| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Benson |
| Builder | Liverpool [1] |
| Launched | 1794 [1] |
| Fate | Wrecked 23 March 1811 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 361, [2] or 375, [2] or 376 [2] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
Benson was launched in 1794 in Liverpool as a West Indiaman. She sailed under a letter of marque and in December 1798 engaged in a notable single-ship action in which she repelled an attack by a French naval corvette of superior force. Benson was wrecked on 23 March 1811.
Benson first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1794. [3]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1794 | Atkinson | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR |
| 1795 | J.Atkinson R.Crosdell | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR |
Captain John Atkinson acquired a letter of marque on 12 February 1794. [2] Captain Richard Croasdell acquired one on 17 December 1796. [2]
In December 1797 as Benson, Crosdale, master, was sailing for Jamaica from Liverpool she grounded at Liverpool. It was expected that she would have to unload her cargo to effect repairs. [4]
A year later, on 6 December 1798, Benson was some 18 leagues off st Kitts when she encountered a French naval corvette of twenty 9-pounder guns and 170 men. The two vessels engaged for an hour and a half, and then again for 45 minutes or so before the French vessel sailed off. The French had fired high to disable Benson's sails and rigging. In this they succeeded to the extent that Benson was in no condition to pursue; she also had no casualties. Benson, by contrast, had fired low to cause casualties. In this Benson succeeded, reportedly killing 14 men and wounding 20 aboard the French vessel, leading it to break off the engagement. [5]
The next day Benson chased a privateer schooner, of 12 guns and a large complement, into the shoals of Cape Roxen, on the west end of Puerto Rico. [5]
On 11 December Benson chased a French privateer cutter of 17 guns that had an American brig, her prize, in company. As Benson gained on the cutter the wind failed. The cutter liberated her prize and escaped by using her sweeps. [5]
On an earlier voyage, Benson had captured a Spanish vessel valued at about £7000. [5]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1799 | Crosdale T.Phillips | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR |
| 1805 | T.Phillips J.Askin | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR |
Captain Thomas Phillips acquired a letter of marque on 2 September 1799. [2] Captain John Askew acquired one on 9 September 1803. [2] LR was only as accurate as ship owners' reporting.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1806 | J.Aikin J.Askew | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR |
| 1807 | J.Askew J.Lea | Benson & Co. | London–Jamaica | LR; repairs 1805 |
Captain James Lea acquired a letter of marque on 12 November 1807. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1809 | J.Lea R.Allen | Benson & Co. Holland & Co. | London–Jamaica Brazil | LR; repairs 1805 |
| 1810 | R.Allen Willimot | Holland & Co. Bennet & Co. | Liverpool–Jamaica London–Yucatán | Register of Shipping; small repairs 1803 |
As Brilliant was returning to London from Honduras, on 3 February 1811 she encountered Benson, Wilmot, master, and Hope, Ward, master, off Cape Florida. The two vessels were 16 days out of Honduras and on their way had encountered bad gales that had made Benson leaky; she was making four feet of water per hour. Her masts also had received significant damage. Brilliant accompanied Benson until they were two-days' sail from Charleston, at which time Brilliant separated, confident that Benson could reach the port. [6]
Benson, Wilmot, master, arrived at Charleston on 19 February, "in distress". [7] However, she got on shore on 23 March and it was expected that she would be totally lost. [8]
Falmouth was launched in 1806 at Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the British slave trade ended in 1807, she became a West Indiaman until a privateer captured her in 1812.
Adventure was a vessel built in France that the British captured c.1799. New owners immediately sailed her as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She then made a voyage as West Indiaman during which a French privateer captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made a second slave trading voyage. Thereafter she became a general trader, trading primarily with the Baltic. She was wrecked in October 1814. Although she was refloated and taken into Copenhagen, she disappeared from subsequent ship arrival and departure data.
Resolution was launched at Liverpool in 1776 as the West Indiaman Thomas Hall; she was renamed in 1779. She sailed briefly as a privateer. Then between 1791 and 1804 Revolution made some six voyages as a whaler. On one voyage, in 1793, a French frigate captured her, but Resolution was re-captured. In 1804 a new owner returned her to the West Indies trade. She does not appear to have sailed after early 1805.
Brilliant was launched at Whitehaven in 1807. Initially, she was a West Indiaman. Then from 1816 she started sailing to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She grounded in February or on 10 March 1821 at Coringa while sailing from London to Bengal. She was refloated, repaired, and sold locally.
Pitt was launched at Ulverston in 1799 and proceeded to sail to the West Indies and New York. A French privateer captured her in 1806 but she quickly returned to British ownership and sailing as a West Indiaman. She continued trading with the West Indies and North America until she was last listed in 1833.
Bellona was built in Spain in 1797 and was taken in prize circa late 1804. She made one voyage as a privateer, sailing from Liverpool to the River Plate area. On her return she made a voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was wrecked as she was coming back into Liverpool after having delivered her captives to Charleston.
William Heathcote was launched in Liverpool in 1800. She made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Next, a French privateer captured her in a single-ship action, and the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She became a West Indiaman before she made an enslaving voyage, one of the last such legal voyages. zAfter British partiipation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade ended, she became a West Indiaman again; she sailed to Brazil and as a transport. She was wrecked in July 1816.
Westmoreland was launched on the Thames in 1791. She made two voyages as a slave ship, and between them cruized as a privateer for some months. She then traded between Britain and the Mediterranean until he was last listed in 1814.
Harriot (or Harriott}was launched in Liverpool in 1786. For many years she was a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. In 1796 a French frigate captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She became a slave ship. At the beginning of her of her first slave trading voyage a French privateer captured her, and again the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made five slave trading voyages in all. Thereafter she traded with South America. She was last listed in 1814 with stale data.
Agreeable was launched at Bermuda in 1786, probably under a different name. French owners acquired her at some point and sailed her as Agréable. In 1793 the British captured her. Subsequently, between 1793 and 1808, she made six voyages as a slave ship, alternating between the triangular trade in enslaved people, and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third voyages, and the third and fourth voyages, but each time the British Royal Navy recaptured her. In the case of the second capture she was in French hands long enough for them to send her out as a privateer. She herself captured an American vessel in 1808 as she was returning to Liverpool from her last enslaving voyage. After the end of British participation in trans-Atlantic enslaving trade, Agreeable traded more widely, particularly to South America. She was condemned at Buenos Aires in 1814 after running aground in the River Plate. She was repaired and continue to sail to Brazil until she returned to Liverpool in June 1819.
Backhouse was launched in 1798 at Dartmouth. In all, she made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the second and the third, and after the fourth, she was a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her early in 1810 as she was returning to Britain from Brazil.
Backhouse was launched in 1785 at Chester. She initially sailed as a West Indiaman. In 1792–1793 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Once in 1796 and twice in 1797 she repelled attacks by French privateers in three single-ship actions. Backhouse made four more enslaving voyages and then returned to the West Indies trade. After about 1809 she became a London coaster and was last listed in 1813.
Hart was a brig, possibly launched in America in 1809, and taken in prize. From 1809 on she sailed to the Mediterranean, particularly Malta. A privateer captured her in 1810, but she was recaptured. She burnt in 1811.
John Tobin was a ship launched in 1809 at Hull. In 1810 she recaptured a British vessel and in November 1812 she repelled an attack by an American privateer in a single ship action. From 1816 John Tobin made three voyages to India, sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She then sailed to Calabar, West Africa. She left there on 28 November 1821 and was never heard of again.
Quaker was built in America in 1774, possibly under another name, and was taken in prize in 1780. She appears in British records from 1781. Between 1781 and 1783 she sailed as a privateer and captured several ships, American, Spanish, and French. She then became a whaler, making four voyages to the British southern whale fishery. Thereafter she became a West Indiaman. The French captured her in 1795.
Commerce was a French vessel launched in 1798 and taken in prize in 1800. Initially she sailed as a West Indiaman. Then between 1801 and the end in 1807 of British participation in the triangular trade in enslaved people, Commerce made four voyages as a slave ship and also spent some time in 1803 cruising as a privateer. Afterwards, she continued to trade between Liverpool and West Africa. During one voyage in 1811 a French privateer captured her, but Commerce was recaptured. She was wrecked in November 1813 while returning to Liverpool from South America.
Ranger was launched in 1791 in New Providence and immediately came to Britain. She generally traded between Liverpool and New Providence. She underwent grounding in 1795 and in 1796 her owners had her repaired, lengthened, and converted from a brig to a ship. A French privateer captured her in August 1797 after a single-ship action. In a process that is currently obscure, Ranger returned to British ownership circa 1799. She then became a West Indiaman. From 1803 on she became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete slave trading voyage. Then French privateers captured her after she had embarked slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to the West Indies. A United States citizen purchased her at Guadeloupe and renamed her Delaware. In 1805 the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was returned to her British owners who sailed her between Ireland and Newfoundland. She was last listed in 1814.
Ranger was built in the Netherlands, reportedly for the Dutch East India Company, and almost certainly under another name. She was take in prize in 1796. She made one voyage as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She then traded to the West Indies and the Mediterranean before becoming a transport. French frigates captured her in 1810. The Royal Navy recaptured her almost immediately and used her to transport prisoners from Isle de France (Mauritius) to France. She then disappears from online records.
Badger was launched in Liverpool in 1775. She made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. New owners renamed her Molly in 1778 and sailed her as a West Indian. In 1779 she repelled an American privateer in a sanguinary single ship action. Her owners renamed her Lydia. While trading with Tortola she captured one or two prizes. Lydia was herself captured in 1782.
Ponsonby was launched in 1796 at Liverpool. She initially traded between Liverpool and Dublin, and then between 1801 and 1804 disappeared from Lloyd's Register. She returned to the register in 1805 as she sailed as a privateer for two or so months, capturing two vessels. She then became a slave ship in the triangular trade on enslaved people. The French Navy captured her in late 1804 or early 1805 before she could embark any slaves.