Harmony was launched in 1798 in Lancaster as a West Indiaman. Between 1805 and 1807 she sailed to the Pacific on a privateering voyage (Spain and England then being at war). Early in the voyage she was engaged in a single ship action in which her target repelled the attack, killing Harmony's master and inflicting severe casualties on her crew. Although Harmony returned to trading with the West Indies, in 1817 she made one voyage to India under a licence from the British East India Company. On her return she traded between Hull and Petersburg, and Quebec. New owners in 1821 decided to use her as a whaler in the northern whale fishery. She was lost there on her first whaling voyage.
On 27 April 1804, Harmony, Reed, master, was in company with Nile, Griffiths, master, when Nile foundered at 50°N28°W / 50°N 28°W / 50; -28 after having thrown her guns overboard. Both were sailing from St Thomas at the time. Harmony and May rescued the crew and brought them into Liverpool.[3]
When Harmony returned to Liverpool on 28 February 1805, she carried a cargo of 110 tons of fustic, 824 bales of cotton, and staves. She had come from St Thomas via Charleston.
Year
Master
Owner
Trade
Source & notes
1805
J.Reid L.Affleck
Ritchie
Greenock–St Thomas
LR
1806
L.Affleck
Ritchie
Greenock–Madeira
LR
1806
Affleck
Ritchie
Greenock–Jamaica Greenock–South Seas
RS; thorough repair 1804
Voyage to the Pacific (1805–1807): Captain Ludwige Affleck acquired a letter of marque on 25 June 1805.[1][a] On 22 September Harmony, Affleck, master, sailed from the Clyde for Madeira. On 20 October Harmony was at 11°00′S33°30′W / 11.000°S 33.500°W / -11.000; -33.500, off Tenerife, when she encountered a brig of 16 guns and 170 men, that Affleck believed to be Spanish though the brig was not flying colours. He determined to capture her. The winds were too light to permit Harmony to get close to the brig so Affleck took 23 men in one boat and 22 men in two other boats, and rowed towards the brig. As they came alongside the men on the brig opened fire with small arms and repelled the attack. The British had to withdraw, having lost Affleck and eight men killed, and 18 men wounded, many seriously.[5]
In December 1806 Harmony, Smith (late Affleck), master, was at Rio de Janeiro. There she took on enough men to increase her complement to more than 100 men.[6]
On 28 October 1806, Harmony, [Frazer] Smith, master, late Affleck, was reported well on the coast of Chili, and was expected to sail for England 16 days later. On 3 September 1807 Harmony, Smith, master, arrived back in the Clyde from the South Seas.
Captain John Innis acquired a letter of marque on 18 November 1807.[1]
Year
Master
Owner
Trade
Source & notes
1808
Affleck Innis Duncan
Ritchie
Greenock–Madeira
LR
1809
J.Innis Duncan
Ritchie
Greenock–West Indies
Register of Shipping; thorough repair 1804 & damages repaired 1808
Innis sailed Harmony to Demerara. On her way back to Britain in June 1808 she had to put into Grenada, having sustained damage.[7] On 8 September Harmony, Innes, master, coming from Suriname, arrived at Gravesend.
Year
Master
Owner
Trade
Source & notes
1810
Malcolm Bells
Ritchie
London–Yucatan
LR; damages repaired 1810
On her way back from the Yucatan, Harmony, Malcolm, master, had to put into Havana for repairs. On 20 December 1809 she arrived back at Gravesend.
Year
Master
Owner
Trade
Source & notes
1812
Bell J.Hornby
Ritchie
London–West Indies
LR; damages repaired 1810
1814
Hornby T.Flint
Ritchie
Bristol–Guadeloupe
LR
1816
T.Flint
Ritchie
Cowes–Honduras
LR
In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC.[8]
On 4 July 1817, Harmony, Wishart, master, sailed for Bombay under a licence from the EIC.[9] She arrived in Bengal on 27 November. She arrived back at Hull on 1 August 1818.[b]
Year
Master
Owner
Trade
Source & notes
1818
T.Clark Thompson
Bolton & Co. Lett & Co.
Hull–India
LR
1819
W.Thompson
Lett & Co.
Hull–Petersburg
LR
1820
W.Thompson J.Norman
Loft & Co.
Hull–Petersburg
LR; large repair 1819
1821
J.Norman J.Glenton
Loft & Co.
Hull–Quebec
LR; large repair 1819 & 1820
1822
Glenton
Gee & Co.
Hull–Davis Strait
RS; good repair 1817 and thorough repair 1821
Fate
Arrival of the good ship Harmony, off the coast of Labrador
Harmony became a whaler in the northern whale fisheryand was lost in 1821 in Davis Strait.[11] She was one of 10 whalers lost in Davis Strait that year.[12]
The Register of Shipping for 1822 had the annotation "LOST" by her name.[13]
Notes
↑Although major sources on the whaling trade, such as Clayton,[4] suspect that this voyage was for whaling, it was almost certainly a privateering voyage. At the time Britain and Spain were at war, and several British vessels sailed to privateer off the coast of South America. The extent of Harmony's armament and the size of her crew were more consistent with privateering than whaling.
↑Harmony does not appear in the most complete listing of vessels sailing for the EIC or under a licence from it.[10]
Clayton, Jane M (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Berforts Group. ISBN9781908616524.
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Pope, Charles (1831). The Merchant, Ship-Owner, and Ship-Master's Custom and Excise Guide ... Eighth edition.
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