duncan Haws.
  3. Mercantile Navy List 1878: Rajmahal, ship, 1302 tons, built at Whitehaven in 1858, official number 21495, signal letters NGMW, registered at Liverpool, owned by T.Brocklebank, of Liverpool.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1883-4: Rajmahal, ship, 1302 tons, built at Whitehaven in 1858, official number 21495, signal letters NGMW, registered at Liverpool, owned by T.& J.Brocklebank, master Capt.Balderstone.
  5. Last sighting reported in the Liverpool Mercury, Saturday, 9th February 1884.