Formed in London during 1861 by Captain James Killick and James Martin, Killick Martin & Company quickly became one of the most successful owners of clipper ships in the trade between China and the U.K. At its peak Killick Martin owned and operated 20 vessels, some of which are now regarded as the fasted and most beautiful British clipper ships ever built.
For those of you who want to learn more about the history of the Killick Martin & Company, Wikipedia contains pages on Killick Martin & Company, Captain James Killick and some of the most famous vessels from the Killick Martin Fleet, Challenger, Kaisow, Lothair and Wylo.
There is a book called China Bird; The History of Captain Killick and the Firm he Founded, published on the companies 100th Anniversary in 1961 and and a second edition on its 125th in 1986. You can also see historic items and documents at ‘The National Maritime Museum, the David MacGregor Library at the SS Great Britain, and Whitehall, in Cheam, Surrey.