Career
Sources disagree on Amphitrite's year of launch. Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping in various volumes report it as 1802, 1804, or even 1816. However, Amphitrite appears in Lloyd's Register in 1802 with R. Hogg as master and Hogg & Co. as owner. Her trade is given as Cork. [2]
The data in the table below comes from the Register of Shipping.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Notes |
|---|
| 1805 | W. Osborne | Hogg & co. | Plymouth–London | |
| 1810 | S.Colburn | Keats & Co. | London–Halifax, Nova Scotia | |
| 1815 | Ferguson | Liddell | Greenock–Pictou | |
| 1820 | Hindoston | Liddell | Greenock–Pictou | |
| 1825 | Henderson | Liddell & Co. | Greenock–St Petersburg | Repairs 1822 |
| 1830 | Murray | Lyall & Co. | London transport | Lengthened 1824 |
|
Incidents
On 12 January 1808 Amphitrite, Colburn, master, was driven onshore at Ryde, but was gotten off without damage. [3]
On 21 October 1808 as Amphitrite was sailing from Halifax to Bedec, New Brunswick, and London, she was driven on shore near Pictou, Nova Scotia. She was gotten off on 6 November, but then grounded again near Bedec. Her crew was saved. [4]
On 28 October 1814 Amphitrite, Ferguson, master, was sailing from to Petersburgh to Glasgow when she got on shore at Gothland. It was expected that she would be got off. [5] A report a week later stated that she had been gotten off and taken into Grangemouth. [6]
The Register of Shipping for 1833 (published in 1832), shows Amphitrite with R. Murray, master, Lyall & Co., owner, and trade Portsmouth transport, changing to London–New South Wales. [1]
Loss
Captain John Hunter sailed Amphitrite from Woolwich, Kent, England on 25 August 1833, bound for New South Wales. She had embarked 108 female convicts and 12 children. [7]
While sailing off Boulogne, Pas-de-Calais, France she encountered a gale that blew her ashore on 31 August. Hunter refused offers of aid from the shore, due to his concern that if the prisoners got on shore some might escape, and his belief that a rising tide would free her. The ship subsequently broke up with the loss of 133 lives; only three crewmen survived. [7] [9]
Albion was a full-rigged whaler built at Deptford, England, and launched in 1798. She made five whaling voyages to the seas around New South Wales and New Zealand. The government chartered her in 1803 to transport stores and cattle, to Risdon Cove on the River Derwent, Tasmania.
Atlas was built in Souths Shields by Temple and launched in 1801 for Temple. She made two voyages transporting convicts from Ireland or England to Port Jackson. On the first voyage she carried cargo for the British East India Company (EIC). On the second she sailed to Bengal after delivering her convicts to New South Wales and was wrecked off India in 1820 while on her way back to Britain.
Perseus was a sailing ship built in 1799 at Stockton-on-Tees, England. She made one voyage transporting convicts to New South Wales, returning to England via Canton. In 1803-1804 she served as an "armed defense ship". Thereafter she served as a transport. She is last listed in 1844.
Experiment was built in 1802 in Georgia, United States of America. She came into British ownership circa 1806. She made one voyage to New South Wales in 1809-1810 transporting female convicts. She was last listed in 1818.
Æolus, also spelt Aeolus, was a snow sailing ship built in 1783 at Åbenrå in Denmark as a West Indiaman. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1807. Buckle & Co. purchased her as a prize. In 1808-9 she transported convicts to Port Jackson, New South Wales. She was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1816.
Alexander was a sailing ship built by Henry Baldwin and launched in Quebec in 1801. She was registered in London in 1802. She sailed for the British East India Company carrying wheat to New South Wales for the government, before returning to Britain via China. She spent a few years trading with the West Indies before she traveled to New South Wales again, this time transporting convicts. On her return to Britain new owners returned her to trading with the West Indies, but she is no longer listed after 1810 and her ultimate fate is unknown.
Providence was a merchant ship built at Calcutta, India, and launched in 1807. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), on one of which she delivered convicts to New South Wales. The ship was scuttled at St Martin's, Isles of Scilly in 1833 after grounding while on a voyage from London to Bombay, India.
Baring was a three-decker East Indiaman that made six voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1802 and 1814. Her owners then sold her and under new owners she made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia. Her last appearance in Lloyd's Register is in 1820.
Alexander was built in the United States in 1811 and captured as a prize during the War of 1812, or built in 1813 in Halifax. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register for 1815 with Hamilton, master, M'Dowell, owner, and trade Greenock-Newfoundland.
Atlas was a 501-ton sailing ship that was built at Whitby and launched in 1811. In 1814 she successfully defended herself in a single-ship action with an American privateer. In 1816 she transported convicts to New South Wales, and afterwards disappeared off the coast of India in 1817.
City of Edinburgh was a merchant ship built at Bengal in 1813. She transferred to British registry and sailed between Britain and India. She made two voyages transporting convicts from Ireland to Australia. Later, she made a whaling voyage to New Zealand. She was wrecked in 1840.
Eliza was a merchant ship built in British India, probably in 1804. Between 1819 and 1831 she made five voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia. In between, she also made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). Her crew abandoned her at sea in 1836 as she was leaking uncontrollably.
York was a sailing ship built in 1819 at Southwick. She made one voyage to Bombay for the British East India Company (EIC) in 1820. She made three voyages transporting convicts to Australia between 1829 and 1832. She was condemned and sold for breaking up in 1833 at Mauritius.
Mariner was launched at Whitby in 1807, and registered in London. Her notability comes from her having made three voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales between 1816 and 1827. She continued trading until 1857.
Globe was launched in 1810. Privateers captured and released her in 1817, and in 1818-1819 she transported convicts to New South Wales. She was wrecked in 1824.
Barkworth was launched in 1811 and began her career as a West Indiaman. She then made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). Thereafter she traded with India. She disappeared without a trace in 1824 on her way to Bombay.
Borneo was a merchant ship built in Borneo in 1817. She undertook one convict voyage to Van Diemen's Land in 1828. She was wrecked in 1832 on her first whaling voyage.
Competitor was launched at Whitby in 1813. She was initially a West Indiaman and then traded with India. She made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, one to Van Diemen's Land and one to Port Jackson. She is last listed in 1833.
Mary was launched in 1811 at Ipswich. She immediately made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), to New South Wales (NSW), and Bengal. She continued to trade with Australia and then made five voyages transporting convicts there: two to New South Wales, two to Van Diemen's Land, and one in which she carried convicts to both. She was last listed in 1841.
Lord Wellington was launched in 1810 at Rochester, or equally, Chatham, as a West Indiaman. She made at least one voyage to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She then made a voyage to New South Wales transporting female convicts from England and Ireland. She was lost in December 1822 off Denmark while sailing from Saint Petersburg to London.
United Kingdom
