Indian (1814 ship)

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History
US flag 15 stars.svgUnited States
BuilderMassachusetts [1]
Launched1805, [1] or 1808 [2]
Capturedc.1814
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameIndian
Acquired1814 by purchase of a prize
FateAbandoned 17 August 1827
General characteristics
Tons burthen247 [2] [1] (bm)
Armament10 × 9-pounder carronades [1]

Indian was launched in Massachusetts in 1805, possibly under the same name. She first appeared in British records in 1814, suggesting that she was a prize. She was Liverpool-based and traded widely, especially with South America. She was in Valparaiso in 1820 when news of the discovery of the South Shetland Islands and the sealing grounds there reached Valparaiso before it reached England. She sailed to the South Shetland Islands and gathered over 25,000 seal skins before returning to Liverpool. Thereafter, she returned to trading across the Atlantic. Her crew abandoned her in a waterlogged state on 17 August 1827.

Contents

Career

Indian first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1814 with A.Hannay, master, S.Holland, owner. and trade Liverpool-Cadiz. It also gave her origin simply as "America" and her launch year as 1808. [2] The Register of Shipping (RS) for 1814 agreed with LR on master and owner. However, it gave her trade as Liverpool–Havana, her origin as Massachusetts, and her launch year as 1805. [1]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1816J.Potts
Balberny
S.Holland
Kenworthy
Liverpool–CubaLR
1819R.Page
J.King
KenworthyLiverpool–BrazilsLR
1820J.King
F.Spiller
KenworthyLiverpool–Africa
Liverpool–South Seas
LR

In 1819 Captain Ferdinand Spiller (or Sheller), sailed for the coast of Chile and Peru.

In June 1820 Indian sailed from Valparaiso for the newly discovered South Shetland Islands and their sealing grounds. [lower-alpha 1] Indian arrived back at Plymouth on 27 May 1821, having left the New South Shetlands on 13 March and Pernambuco on 21 April. She arrived in London on 29 May with 26,725 seal skins. [4] She brought with her Robert Fildes and some of his crew from Cora, which had wrecked at Desolation Island, as well as eight men from another damaged sealer. [5]

On 28 January 1822 Indian, Speller, master, arrived at Lisbon from Liverpool for Pernambuco. On 26 June she arrived back at Liverpool, having left Pernambuco on 21 April.

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1822SpillerKenworthyLiverpool–BrazilsLR; small repairs 1821
1827Spiller
Barclay
KenworthyLiverpool–BrazilsLR; small repairs 1823

Fate

On 17 August 1827 Captain Berkley and his crew abandoned Indian at sea. She had 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m) of water in her hold. The crew took to her longboat and reached Liverpool, Nova Scotia a few days later. [6] Lloyd's List reported on 5 October that Indian had been wrecked at 43°N64°W / 43°N 64°W / 43; -64 while on her way from Saint John, New Brunswick, to Belfast. On 19 October Lloyd's List reported that Mayflower had seen an abandoned vessel at 43°N65°W / 43°N 65°W / 43; -65 that was believed to have been Indian.

Notes

  1. In October 1819 William, William Smith, master, had fortuitously discovered the islands while on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. On reaching Valparaiso Smith reported his discovery of the islands and the abundance of seals there, to Captain Shirref of HMS Andromache. [3]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 RS (1814), "I" supple. pages.
  2. 1 2 3 LR (1814), Supple.pages "I", Seq.№I23.
  3. "NEW SHETLAND". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 25 June 1821; Issue 15571.
  4. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Indian[Liverpool] 1819.
  5. Alberts (1995), p. 702.
  6. "Ship News". The Times (London, England), 11 October 1827; pg. 3; Issue 13407.

Related Research Articles

Little Catherine was launched in 1801 at Bermuda, probably under another name. She was condemned in prize in May 1809 at Barbados and entered British registry that year. At that time she traded between Liverpool and Africa. In 1813 she became a temporary packet sailing for the Post Office Packet Service from Falmouth, Cornwall. In 1813 the French Navy captured her and abandoned her after taking off her crew. The Royal Navy recovered her three days later. In 1814 an American privateer captured her but the Royal Navy recaptured her within two weeks. Her owner refused to pay salvage and turned her over to the Post Office which returned her to use as a Falmouth packet but renamed her Blucher, in honour of Prince Blucher who had helped defeat Napoleon at the Battle of Leipzig in 1813. The government sold Blucher in 1823. New owners returned her to the name Little Catherine and she continued to sail widely until she was last listed in 1845, having been sold to a Chinese owner. She was wrecked in October 1847.

Cora was launched in 1812 and came to England from New Providence. She sailed to Britain and between 1813 and 1820 she was a West Indiaman. Then in 1820 she sailed to the New South Shetland Islands to engage in seal hunting. She was wrecked there in 1821.

Durham was launched in France in 1813 under another name and taken c.1814. New owners named her Durham. She traded with Newfoundland, the Caribbean, and South America. She was lost in 1819, believed foundered with all hands on her way back to Liverpool from the Dutch East Indies.

Concord was launched at Dartmouth in 1807. From then until 1809 she traded widely. Between 1809 and 1812 two different histories emerged. The registers carried her as trading with North America. Other sources, however, have her sailing to the British Southern Whale Fishery as a sealer or whaler. She made three voyages between 1809 and 1816 in this capacity and then returned to trading. She was wrecked at the Cape of Good Hope in November 1816.

True Briton was launched at Pont Neuf, Quebec, in 1811. Her primary trade was sailing between Britain and New Brunswick, but she also sailed to Jamaica, and made two voyages to India. Her crew abandoned her in the Atlantic in 1822.

Aberdeen was launched at Quebec in 1811. She sailed to England and then traded between Quebec and Britain. She made two voyages to India under license from the British East India Company (EIC). After her return from the second, in 1820, she was no longer listed.

Salisbury was launched c.1814 in the Brazils almost certainly under another name and was possibly a prize. She was possibly captured by the British or sold to British owners in 1815. She made one voyage seal hunting in 1820 and transported settlers to South Africa in 1821. She was lost in 1827.

Lord Wellington was launched in 1811 in Montreal. She became a London-based transport that made one voyage to India in 1819 under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). Afterwards she continued to sail to the Baltic and North America. She was last listed in 1829.

Regalia was launched at Sunderland in 1811. In 1819 she made a voyage to Calcutta, sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She also sailed to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. From Sydney she engaged in several sealing hunting voyages to the waters around Macquarie Island. In 1826 she transported convicts from Dublin to New South Wales. From 1831 until 1852, when she was wrecked at Davis Strait, Regalia was a whaler in the northern whale fishery.

<i>Jane</i> (1818 ship)

Jane was an American vessel launched in 1810 or 1812 and taken in prize, first appearing in British registers in 1818. She then became a whaler. Under the command of Captain James Weddell she explored the area around the South Shetland Islands and in 1823 reached the southernmost point ever reached until then. From about 1825 on she traded generally as a merchantman until she was condemned in 1829.

Enchantress was launched at Plymouth in 1818. Between 1821 and 1823 she made one voyage as a sealer to the South Shetland Islands. There the Enchantress Rocks are named for her. After her return to England she traded widely. In 1826 pirates plundered her in the Mediterranean. She was last listed in 1864.

Tranmere was launched in 1819 at Tranmere. She first traded between England and South America. In 1827 she played a role in the settlement of Tasmania and thereafter sailed in the region and between England and Tasmania. She was last listed in 1837.

Grace was launched in New York in 1812. She was taken in prize circa 1814. She then became a Falmouth, Cornwall, packet, sailing for the Post Office. She primarily sailed to New York via Halifax and Bermuda, but also sailed to the Mediterranean and Brazil. She twice encountered American privateers, repelling one and outpacing the other. In 1821 she sailed on a seal and whale hunting voyage to the South Shetland Islands and the coast of Chile. She foundered in the South Atlantic circa May 1823 while homeward bound.

Several ships have been named Indian:

Caroline was launched at Philadelphia in 1800. She was taken in prize. New owners retained her name and she appeared in British records from 1813. From 1820 on she was based at Hobart in Van Diemen's Land. From there she sailed to and from Port Jackson and on seal hunting voyages to Macquarie Island. She departed on a sealing voyage in November 1824 and wrecked at Macquarie Island on 17 March 1825; her crew were rescued some five months later.

<i>Clydesdale</i> (1819 ship)

The ship Clydesdale was launched at Bay of Quick, Greenock in 1819. She sailed as an East Indiaman under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). She was condemned at Mauritius circa June 1827 as unseaworthy while homeward bound from Bengal.

Susanna Ann. was a smack launched at Bridport or Cowes in 1814, almost surely under another name. Between 1823 and 1833 she made six voyages as a whaler and sealer in the British southern whale fishery. From around 1834 on she traded with Africa, and then in 1838 she sailed to New South Wales (NSW). She moved her registry to NSW and traded between east coast Australian ports and with New Zealand until she was wrecked on 20 March 1847.

William was launched at Blyth in 1811. In 1818, a letter of marque captured her, but she was then released. In October 1819, she fortuitously discovered the South Shetland Islands while on a voyage from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso. She was last listed in 1829.

Robert Quayle was launched at Liverpool in 1814. Between 1816 and 1819 she made several voyages to India, sailing under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). Between 1819 and 1821 she made one voyage with cargo to New South Wales, and then remained to engage in whaling. After her return to Britain she traded to South and North America. She was wrecked in December 1838 while engaged in the timber trade with Canada.

Countess of Liverpool was launched in 1814 at Portland (Weymouth). She served from February 1814 to July 1827 as a Weymouth–Channel Islands sailing packet. From 1828 she started sailing to Brazil, and from 1830 to India. In 1833, she became leaky while sailing in the Indian Ocean. She was condemned in 1833 and then broken up at Mauritius in 1834.

References