The U.S. ship YORKSHIRE was built at New York by William H. Webb (hull #13), and launched on 25 October 1843. 996 tons; 167 ft x 36 ft 6 in x 21 ft (length x beam x depth of hold); two decks; draft loaded 18 ft 3 in. Prior to her maiden voyage in early 1844 she was presented with a set of flags, signals, and cabin cutlery by a group of Yorkshiremen living in New York.

The YORKSHIRE was the second ship Webb built for C[harles] H. Marshall & Co's Black Ball Line of sailing packets between New York and Liverpool, and the fastest sailing packet that ever served on the North Atlantic: during her 18-year packet career her westbound passages averaged 29 days, her shortest passage being an incredible 15 1/2 days (sailed from Liverpool 2 November 1846, 7 days to the banks, arrived at Sandy Hook, night of 17 November, and at New York, noon 18 November), her longest 58 days. Her early reputation for speed was probably enhanced by the reputation of her first master, David G. Bailey, of whom the New York Herald wrote on the eve of the YORKSHIRE's maiden voyage

It is a common remark among the sharks when Captain B. goes to sea, that 'it is useless to attempt to follow that ship, for Bailey is on board of her.' Such is his reputation for speed even among the inhabitants of the deep.

On 2 February 1862, the YORKSHIRE, under the command of Edward R. Fairbanks, sailed from New York for Liverpool, with three passengers and a crew of 23; she was never heard from again. It was stated at the time that "probably no ship in the Liverpool trade has realized a larger amount of net earnings".

Sources: Robert Greenhalgh Albion, Square-riggers on schedule; The New York sailing packets to England, France, and the Cotton Ports (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1938), pp. 45, 87, 89, 118, 151, 153, 163, 179, 193, 196, 198, 200, 226, 262, 276, 320-321, 332, 336, 341, 344; Carl C. Cutler, Queens of the Western Ocean; The story of America's mail and passenger sailing lines (Annapolis: United States Naval Institute, c1961), pp. 254-257, 271, 377, 564-565; Edwin L. Dunbaugh and William duBarry Thomas, William H. Webb: Shipbuilder (Glen Cove, New York: Webb Institute of Naval Architecture, 1989), p. 162. An abstract of the YORKSHIRE's log for her record passage from Liverpool to New York in November 1846 is among the papers of Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury, U.S. National Archives, RG 27, Records of the National Weather Service (National Archives Microfilm Publication M1160), Abstract Logs, Vol. 387.