'Hallowe’en' was a 920-ton iron clipper, the sister of 'Blackadder' and ordered at the same time from Maudslay, Son & Field at Bay Wharf, Greenwich, by John 'White Hat' Willis, who took delivery of the Dumbarton-built 'Cutty Sark' in 1869. 'Blackadder' was launched on 1 February 1870 and 'Hallowe'een' on 4 June, but owing to protracted litigation after 'Blackadder' was dismasted on her maiden voyage because of building faults, 'Halloween' was not handed over to Willis until 18 months later. Both ships were very fast - 'Hallowe'en' particularly so in light airs - and she made a record 91-day passage from Shanghai with tea in 1874, arriving in London on 20 January 1875. She was wrecked off Salcombe, Devon, in 1887, inward bound with tea from Foochow. Maudslay's was a famous engineering family, the 1870 generation being grandchildren of Henry Maudslay (1771-1831) whose sons Thomas and Joseph later gained fame as builders of marine engines but both died in the early 1860s. Mainly interested personally in yachting the next generation began building sailing ships at Greenwich at just the point steam was taking over, and consequently built few of which 'Blackadder' and 'Hallowe'en' were the most famous despite their unfortunate early history. They also built steamships there including, in 1871, what may have been the world's first steam-powered roll-on, roll-off ferry for service on the Bosphorus. [PvdM 2/12]