Background

Donald McKay was born on a farm on the east side of Jordan River in Shelburne County, Nova Scotia, second of sixteen children of Hugh and Ann (McPherson) McKay. His paternal grandfather, for whom he was named, was a Scottish army officer who took up the farm among United Empire Loyalists in 1783.

Education

Donald was equipped only with a common-school education.

Career

Donald emigrated in 1827 to New York where, McKay was apprenticed as a ship-carpenter to Isaac Webb. When his indenture was up and he became a free-lance shipwright, his talents were noticed and encouraged by the leading New York ship-builders. Jacob Bell sent him to Wiscasset, Maine, in 1839 to finish a vessel; he then found employment at Newburyport, Massachussets, where in 1841, he formed a partnership with William Currier as master ship-builder. There he quickly made a reputation by building two New York packet ships, and after forming a new partnership, with William Pickett, was chosen in 1844 to design and build the Joshua Bates for the Boston-Liverpool line. The owner, Enoch Train, induced McKay to come to Boston, and aided him in establishing a shipyard at East Boston. Here, for five years, he concentrated his attention on packet ships. On December 7, 1850, he launched the Stag Hound (1, 534 tons), his first clipper ship; and on April 15, 1851, the Flying Cloud (1, 783 tons), which made San Francisco in less than ninety days from New York, a passage but twice equaled, once by herself. Three other great clippers left his yard that year. In 1852, he built the Sovereign of the Seas (2, 421 tons) on his own account, since no one would order so great a vessel, and placed her in command of his brother Lauchlan (1811 - 1895), who was a practical builder as well as master mariner. After two remarkable voyages the Sovereign of the Seas was sold to British purchasers, and gave her builder an international reputation. In the same year, he built the clippers Westward Ho! and Bald Eagle. In 1853, with amazing courage, Donald McKay built on his own account the Great Republic, registering 4, 555 2/3 tons, 3341/2 feet long, with a 120-foot yard arm and a main skysail truck over 200 feet above her deck. Although burned before going to sea, the Great Republic as razeed and rebuilt was the pride of the American merchant marine. The Empress of the Seas, Star of Empire, Chariot of Fame, and Romance of the Seas were also of that year. In 1854-55, McKay again surpassed himself with six clipper ships built for the Liverpool-Australia trade, two of which, the James Baines (2, 515 tons) and Lightning (2, 084 tons), hold world records for speed under sail. The Baines made the fastest transatlantic port-to-port passage, twelve days six hours Boston to Liverpool, and the round-the-world record of 134 days; at times she attained a speed of twenty-one knots. The Lightning made the greatest day's run in the annals of sail, 436 nautical miles. In fact ten out of twelve recorded days' runs of 400 miles and upward were made by McKay's ships. McKay designed all these and many other vessels, superintended every detail of their construction, and invented several labor-saving devices. By 1855 the day of extreme clipper ships was over, and McKay turned to a more economical type, but the panic of 1857 left his yard vacant. Having obtained a contract to furnish 500 loads of ship timber to the British Admiralty, he spent over a year (1859 - 60) in Europe, where his reputation gave him access to the leading government dockyards.

He watched the construction of the new ironclads, and assisted at armor tests, which convinced him that the United States navy was obsolete, and made him a vigorous advocate of steam screw ironclads of the largest class. These views, coming from the supreme master builder of wooden sailing ships, made a deep impression. In March-April 1861, he proposed to build an ironclad corvette of 2, 390 tons displacement, mounting twelve 9-inch guns in casemates. These and other plans were not accepted, largely for want of funds, and as McKay obtained no orders, he returned to England in July 1861 and remained until April 1863, again doing business with the Admiralty. After his return to America he equipped his yard to produce iron ships and marine and locomotive engines, and in 1864-65 built at considerable financial loss the monitor Nausett and three other naval vessels for the government; in 1866-69 he built a few steamers and sailing ships, of which the last, the Glory of the Seas (2, 102 tons), although a loss to her builder, proved a fast and profitable vessel, and lasted until 1923. Although in 1869 he sold his shipyard, he built elsewhere for the government the wooden sloops-of-war Adams and Essex in 1874-75. Being threatened with tuberculosis he retired in 1877 to a country estate at Hamilton, Massachussets, where, with characteristic energy, he endeavored by scientific farming to recoup health and fortune. Both suffered, and on September 20, 1880, he died.

Achievements

• In 1844, McKay founded a shipyard in Boston that produced many of the United States' largest and most famous clipper ships. One of the ships he built, the SS Flying Cloud, sailed from New York City to San Francisco (going around South America's Cape Horn) in a then-record 89 days. During the Civil War, his shipyard produced ironclad warships for the Union.

Works

More photos

• book

  • The Evidence Room

    ( Internationally renowned and award-winning historian Dr...)

  • One Foot in Heaven the Life of a Practical Parson

    (One Foot in Heaven, 1940, by Hartzell Spence. Hardcover w...)

  • The Story of Mark Twain (Signature Books, 23)

    (Biography of Mark Twain for boys and girls.)

  • Notes On General Ashley: The Overland Trail And South Pass

    (Book by Frost, Donald McKay)

  • Cheaper by the Dozen

    (1948: by Frank B. Gilbreth- One of the funniest family st...)

Religion

In religion he was a Methodist.

Views

Quotations: "I never yet built a vessel that came up to my own ideal; I saw something in each ship which I desired to improve".

Personality

A man of indefatigable industry, a skilful draftsman and a practical builder, McKay had an innate sense of beauty and proportion, and intuitive perception of both how and what to build. At prime of life he was a fine figure of a man, with strong features, and dark hair curling back from a high forehead. He loved music and played the violin. His character won the affection of his employés and the respect of his competitors; in the Boston of Webster and Everett he was one of the most prominent citizens.

Interests

• Music & Bands

  He loved music and played the violin.

Connections

McKay's two wives did much for his career: Albenia Martha Boole, a ship-builder's daughter, assisted his education; Mary Cressy Litchfield acted as his adviser and secretary in business matters, and named his famous clippers. He had fifteen children, most of whom survived him.

Father:

Hugh McKay

Mother:

Ann (McPherson) McKay

Wife:

Mary Cressy Litchfield McKay

30 September 1831 - February 1923

Son:

Wallace McKay

6 October 1868 - 15 April 1961

References

• The Era of the Clipper Ships: The Legacy of Donald McKay
• Some famous sailing ships and their builder, Donald McKay;: A study of the American sailing packet and clipper eras, with biographical sketches of ... history of his many famous ships,
• Clipper Ship Era
• Greyhounds of the Sea: The Story of the American Clipper Ship
• Donald McKay and His Famous Sailing Ships (Dover Maritime)