Pitcairn

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Pitcairn

Post by shipstamps » Thu Aug 21, 2008 6:27 pm


The schooner Pitcairn has previously appeared on a stamp issued by Norfolk Island in 1968 SG86. This missionary vessel was built in 1890 at Benicia, California and was owned by the Seventh Day Adventist Society. She plied between Pitcairn Island, Norfolk Island and San Francisco for 10 years, carrying mails. A wooden schooner, single decked, her master in 1894 was Capt. J. E. Graham. Her gross tonnage was 172, net 163 tons. Length 93ft. 5in.; beam 27ft. 2in.; depth 10ft. Port of registry: Detroit. Lloyd's give her owners as the General Conference Association of Seventh Day Adventists, and gives the place of launching as Benicia; the Post Office of Pitcairn name it Benito, Cal., so one presumes the name has been changed in recent times. SG158

The Pitcairn was built in Benicia, California, and the name of that city is still Benicia. In addition to making Pitcairn Island her first call on each of her six voyages into the South Pacific from San Francisco, the missionary ship called at hundreds of islands, carrying mail, but her main purpose was transporting missionaries of the Seventh-day Adventist faith to many of the Pacific islands. -
Herbert Ford, Director, Pitcairn Islands Study Center, Pacific Union College, Angwin, California USA. pitcairnstudycenter.org, hford@puc.edu

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