| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Britannia |
| Owner | W. Boyd [1] |
| Builder | Dutch |
| Acquired | 1798 by purchase of a prize |
| Homeport | London |
| Captured | 1801 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 296, [1] or 309 [2] (bm) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Armament | 8 × 12-pounder carronades [2] |
Britannia was a merchant vessel captured from the Dutch. She made one complete whaling voyage to the South Seas. A Spanish vessel captured her at the Galapagos Islands in 1801 on her second whaling voyage.
Britannia was a Dutch prize, captured in 1797 that underwent repairs in 1798. [3] She entered Lloyd's Register in 1798 with W. Shaw, master, W. Boyd, owner, and trade Portsmouth-Jamaica. [1] In 1799 Mortlock replaced Shaw as master, and her trade was listed as Portsmouth-Cape of Good Hope. [4]
Whaling voyage: Captain Mortlake left Britain on 13 March 1799. Britannia called in at Rio de Janeiro in July for sugarcane syrup. [5] She returned to England on 30 May 1800. [6]
Loss: In May 1801 Lloyd's List reported that a Spanish ship of 24 guns had captured "Britannia, late Mortlock, of London", and Castor & Pollux, Anderson, master, in the Galapagos Islands. The Spaniards then took their prizes into Lima. [7] Their captor was the privateer Atlante, under the command of Dominque de Orué. [8]