Catharine (1809 ship)

Last updated
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameCatharine
LaunchedUnknown
Acquiredc.1809, possibly by purchase of a prize
FateBurnt 1814
General characteristics
Tons burthen274, [1] or 278 [2] or (bm)
Complement29 (at capture)
Armament
  • 1809:6 × 6-pounder guns + 6 × 12-pounder carronades [2]
  • 1812:4 × 6-pounder guns + 6 × 12-pounder carronades [1]

Catharine first appeared in the registers in 1809 as American-built and having undergone repairs in that year. In 1811 she became a whaler and sailed to the Pacific where the United States Navy captured her. Her captors sailed her to Valparaiso to sell her but when they were unable to do so they took her out to sea and burned her in February 1814.

Contents

Career

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1809B. FannCapt. & Co.
Hogg & Co.		London–Gibraltar
London–Malta		Register of Shipping (RS); [2] good repair 1809
1811P. Fann
Folger		Hogg & Co.
Herbert & Co.		London–Malta
London–South seas		RS; small repairs 1811
1812O. FoulgarMilner & Co.London–South Seas Lloyd's Register (LR); [1] New York-built & American prize; damage and thorough repair 1809
1812FolgerHerbert & Co.London–South SeasRS; good repair 1809 and small repairs 1811

Captain Thomas Folger was a native of Nantucket. [3] Before being captain on Catharine, Folger had been master of several whalers: Vulture (1804–1807), Griffin (1807–1809), and Charlton (1808–1810). After being captain of Catharine, Folger became master of Rambler (1816–1819).

Capture and loss

While nearing James Island in the afternoon on May 28, lookouts aboard USS Georgiana sighted a mast and sails on the horizon. In fact the sails belonged to two brigs, Catharine, [4] and Rose. [5] When the Americans were within range they lowered a few boats filled with men and captured the two sloops without resistance. Then the Americans spotted and captured a third vessel Hector. [6] The Americans disarmed Rose and put the bulk of their prisoners aboard her, sending her to Saint Helena as a cartel

Lloyd's List reported that the American sent Hector and Catharine to Tombus. It further reported that although Rose had been sent for England, she proved leaky and had to put into Lima. [7]

Actually, Georgiana took Catharine and Hector to rendezvous with Captain Porter and the USS Essex there. Porter sent Essex Junior to Valparaiso with the prizes Hector, Catharine, Policy, and Montezuma, and the American ship Barclay, with the instructions to leave Barclay there and to sell the prizes. [8] The Americans were unable to sell Hector, Catharine, or Montezuma.

In early 1814 Porter arrived at Valparaiso. He towed Hector and Catharine out to sea and burned them, [9] probably on 14 February. [10] The Spanish seized Montezuma and sold her. At the time of her capture Catharine had held 450 casks of oil. [11] The Americans put the oil from Hector, Catharine, and Montezuma aboard Policy and sent her to the United States. However, the Royal Navy recaptured Policy before she could reach an American port.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Lloyd's Register (1812), Seq.№C225.
  2. 1 2 3 Register of Shipping (1809), Seq. №C172.
  3. ↑ Delano (1817), p. 297.
  4. ↑ Clayton (2014), p. 83.
  5. ↑ Clayton (2014), p. 209.
  6. ↑ Clayton (2014), p. 138.
  7. ↑ Lloyd's List №4818.
  8. ↑ Porter (1815), pp.213–4.
  9. ↑ Porter (1815), p.160.
  10. ↑ Porter (1875), pp.229–230.
  11. ↑ British Southern Whale Fishery database – voyages: Catharine.

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Éole was an 18-gun corvette of the French Navy, launched, captured, and later commissioned in the Royal Navy in 1799 as HMS Nimrod after her capture by HMS Solebay. She was then "the finest and most handsome ship-sloop in the British navy". She was sold in 1811. Nimrod made three whaling voyages between 1811 and 1819. On her first she captured several American whalers. Nimrod was last listed in 1820.

Ganges was a ship launched in 1798 at Philadelphia, probably for French owners. During the Peace of Amiens her registration and homeport became Dunkirk. Her French owners sent her to engage in whaling at Delagoa Bay, where the British letter of marque whaler Scorpion captured her in 1803. She then made one whaling voyage to Isle of Desolation before a French squadron captured her in 1806 during a second whaling voyage. Accounts differ as to whether her captors sank her, or released her and she continued to operate as a merchant vessel until 1814.

Georgiana was launched in 1791. She served as a merchantman, packet ship for the British East India Company (EIC), a whaler, a warship of the navy of the United States of America, and a merchant vessel again. She was sold after being condemned in 1818 as leaky.

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Rambler was launched in America in 1812. The British captured her in 1813 as she was returning to America from Manila. She then briefly became a West Indiaman. In 1815 she became a whaler in the Southern Fishery. She made four complete whaling voyages and was wrecked on her fifth.

Montezuma was launched in Philadelphia in 1804. She came into British hands c.1807 after having been seized for attempting to evade the British East India Company's monopoly on British trade with India. She then initially traded with Charleston until 1811 when she went whaling in the Galápagos Islands. There the Americans captured her in 1813. Her captors sailed her to Valparaiso where the Spanish colonial government seized her.

New Zealander was a French or Spanish vessel taken in prize c.1807. Daniel Bennett, one of the leading owners of whalers plying the Southern Whale Fishery purchased her. She performed four voyages for him. During the second the United States Navy captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. She returned to England for the last time in August 1820 and is last listed in 1825.

Sarah was launched at Hartlepool in 1800. Between 1807 and 1813 Sarah made two voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. On her first whaling voyage her captain claimed the Auckland Islands for Britain. As she was coming home a French privateer captured her, but a British privateer recaptured her. After her whaling voyages Sarah became a transport, a West Indiaman, and traded with North America. She was last listed in 1826.

Hector was a 19th-century ship that the British captured around 1809. She became a West Indiaman, making at least one voyage to Hayti. New owners in 1811 sent her off to the Pacific to engage in whale hunting. There the Spanish detained her, but then released her. Next, the United States Navy captured her in an engagement. Her captors took her into Valparaiso, where they burnt her in February 1814.

Sir Andrew Hammond was launched at Bermuda in 1800. She spent almost a dozen years as a West Indiaman. From 1812 on she was a whaler. On her first whaling voyage she sailed to the Pacific where the United States Navy captured her. She then served briefly in the United States Navy before the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She returned to whaling and made a further eight whaling voyages. She was lost in 1841 on her tenth whaling voyage.

Charlton, was built in America. She first appeared in British-origin online records in 1803. She made three complete voyages as a whaler. She was on her fourth voyage when the U.S. Navy captured her. After her captors released her she returned to England and then disappears from easily accessible online records.

Policy was launched at Dartmouth in 1801. She was a whaler that made seven whaling voyages between 1803 and 1823. On her second whaling voyage, in 1804, she was able to capture two Dutch vessels. On her fourth voyage the United States Navy captured her, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She was lost at Tahiti in 1824 on her eighth whaling voyage.

Greenwich was launched on the Thames in 1800. Between 1800 and 1813 Samuel Enderby & Sons employed her as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery, and she made four whaling voyages for them. In 1813 the United States Navy captured her in the Pacific and for about a year she served there as USS Greenwich. Her captors scuttled her in 1814.

Partridge was built at Antwerp in 1813, under another name, and was taken in prize. From 1814 she was under British ownership. Between 1814 and 1822 she traded with India, sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a whaler, making three voyages to the British southern whale fishery before she was broken up in 1834.

Griffin was a Spanish prize, that between 1807 and 1809 made one voyage as a whaler to the British southern whale fishery.

References

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