HMS Otter (1778)

Last updated

History
Flag of the Kingdom of France (1814-1830).svg France
NameGlanure
Captured24 February 1778
Naval Ensign of Great Britain (1707-1800).svgGreat Britain
NameHMS Otter
Namesake Otter
Acquired1778 by purchase of a prize
FateSold 1783
British-Red-Ensign-1707.svgGreat Britain
NameCyclops
Namesake Cyclopes
AcquiredBy purchase
Captured15 December 1795
General characteristics
Tons burthen230, [1] or 297, [2] or 345 [2] (bm)
Complement
Armament
  • RN: 14 guns [3]
  • Slaver:
    • 1793: 18 × 6-pounder guns [2]
    • 1795: 8 × 6&9-pounder guns [2]

HMS Otter was the French merchantman Glanure, which the Royal Navy (RN) captured early in 1778. The Royal Navy took her into service as the sloop HMS Otter and she served in the American theatre. The Navy sold her in 1783. She became a merchantman and then a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made two complete voyages bringing captives to Jamaica. The French captured her in December 1795 as she was on her way to deliver her third cargo of captives.

Contents

Origins

A key source states that Otter was the American ship Gleneur, captured in 1778. [3] There is no record of Royal Navy vessels ever capturing a Gleneur, or a Glaneur in 1778; there is evidence for the capture of a French vessel named Glanure.

HMS Lizard and HMS Perseus captured the French ship Glanure on 24 February 1778. At 6 a.m. Perseus, Captain Elphinstone was about seven or eight leagues SSW of the Charlestown Light when she sighted a strange sail making for the Charlestown Bar and gave chase. Lizard had joined Perseus. The winds were calm and Perseus had to lower her boats so that they could tow her. Lizard captured the quarry at about 2 p.m. Perseus came up at 4 p.m. The quarry was Glanure, sailing from Rochelle to Charlestown with a cargo of dry goods and salt. Perseus took the 43 man crew on board and Lizard took Glanure to St Augustine, arriving there on 9 March. [4]

HMS Otter

The Royal Navy purchased Glanure at Boston for £3091 10s. It then commissioned her in December under Commander Richard Creyke. [3] She was variously referred to as an armed ship, or a sloop.

In August 1778 Otter captured the brig Margaritta, which she sent to New York. [5]

While under the orders of Commodore Sir George Collier, in May 1779 Otter assisted at the capture and destruction of the towns of Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Gosport, and others of less note in the vicinity of Elizabeth River; the strong posts of Stoney Point, Fort la Fayette, and Varplanks, up the North River; and the towns of Newhaven, Fairfield, Norwalk, and Greenfield, on the Connecticut shore; together with an immense quantity of shipping, merchandise, provisions, and naval and military stores. [6] [7] In particular Captain Creyke took a small group of vessels up the main branch of the Chesapeake. They destroyed many vessels, including two with 200 hogsheads of tobacco. [8]

On 9 May 1779 Otter captured the polacre Nancy (alias Berlin). [9]

Otter also accompanied Sir George Collier to the Penobscot river, where nineteen sail of American armed vessels, and upwards of twenty transports, were either taken or destroyed, in August 1779. [10]

On 21 and 23 April 1780 Iris, Delaware, and Otter captured the American privateers Amazon, General Wayne, and Neptune. [11] The capture had taken place a few leagues from Sandy Hook and Iris and Delaware brought them into New York on 1 May. [a]

Otter was among the vessels sharing in the prize money for the capture in October and November 1780 of the brigantines Surprise and Peggy, and the schooner Neilson. [14]

On 25 January 1781 HMS Blonde, Captain Andrew Barkley, Otter, and Delight, as well as some smaller vessels, carried 300 troops from Charleston to the Cape Fear River. The troops, together with 80 marines, temporarily occupied Wilmington, North Carolina on 28 January. [15] The object of the expedition was to establish sea communications with Lord Cornwallis and provide a base for the army, which was moving north. [16]

HMS Vulture and Otter captured the brig Granada on 28 November 1781. [17]

Creyke was promoted to post captain on 17 December 1782, but already in April 1782 R.Murray had replaced Creyke in command of Otter. [3]

Disposal: The Navy sold Otter on 9 October 1783 for £735 12s 5d. [3]

Cyclops

Merchantman

Although the Navy had sold Otter in 1783, she did not enter Lloyd's Register (LR) until 1787. The entry showed Cyclops with T.Foster, master, M'Clean, owner, and trade Greenock–Liverpool. It showed her as a French prize and the former man-of-war Otter. [1]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1789H.CurrieP.FreelandLiverpool–CharlestonLR
1790H.Currie
E.Peacock		P.Freeland
J.Jackson		Liverpool–South CarolinaLR
1791E.Peacock
J.Threllfall		J.Jackson
Gregson & Co.		Liverpool–Africa
Liverpool–Africa		LR

Enslaver

1st enslaving voyage (1791–1792): Captain Joseph Threlfall sailed from Liverpool on 4 May 1791. She started acquiring her captives in Africa on 9 July, and sailed from Africa on 1 September. She had embarked 437 captives at Calabar and she delivered 349 to Kingston, Jamaica on 13 November. This represented a 20% mortalitybrate. She sailed from on 20 December and arrived back at Liverpool on 15 February 1792. She had left Liverpool with 24 crew members and lost none of them on the voyage. [18]

2nd slave voyage (1793–1794): War with France commenced a few months before Cyclopes sailed again. Captain Patrick Fairweather acquired a letter of marque on 6 June 1793. [2] He sailed from Liverpool on 13 June. Cyclops acquired captives at Bassa and then Calabar. She left on 27 July, having embarked 339 captives, and on 15 October delivered 204 to Kingston. This represented a 40% mortality rate. She sailed from Kingston on 26 February 1794 and arrived back at Liverpool on 17 March. She had left Liverpool with 30 crew members and suffered 16 crew deaths on the voyage. [19]

3rd enslaving voyage (1795–Loss): Captain William Grice acquired a letter of marque on 2 January 1795. [2] Cyclops sailed from Liverpool on 7 January. She gathered her captives at Ambriz. [20]

Fate

A privateer captured three British slave ships off the west coast of Hispaniola on about 15 December 1795 as they were on their way to Jamaica. Cyclops, Grice, master, carrying 470 captives, was one of the three. African Queen, Williams, master, was carrying 411 captives. Lastly, Dispatch, Jackson, master, was carrying 250 captives. [21]

In 1795, 50 British slave ships were lost. This was the largest annual loss in the period 1793 to 1807. Seven slave ships were lost on their way from Africa to the West Indies. [22] During the period 1793 to 1807, war, rather than maritime hazards or resistance by the captives, was the greatest cause of vessel losses among British slave vessels. [23]

Notes

  1. ↑ Amazon, of eight guns, had a crew of 30 or 50 men under the command of Captain Noah Stoddard. [12] She was a brigantine that had received a letter of marque on 27 March 1780 from Massachusetts. [13] General Wayne, of 12 guns, had a crew of 45 men under the command of Captain Price (or John Rice). She was a Pennsylvania letter of marque. Neptune, of 16 guns, had a crew of 100 men under the command of Captain Young. [12]

Citations

  1. 1 2 LR (1787), Seq.№C452.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Letter of Marque, p.57 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Winfield (2007), p. 290.
  4. ↑ Crawford (2005), pp. 422–423.
  5. ↑ "No. 11950". The London Gazette . 2 February 1779. p. 3.
  6. ↑ Marshall (1824), pp. 72–73.
  7. ↑ "No. 11990". The London Gazette . 22 June 1779. pp. 3–4.
  8. ↑ "No. 11989". The London Gazette . 19 June 1779. pp. 1–3.
  9. ↑ "No. 12546". The London Gazette . 25 May 1784. p. 3.
  10. ↑ "No. 11990". The London Gazette . 22 June 1779. pp. 2–3.
  11. ↑ "No. 12264". The London Gazette . 22 January 1782. p. 3.
  12. 1 2 Nelson (1914), p. 343.
  13. ↑ Allen (1927), p. 70.
  14. ↑ "No. 12787". The London Gazette . 16 September 1786. p. 443.
  15. ↑ "No. 12162". The London Gazette . 13 February 1781. p. 4.
  16. ↑ Clowes (1899), p. 61.
  17. ↑ "No. 12467". The London Gazette . 16 August 1783. p. 2.
  18. ↑ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Cyclops voyage #80943.
  19. ↑ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Cyclops voyage #80944.
  20. ↑ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Cyclops voyage #80945.
  21. ↑ Lloyd's List 30 October 1796, №2796.
  22. ↑ Inikori (1996), p. 62.
  23. ↑ Inikori (1996), p. 58.

Related Research Articles

Britannia, was a vessel launched in 1783 at Saltcoats, possibly under another name. She made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She grounded at Liverpool in 1793 after the first. A French privateer captured her in 1795 during the second, and took her to Guadeloupe where the Republican Government almost certainly freed the captives. She returned to British ownership and made two more voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her during her fourth voyage.

HMS Duguay-Trouin was an 18-gun French privateer sloop launched in 1779 at Le Havre. Surprise captured her in 1780 and the British Royal Navy took her into service under her existing name. It sold Duguay-Trouin on 30 October 1783. She then became the West Indiaman Christopher. She captured several French merchant vessels. Later she became a Liverpool-based slave ship, making five voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was lost at Charleston in September 1804 in a hurricane.

Otway was a French or Spanish vessel built in 1799 that became a Liverpool-based slave ship in 1800. She made four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people, delivering captives from West Africa to the West Indies before the French Navy captured her in 1806. She became the Guadeloupe-based privateer Alerte and captured a number of British merchantmen before the Royal Navy captured her i October 1807.

Amazon was launched in France in 1775 under another name and taken in prize in 1780. British owners named her Amazon and she became a West Indiaman. In 1782 an American letter-of-marque, a former British Royal Navy frigate, captured her, but the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She then became Dumfries. She may have been renamed again. She reappeared as Amazon in 1790, and traded between London and Smyrna. In 1798 she made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1797 and 1798. She then made three voyages between 1800 and 1804 as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her subsequent history is currently obscure.

Otter was launched at Liverpool in 1797, initially as a West Indiaman. She made seven voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she captured one merchantman and recaptured another. She was lost in 1807 on her way back to Britain from her seventh enslaving voyage.

Hannah was built in Liverpool in 1795. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade of enslaved people. She was lost in 1801 as she was returning home after having delivered her captives on her fourth voyage.

Angola was launched in 1799 at Lancaster. She became a Liverpool-based slave ship that had made four voyages in the triangular trade, carrying captives from West Africa to the West Indies. The French captured her in 1804 on her fifth voyage. Her captors renamed her Tigre, but the Royal Navy recaptured her late in 1804.

Quaker was launched at Tynemouth in 1793 as a West Indiaman. The French captured her in 1795 but in a process that is currently obscure she returned to British ownership. In 1797 she became a slave ship, sailing out of Liverpool in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her first voyage transporting enslaved people, the French captured after she had gathered her captives, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She resumed her voyage but before she could deliver her captives the French captured her again. She returned to British ownership in 1805, but wrecked in December 1806.

Vulture was built in France 1777 and captured. By early 1779 she was sailing as a privateer out of Liverpool. She then became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made 10 voyages transporting enslaved people and was captured in 1795 on her 11th such voyage.

Dispatch was built in Bermuda in 1784 and came to England possibly as early as 1786. In 1792 she made a voyage as a slave ship carrying slaves from Africa to the West Indies in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was then briefly a privateer before returning to the slave trade. The French captured her in 1795 while she was on her third slave trading voyage.

Prince was launched at Bristol in 1785 as Alexander and then made two complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Her owners changed her name to Prince in 1787. As Prince, she made six more complete voyages as an enslaving ship. She sailed on enslaving voyages for owners in Bristol, Liverpool, and London. She foundered in 1800 as she was returning to England from her ninth, having delivered captives to Jamaica.

Bolton was launched at Liverpool in 1792. She then made 10 voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During her career she repelled one attack by a French privateer, was captured on a later voyage by another before being recaptured by the Royal Navy, and then was captured on her tenth voyage by yet another privateer after Bolton had gathered her captives but before she was able to deliver them to the West Indies. Bolton returned to British ownership, first sailing as West Indiaman, before embarking on an 11th enslaving voyage. She blew up on the African coast in 1806 after some of the captives aboard her succeeded in taking her over and setting fire to her.

HMS Garland was a frigate of the British Royal Navy, launched at Sheerness in 1748. She had an apparently uneventful career in the Royal Navy, not being listed as participating in engagements or battles. She did capture some French and American merchant vessels. Her most important capture in 1782, was that of the privateer Fair American, which had in some two years captured over 40 British vessels. The Navy sold her in 1783 and she became a slave ship, making six full voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She was wrecked as she started for home having delivered the captives from her seventh voyage.

Nimble was built in Folkestone in 1781, possibly under another name. In 1786 Nimble was almost rebuilt and lengthened. Between 1786 and 1798 she made nine voyages as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. Between 1799 and 1804 she made four voyages from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her first voyage as to gather captives she detained a neutral vessel, an action that resulted in a court case. On her second voyage to gather captives, a French privateer captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was wrecked in 1804 or so after she had delivered her captives to St Thomas.

Betsey was launched in 1790 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made six complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her second such voyage she, together with five other slave ships, bombarded Calabar for more than three hours to force the local native traders to lower the prices they were charging for captives. A French privateer captured her in 1799 after she had delivered her captives on her seventh voyage.

Ellis was a French prize, captured in 1797, and possibly built in that year also. Liverpool merchants purchased her. She made five complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade carrying enslaved people from West Africa to the British West Indies. She was lost at sea on 23 April 1806, on her sixth voyage before she could take on any captives.

Beaver was launched in 1796 at Liverpool. She made seven complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. She was captured and retaken once, in 1804, and captured a second time in 1807, during her eighth voyage.

Bell was launched in 1788 in Liverpool. Between 1788 and 1795 she made five voyages as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. The French captured her in 1798 on her sixth voyage transporting enslaved people after she had embarked her captives. In 1798, the Royal Navy destroyed her.

Molly was launched at Liverpool in 1778 as a slave ship. Between 1778 and 1807 she made 18 complete voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved persons. During this period she also suffered one major maritime incident and captured two ships. After the end of Britain's involvement in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Molly became a merchantman trading with the West Indies, Africa, Brazil, Nova Scotia, and Africa again. She was last listed in 1832, giving her a 54-year career.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.