The First Chinese Ship to Visit London
The little-known story of the Keying.
Welcome to Londonist: Time Machine’s Friday newsletter for paying subscribers, with a generous serving for everyone else.
“Not a single part of her… resembles any thing to be found among the infinite variety of craft which have hitherto floated in the Thames.” Morning Advertiser, 11 June 1850
Today’s newsletter is the tale of a very special ship, the first Chinese vessel to visit London and, reputedly, Europe. The Keying came not as a trade vessel, but as what we might now call a floating tourist attraction.
That’s for the main section. First a quick message and the History Radar.
📣🍺 Thanks to everyone who came along on the historic drinks evening for paying subscribers. We had a splendid time at the Old Bank of England on Fleet Street, followed by ‘last orders’ in the remarkable Seven Stars. Here, we were greeted by an historically decorated cat, called The General. I hope to arrange more drinks in April.
History Radar
Upcoming events for fans of London history.
🏛️ GORGEOUS GEORGIANS: West London National Trust property Osterley Park & House has teamed up with Horrible Histories for a family-friendly trail focusing on the Georgians. Explore the house and grounds as you take part in 10 activities giving you an insight into Georgian life. 17 February-31 August.
🤴🏻 MAGNA CARTA: On 17 February, City Guide Jill Finch gives a free lecture about the role the City of London played in the creation of the Magna Carta, bringing King John to the negotiating table with his rebellious Barons. Takes place at Guildhall Library, but you can also watch online.
⛺️ THE BULLRING: During the 80s and 90s, the Waterloo underpasses were home to a ‘cardboard city’, populated by up to 200 homeless people. The Bullring, as it was known, was dispersed in 1998 to make way for the IMAX cinema, and is now largely forgotten. A new exhibition in the crypt of St John’s Waterloo looks at the history of the site, with personal accounts, artworks and a unique set of photographs. 18 February-2 March
🔥 SCAVENGER HUNT WALK: On 18 February, take the whole family on a scavenger hunt guided walk themed on the Great Fire of London. Meet your guide near the Tower of London, and hear about what happened in London during plague of 1665 and the subsequent Great Fire, as told in the diaries of Samuel Pepys, while visiting places including the site of Pepys' house, and Pudding Lane. 10.30am-12.30pm
👥 QUEER ANATOMIES: As part of LGBT+ History Month, the Hunterian Museum stays open late on 20 February for an event featuring medical historian Michael Sappol giving a talk on his new book Queer Anatomies. Hear about how 18th and 19th century anatomy illustrations — the only publications allowed to print sexual anatomy at the time — were often transformed to become monstrous, flirtatious, theatrical or transgressive.
🏳️🌈 LGBTQ+ ARCHIVES: Also part of LGBT+ History Month, head along to the London Archives in Clerkenwell for a chance to view a selection of documents that speak to the lives and experiences of LGBTQ+ people. See items from the Lesbian London, Gerald Kremenstei and Clarence Allen collections.
👨🏾 LONELY LONDONERS: Sam Selvon's superb novel The Lonely Londoners is set in the 1950s, following the life of a man who's just arrived from Trinidad to start a new life here. It was adapted for the stage and had a successful run at Jermyn Street Theatre, and now it's back at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, but only until 22 February.
🏠 HIGHGATE HERITAGE WEEKEND: Over 22-23 February, Lauderdale House hosts the annual Highgate Heritage Weekend, celebrating the history of the local area through a selection of events including talks, local history fair, and a family fun day.
🎨 VAN GOGH HOUSE: Also on 22-23 February, the Brixton House where Vincent van Gogh lived in 1873-4 opens up for tours this weekend. It includes the chance to see artefacts uncovered during the recent renovation and conservation of 87 Hackford Road. You'll need to book.
🔦 LUXMURALIS: Light show Luminous by Luxmuralis opens at St Paul's Cathedral on 22 February and runs till 28 February. It transforms the interior of Christopher Wren's dome into an immersive sound and light display inspired by the building's history.
🤵🏻♀️👩⚖️ JACK AND EVE: On 22 February, journalist Wendy Moore is at North Kensington Library to discuss her book Jack and Eve, about Vera ‘Jack’ Holme and Evelina Haverfield, suffragettes and life partners who carved radical new paths for women during the First World War.
The First Chinese Ship to Visit London
I recently did a double-take. I was at the London Archives, admiring a wall-mounted, mid-19th century panorama of the Thames, mentally ticking off the familiar features on the north bank. Then I noticed this:
ROYAL CHINESE JUNK. An unfamiliar sign a little west of Waterloo Bridge. Why, I wondered, were the Chinese royal family piling up their garbage on the shores of the Victorian Thames?
Then I spotted the masts sticking out of the top. The penny dropped. Of course, a junk is also a type of Chinese sailing ship. The structure shown on the panorama was presumably a moored Chinese vessel.
That only raised further questions. What was it doing here? Who brought it to London? Was it a genuine Chinese ship?
This is why I love London. I know this bit of the Thames extremely well. I’m familiar with its history. But this city always throws up surprises, even when you think you know the terrain. So I got Googling and, well, I’m ashamed I’ve never encountered this remarkable ship before.
Slow boat from China
This is the ship in question, the Keying, named after a noted Chinese commissioner of the time:
As even the unsaltiest landlubber can see, the Keying looks nothing like western ships of this period. With its great curving hull (probably exaggerated), ribbed sails and mighty stern, it resembles one of those ‘pirate ship’ fairground rides to modern eyes. (Or, indeed, a banana, to reprise a recent theme, although the yellow colour is probably artistic licence.)
To Victorian peepers, the ship was truly special. The Illustrated London News came close to treason when it hinted that the vessel might even be superior to British vessels:
“She proved herself an excellent sea-boat; and her powers of weathering a storm equal, if not surpass, those of vessels of British build.”
There was, it has to be said, a hint of subterfuge about the Keying. One had only to learn the captain’s name, Charles Alfred Kellett, to sense that this might not be an entirely oriental affair. 30 of the ship’s crew were Cantonese, but 12 were British. Indeed, the Keying was British-owned. You might have noticed the flag on an earlier image.
The Keying was, however, a thoroughly Chinese ship. Kellett and some businessmen had secretly bought the ship in 1846, much against Chinese rules prohibiting the sale of ships to foreigners on pain of death. Reports from the time suggest these men adopted disguises in order to enter the country and purchase the vessel, which might become a lucrative novelty if it could be sailed over to Britain. It’s a fascinating ‘more research needed’ topic for anyone looking to write a screenplay or novel set between the Opium Wars.
The Keying disembarked from Hong Kong in December 1846, and rounded the Cape of Good Hope three months later. After a sojourn in St Helena, the the ship made for America. It became the first Chinese vessel to reach New York City in July 1847. Here it was a sensation, visited by thousands. Greatest Showman PT Barnum was so impressed that he built a replica1. Captain Kellett and his bold business partners seemed to be getting a good return on their perilous investment.
The Keying then popped up the coast to Boston, before sailing to London. It made that crossing in just 21 days, a phenomenal speed for the era. The voyage ended in tragedy when a storm damaged the ship and sent one of the hands overboard. After repairs in Jersey, it sailed on to the Thames.
For the next five years, this well-travelled ship would become a Londoner.
The Great Thrall of China
After all its scrapes and adventures, the Keying finally arrived on the Thames in late April 1848. It anchored briefly near Gravesend, before proceeding into London’s docks. Here, it found a berth at the East India Dock, which today lies opposite another curiously masted structure:
As in America, the idea was to open the ship as a novelty, to attract paying customers. East India Dock was intended as a short stop-over, where the Keying could be repainted and prepared for visitors “remote from Cockney curiosity,” as one newspaper put it. In the event, it remained at the dock for two years, and opened to the public here just a couple of weeks after arrival.
Despite being stuck out in the distant docks, many notable people trekked out to see the Keying. The very first were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, along with the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Prince of Prussia. They were followed by dowager Queen Adelaide on one of her last public appearances. This extraordinarily august outing addresses the second part of my ignorance from the opening paragraph — why the ship was called the “Royal” Chinese Junk. To spin out their future titles, the party included three queens, two kings and a prince consort. I think the regal adjective was deserved.
The Morning Post of 17 May 1848 gives a detailed account of the royal visit. Queen Victoria seemed particularly amused with the vessel:
“… the Queen mounted the steps leading [to the poop deck] with the activity of a school girl, and her beaming countenance, when it looked around, evidenced a degree of delight and satisfaction not inconsistent with the character allured to.”
If it’s good enough for Queen Victoria, then it’s good enough for our time machine. Let us step onboard…