| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Chambers |
| Builder | Bristol [1] |
| Launched | 1776 |
| Captured | 7 October 1782 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 200, or 220, or 300, [2] or 350 [1] (bm) |
| Armament |
|
Chambers was a ship launched in Bristol in 1776. She spent most of her brief career as a West Indiaman. An American privateer captured her in October 1782 in a single ship action.
Chambers first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1776. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1776 | Jn.Wallace Jn.Langley | Dinham & Co. | Bristol-Petersburg Bristol–Jamaica | LR |
| 1778 | A.Frizwell | Dinham & Co. | Bristol–Jamaica | LR |
The British Admiralty gave notice in April 1777, that they were ready to issue letters of marque for privateers against the Americans. In March 1778, Great Britain broke off relations with France. [3] Captain Abraham Frizwell acquired a letter of marque on 28 September 1778. [lower-alpha 1]
Chambers arrived at Jamaica in May 1779. On her way she captured a brig sailing from St Domingo to Bordeaux, which Chambers sent into New York. She set into Jamaica a schooner that was carrying rum and molasses, and a sloop into New Providence. Chambers had also repelled an attack by two American privateers, one of 16 and the other of 12 guns. [2] The encounter had take place in the Gulf of Florida and lasted two hours before the Americans broke it off. [5]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1779 | A.Frizwell J.Langley | Dinham & Co. | Bristol–Jamaica | LR |
Captain John Langley acquired a letter of marque on 28 August 1779.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1782 | J.Langley | Dinham R.Hunter? | Bristol–Jamaica Bristol–Quebec | LR |
Lloyd's List reported in March 1780 that Chambers, Langley, master, and Lord North, Webb, master, had brought an American privateer with them into Barbados. [6] [7]
A gale between 1 and 2 August 1781 drove Chambers, Langley, master, and some other vessels on shore at Jamaica. [8] She was gotten off and on 20 April 1782 sailed for Quebec, which she reached.
On 7 October 1782 the American privateer Buccaneer, of 22 guns, captured Chambers, Langley, master, off Cape Clear Island as Chambers was returning to Bristol from Quebec. Buccaneer sent Chambers to Lorient. [9] Chambers only struck after an hour's engagement. [7]
Orient was an 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, built by Antoine Groignard.
HMS Trimmer was the French privateer cutter Anti-Briton, which HMS Stag captured in January 1782 and which the Royal Navy took into service. Early in the French Revolutionary Wars Trimmer captured a privateer. Though she never sailed again after December 1793, the Navy converted her to a temporary fire ship in 1798. The Admiralty sold her in 1801.
Aggie, was launched in Liverpool in 1777. She traded locally until 1781 when her owners renamed her Spy. She briefly became a privateer, and then a slave ship, engaged in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French Navy captured her in 1782 in the West Indies as she was arriving to deliver her cargo of slaves on her first slave-trading voyage.
Tartar was built in France in 1778, almost surely under another name. She was taken in prize and appears under British ownership in 1780. After a short career as a privateer, she made a voyage between 1781 and 1783 as an extra East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a whaler in the northern whale fishery. After whaling she traded with the Baltic and then served as a London-based transport. She was probably lost in 1799, and was last listed in 1801. If Tartar is the vessel lost in 1799, in 1796 French warships captured her, but the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her.
Rover had been launched in New York, possibly as Judith, or an earlier name. Rover appeared in British records in 1781. She became a privateer and survived a severe engagement in 1781. Circa 1782 ownership of Rover transferred to Liverpool from Bristol, and she became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. An American privateer captured Rover in March 1783 as she was transiting the Middle Passage, sailing from Africa to the West Indies.
Carnatic, launched in 1770, was an East Indiaman belonging to the French East India Company. A British letter of marque captured her in 1778. She became a transport. She was wrecked in 1781.
Mentor was launched in 1778 at Chester as a West Indiaman. She captured three vessels, including a valuable East Indiaman belonging to the French East India Company. She had an inconclusive single ship action with a French warship in 1779. She was wrecked in 1782.
Vernon was launched at Bordeaux in 1775, almost certainly under another name. She first appeared in British records in 1779. Between 1781 and 1782, she was an armed transport and in 1781 took part in an action that cost her 13 crew members killed and wounded. After the war she traded widely. In 1787 she carried emigrants to Sierra Leone for the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor. She was wrecked in December 1792.
Tartar was launched at Bermuda in 1775, possibly under another name. By 1779 she was a privateer sailing out of Liverpool. She captured several prizes, first in the West Indies and then around England. Two French frigates captured her in October 1780.
Tartar was launched at Bristol in 1778. Initially she sailed as a privateer. Then in 1781 she became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete voyage as a slave ship; French naval vessels captured Tartar on her second slave trading voyage.
Tartar was built in France in 1779, probably under another name, and taken in prize. She was in 1781 briefly a Bristol-based privateer. A French privateer captured her, but a British privateer recaptured her. She then became the merchantman Friends, and traded between Bristol and North America, primarily Newfoundland. Friends was last listed in 1793.
Biscayneer was a cutter launched in 1779. From at least 1781 on she was a privateer based in Dartmouth, Devon. She captured or recaptured several vessels before her owner-captain sold her in 1783 after the end of the American War of Independence. New owners renamed her Retreat. She was last listed in 1784.
Saville was launched in 1777 at Bristol as a West Indiaman. In 1778 to 1779 she sailed as a privateer and made two captures. She then returned to trading. She suffered two maritime incidents, one in 1784, and a second in August 1785, when she was lost at Port Maria, Jamaica.
Nelson was launched at Bristol in 1807 as a West Indiaman. In January 1813 a United States privateer captured her off Jamaica.
Molly was launched at Liverpool in 1770. Between 1777 and 1779 she made three voyages to the British northern whale fishery. Afterwards, she sailed as a West Indiaman. From 1779 she sailed under a letter of marque, and captured one prize. Around the end of 1781 she engaged in a single ship action in which her captain was killed. She was captured but her captor gave her up. She was last listed in 1783.
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.
Molly was launched in 1769 at Liverpool. In 1776 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. After, and possibly before, she was a West Indiaman. While sailing under a letter of marque, she captured some notable prizes. Two French frigates captured her on 4 September 1782.
Woolton, was launched at King's Lynn in 1773 as Narr. By 1775 she was sailing between London and Liverpool as Woolton. A French privateer captured and ransomed her in September 1779. In 1781 she sailed briefly as a privateer and made one notable capture that involved a single ship action. After the war Woolton continued to trade primarily between London and Liverpool until she was wrecked in 1785.
True Briton was launched at Liverpool in 1775. She made two voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During the second of these voyages there was an unsuccessful insurrection by the slaves she was carrying. Then in 1777–1778 she made another slave voyage, this time under the name John. On her return to Liverpool, she became the privateer Bellona, and succeeded in taking several prizes. Bellona then made three voyages as a slave ship. In 1786 her ownership changed, and so did her name. She became Lord Stanley, and under that name proceeded to make 11 slave voyages. In 1794, at Havana, a deadly fever spread through the vessel, apparently after she had landed her slaves. On her last voyage the captain acted with such brutality towards a black crew member that the man, who providentially survived, sued the captain when the vessel arrived at Liverpool and won substantial damages.
Chaser first appeared under that name in British records in 1786. She had been launched in 1771 at Philadelphia under another name, probably Lord North. Lord North became Cotton Planter, and then Planter, before she became Chaser. Between 1786 and 1790 Chaser made four voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She then became a merchantman. In 1794 a privateer captured her but the Spanish recaptured her. She became a Liverpool-based slaver. In 1796 she was condemned in West Africa on her first voyage in the triangular trade before she could embark any enslaved people.