Royal Edward (1864 ship)

Royal Edward was an iron-hulled clipper launched in 1864. She sailed in the packet trade between England and Australia for the Red Cross Australia Line until she was abandoned on 3 July 1886 in a sinking state; her crew were rescued.

History
United Kingdom
Name:	Royal Edward
Owner:	H. Fairnie & Sons
Operator:	Red Cross Australia Line
Builder:	Westwood, Baillie, and Co., London Yard Ironworks, Isle of Dogs, London
Launched:	1864
Homeport:	Liverpool
Fate:	Abandoned in a sinking state on 11 July 1886
General characteristics
Class and type:	Clipper
Tonnage:	1,508 GRT
Tons burthen:	3500 (bm)
Length:	223 ft 5 in (68.10 m) (Hull)
Beam:	36 ft 8 in (11.18 m)
Depth:	24 ft 0 in (7.32 m)
Complement:	25

Captain Robert S. M'Cleave sailed Royal Edward from Sheerness on 20 April 1786. She was sailing to Melbourne with a cargo of bagged salt. When she was at 40°S 27°W around 30 June she encountered a hurricane force gale that damaged her. She also took on water. After three days of pumping the crew was exhausted when fortuitously the Norwegian barque Bellona came up and at great risk on 3 July rescued the crew, whom she delivered to Sydney.[1] The entry for Royal Edward in Lloyd's Register for 1886 has the notation "abandoned" under her name.[2]

A subsequent inquiry found that Royal Edward had been sound when she left England, and not overloaded.[3] It exonerated the master and crew for the decision to abandon her.[4]