[1] His family had lived in Cheam since 1741 when John Killick obtained a lease on a late fifteenth century house known as Whitehall.

In 1850 the American clipper ship ‘Oriental’ visited West India Docks, the largest clipper ship to visit London and the Admiralty was given permission to take her lines, and this was done by Messrs Waymouth and Cornish, both Lloyd's Surveyors, in the dry dock at Green's Yard in Blackwell.

Captain James Killick's last passage in Challenger ended in December 1860 when she arrived in London with a transit from Shanghai of 108 days.

Killick was the senior partner and his seafaring background gave him the necessary experience to manage the ship owning side of the business.

James Martin, twenty years younger than Killick, had previously worked for Phillips, Shaw & Lowther, which later changed its name to Shaw, Lowther and Maxton (owners of famous clipper ships like Ariel and Titania) concentrated on the running of the office and securing of cargo.

[1] Basil Lubbock and David MacGregor in their various publications mention in his later life Captain James Killick became affectionately known as the ‘China Bird’ and the ‘Admiral’ and when he died in Margate, Kent, on 29 October 1889 some of his obituaries referred to these ‘nick names’ and show the high regard and respect which his friends and colleagues held for him.

[5] Whitehall which is English Natural Heritage listed was also restored by Sutton Council in 2018 with the aid of a £1.9 million grant from the National Lottery.