Castor & Pollux (1790 ship)

History
Great Britain
Name	Castor & Pollux
Launched	1790, Tignmouth (Teignmouth)
Captured	circa 1801
General characteristics
Tons burthen	262, [1] or 269, [1] [2] (bm)
Complement	1794:16 [1] 1795:14 [1]
Armament	1794: 12 × 4-pounder guns + 4 swivel guns [1] 1795: 12 × 4-pounder guns + 4 swivel gun [1] 1800: 2 × 4-pounder guns + 8 × 18-pounder carronades

Castor & Pollux was launched at Teignmouth in 1790. Initially she traded with the Mediterranean, and on one voyage suffered a fire at sea. She then became a West Indiaman. In 1799 she commenced a voyage as a whaler. A Spanish privateer captured her in the Pacific circa 1801.

Career

Castor & Pollux first appeared in the Lloyd's Register (LR) volume for 1791. ^[2]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1791	R.Codner	Captain	Exeter–Straits	LR

Lloyd's List reported in September 1792 that Castor & Polleux, Codner, master, had been returning from Manfredonia when she caught fire at sea. Her captain and crew ran her onshore at Alicant to extinguish the fire. ^[3]

War with France broke out early in 1793. Captain William Codner acquired a letter of marque on 30 April 1794. ^[1]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1794	R.Codner W.Codner	R.Codner	Exeter–Straits London–San Domingo	LR
1795	W.Codner G.Godwin	R.Codner Lee & Co.	London–San Domingo	LR

Captain John Godwin acquired a letter of marque on 3 April 1795. ^[1]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1796	G.Godwin	J.Lee & Co.	London–Barbados	LR
1798	G.Godwin	J.Lee & Co. Latham & Son	London–Barbados	LR
1799	Godwin Anderson	Latham & Son Lushington	London–South Seas	LR; repairs 1799

On 21 March 1799 Castor & Pollux, Anderson, master, was at Deal, waiting to sail for the South Seas. In February 1800 Castor & Pollux called in at Rio de Janeiro in want of refreshments and repairs. ^{[4] [5]}

Fate

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. ^[6] Their captor was the privateer Atlante, under the command of Dominque de Orué. ^[7]

Citations

1. "Letter of Marque, p.55 – Retrieved 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
2. LR (1791), Seq.No.C475.
3. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2438. 21 September 1792. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232961.
4. Clayton (2014), p. 83.
5. British southern whale fishery database – Voyages: Castor & Pollux.
6. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4152. 19 May 1801. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735020.
7. Ortiz Sotelo (2012), p. 258.

References

• Clayton, J.M. (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775-1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Jane M. Clayton. ISBN   978-1-908616-52-4.
• Ortiz Sotelo, Jorge (2012). "El Callao y la Real Armada". El último viaje de la Fregata Mercedes. Peru: Museo Naval & Museo Arquelogico Nacional. pp. 253–262.