The Bremen bark VICTORIA was built at Vegesack/Fähr by Hermann Friedrich Ulrichs, for the Bremen firm of Gildemeister & Ries, and was launched on 10 April 1850. 200 Commerzlasten / 488 tons register; 36,2 x 8,1 x 5,2 meters (length x beam x depth of hold). Her maiden voyage, Hermann Otto, master, was to Batavia.

On 15 December 1851, the VICTORIA was sold to Hanna Dorothea Eleonora Langnese Wwe, of Hamburg, who renamed her JOHN HERMANN.

Masters:
     1851-1854 - K. J. Diekmann
     1854-1855 - G. C. Speckhahn
     1855-1858 - H. J. Bornholdt
     1858-1861 - K. J. Diekmann

Voyages:
     1852-1853 - New York (4 times)
     1853/54   - New York/Belfast
     1854      - New York
     1854/55   - New York/Waterford, Ireland
     1855-1857 - New York
     1857/58   - New York/London
     1858/61   - New York/intermediate ports/Bremerhaven

In 1861, the JOHN HERMANN ex VICTORIA was sold to H. Parr, of Dröbak, Norway, who renamed the vessel HENRY PARR; her masters were, in turn, Christoffersen, Wang, and Larsen. On 13 March 1887, the HENRY PARR ex JOHN HERMANN ex VICTORIA, Larsen, master, bound from Christiania for London with a cargo of ice, stranded on Shipwash Sands, off Harwich, and became a total loss.

Sources: Peter-Michael Pawlik, Von der Weser in die Welt; Die Geschichte der Segelschiffe von Weser und Lesum und ihrer Bauwerften 1770 bis 1893, Schriften des Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseums, Bd. 33 (Hamburg: Kabel, c1993), p. 274, no. 27; Walter Kresse, ed., Seeschiffs-Verzeichnis der Hamburger Reedereien, 1824-1888, Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, N.F., Bd. 5 (Hamburg: Museum für Hamburgische Geschichte, 1969), vol. 2, p. 10.

The U.S. ship VILLE DE LYON was built at New York by Webb & Allen, and launched in 1837. 791 tons; 147 ft x 34 ft 6 in x 25 ft 6 in (length x beam x depth of hold). She spent her entire career, from 1837 until she was wrecked near La Hogue, France, on 2 February 1845, in the Old (later Union) Line of sailing packets between New York and Le Havre; during this period, she made 22 westward passages from Le Havre to New York, her average passage being 37 days, her shortest passage 21 days, and her longest 58 days. Her master for her entire career was Charles Stoddard, from Fairhaven, Massachusetts, who later went on to command the steamships CRESCENT CITY and LAFAYETTE.

The VILLE DE LYON was something of a hoodoo ship, since she suffered four accidents in a career of less than 8 years:

1. On the return trip of her maiden voyage in 1837, she was struck by lightning twice and forced to put into Plymouth for repairs.
2. Two years later, she was dismasted in mid-Atlantic and had to put into Bermuda under jury rig, with her provisions nearly exhausted by the large number of emigrants aboard. It took three months for her to refit, before proceeding to New York.
3. In 1841, she was again struck by lightning, but by that time the Havre liners had lightning conductors, and this time no damage was done.
4. Finally, on 2 February 1845, a day after she had sailed from Havre, and still under Captain Charles Stoddard, she went on the rocks of the French coast at La Hogue, the scene of a celebrated English naval victory. Everyone was saved but the ship was a total loss as was most of her $300,000 cargo.

Source: Robert Greenhalgh Albion, Square-riggers on Schedule; The NewYork Sailing Packets to England, France, and the Cotton Ports (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1938), pp. 210-211, 284-285.

The U.S. ship VIRGINIA, 649 tons, was built at Nobleboro, Maine, in 1839, and registered at the port of New York on 1 October 1841. In 1845, James Eaton, master, she was advertised as sailing in J. Elwell's line of coastal packets between New York and New Orleans, and in 1848, Benjamin Salisbury, master, she was advertised as sailing in Nesmith & Walsh's packet line between New York and Liverpool.

On 26 November 1851, the VIRGINIA was abandoned at sea, in a sinking condition, some 200 miles from Bermuda. The New-York Daily Tribune for 15 December 1851, p. 5a, gives the following account:

Boston, Dec. 14, 1851.

The ship MARION, Capt. Sampson, arrived here today from Cadiz. On the 26th Nov., in lat 33 40, lon 69, the MARION fell in with the ship VIRGINIA, Capt. Pendleton, of and for New-York, from Leghorn, with a cargo of marble, showing a signal of distress. Capt. Sampson ran alongside when the Captain of the VIRGINIA informed him that his ship was fast sinking, and requested him to take on board his crew and passengers. As there was a heavy cross sea running the vessels became in a measure unmanageable, and the VIRGINIA, heavily ladened and water-logged, came down with the whole weight of her quarter on the MARION, doing considerable damage to the latter. The MARION was obliged to keep under sail to repair damages, but at 3 P.M. again went under the lee of the VIRGINIA which had settled four feet and was filling. The life-boat was then launched, which succeeded in making two trips and rescuing the whole of the crew and passengers, thirty-one in number. Night coming on it was found impossible to save anything from the wreck--not even the clothing of the crew and passengers. The VIRGINIA, when fallen in with, was steering for Bermuda, and two hundred miles distant. The crew and passengers had been at the pumps and heaving over cargo thirty-six hours, and the vessel could not have floated eight hours longer. The MARION has experienced heavy westerly gales during her whole passage.

The identity of the VIRGINIA is confirmed by the following notice in the New-York Daily Tribune for 18 December 1851, p. 3e:

Ship VIRGINIA, Pendleton, from Leghorn for New York, (before reported lost) was 650 tuns register, built in Maine in 1840, and was owned by Nesmith & Sons, of this city. She had a very valuable cargo, which with the vessel was largely insured in Wall-st.

The New-York Daily Tribune for 20 December 1851, p. 7e, prints the following additional notice:

Baltimore, Friday, Dec. 19, 1851.

The ship CHAMPLAIN, from Baltimore arrived at New Orleans, reports having fell in with the ship VIRGINIA, of New York, abandoned and in a sinking condition. She could not have been left more than a few days, and when fell in with, was making one foot of water per hour. Her pumps were entirely out of order and it was clear that she must sink on the night of the 27th ult[imate].

Sources: Forrest R. Holdcamper, comp., List of American-flag Merchant Vessels that received Certificates of Enrollment or Registry at the Port of New York, 1789-1867 (Record Groups 41 and 36), National Archives Publication 68-10, Special Lists 22 (Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Service, 1968), p. 709; Carl C. Cutler, Queens of the Western Ocean; The Story of America's Mail and Passenger Sailing Lines (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, 1961), pp. 386 and 469; New-York Daily Tribune, 15, 18, and December 1851.

The British ship VIRGINIA was built at Oromocto, New Brunswick, in 1845; first registered at St. John, she was transferred to Liverpool the same year. The annual volumes of Lloyd's Register of Shipping for 1845/46-1849/50 and 1853/54-1855/56 (the vessel is not listed in the volumes for 1850/51 through 1852/53) give the following information on this vessel:

Tonnage:  700 (1845/46);  733 (1855/56)

Master:
     1845/46-1849/50 - J. Brown

     1853/54-1854/55 - Delany
     1855/56         - Pier

Owner:
     1845/46-1849/50 - J. Brown

     1853/54-1854/55 - J. Brown
     1855/56         - Walton & Co

Port of Registry:
     1845/46-1849/50 - Liverpool

     1853/54         - Liverpool
     1854/55         - [not given]
     1855/56         - London

Port of Survey:
     1845/46-1849/50 - Liverpool

     1853/54         - Liverpool
     1854/55         - [not given]
     1855/56         - London

Destined Voyage:
     1845/46-1849/50 - U.S.

     1853/53-1854/55 - [not given]
     1855/56         - Honduras

The VIRGINIA is last listed in the 1855/56 annual volume of Lloyd's Register, but the volume is not posted with the reason for her removal.

Sources: Canadian Ship Information Database, No. 9032222, quoting National Archives of Canada, RG 42, Vol. 1341 (original Vol. 130 = microfilm reel C-384), page 83; Lloyd's Register of Shipping, annual volumes for 1845/46-1849/50 and 1853/54-1855/56.