 Great Britain | |
|---|---|
| Name | Irlam |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Liverpool [2] |
| Launched | 1800 [2] [3] |
| Fate | Wrecked May 1812 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 380, [2] [4] [3] or 407 [1] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
Irlam was launched in 1800 at Liverpool as a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. Although a merchantman and not a privateer, she made an unusually aggressive use of her letter of marque, capturing or recapturing four vessels. She wrecked on Tuskar Rock in 1812.
Irlam first appears in the 1801 volume of Lloyd's Register with R. Ramsey, master, Irlam & Co., owners, and trade Liverpool−Barbados. [2] Captain Robert Ramsey acquired a letter of marque on 24 January 1801. [4]
After the war with France resumed in 1803 Ramsey again acquired a letter of marque, this time on 26 May. [4] Lloyd's List reported on 21 October 1803 that Irlam had arrived at Liverpool. She had left Barbados on 31 August. On her way home she had captured Adolphus, from Mauritius, and sent her into Cork. [5]
On 15 December Captain George Heygar (or Keyser) acquired a letter of marque. [4]
On 10 March 1804 Irlam, Captain Keyzar, was at Demerara. Before she sailed again, Barton, Irlam, and Higginson put an advertisement in the Liverpool Chronicle stating that Irlam, of 24 guns, 9- and 18-pounders, and upwards of 50 men, was preparing to sail end-October. The advertisement further stated that she "carries letters of marque, with liberties to chace, capture, and man prizes". [6]
On 14 January 1806 Lloyd's List reported that Irlam, Keyser, master, and bound for Barbados, had to put back into Liverpool after having sustained damage in a gale. Several other vessels also had to put back, and one or two were lost. [7]
Irlam and Tiger, also owned by Barton & Co., left Barbados on 12 March 1808 and were reported on 22 April to have arrived at Liverpool. [8]
Lloyd's List reported on 21 March 1809 that Irlam had arrived at Liverpool. On her way home she had captured a French brig with 300 hogsheads of sugar. Irlam had parted from her prize on 17 March. [9]
On 10 March 1809, the brig Batavia, Falliates, master, arrived at New York. On 16 January the sloop-of-war HMS Comet captured her and sent her for Plymouth. However, on 17 January Batavia's crew recaptured her. Then on 26 February Irlam captured her. On 8 March, Batavia's captain, cook, and steward again recaptured her. [10] (An earlier report had credited HMS Cormorant with the first capture of Batavia, and did not mention her crew recapturing her a second time. [11] )
On 7 May 1810, Irlam recaptured Nelly, late Wilson, master. Nelly had been captured on 5 May as she was sailing from St Kitts to Liverpool. She reached Liverpool on 24 May. [12]
The Register of Shipping for 1812 showed Irlam with Keyzor, master, Barton & Co., owners, and trade Liverpool–Barbados. [13]
On 10 May 1812, Irlam, under the command of Captain Keyzar, was coming from Barbados and sailing towards Liverpool with a cargo of sugar and cotton. She was also carrying passengers: Captain Hall of the 16th Regiment of Foot, ten more officers, 62 rank and file, and 32 women and children. She was sailing in thick haze when she wrecked on Tuskar Rock. [14]
All of those aboard were able to ascend the rock with the help of workmen who providentially were there to build a lighthouse. The workmen used ropes to haul all up the rock face, and brought the children and infants up in bags. The brig Sarah arrived and with her boats was able to retrieve most of the passengers and crew. Adverse winds forced Sarah to deliver the people she had rescued to Beaumaris on 12 May. Still, three army officers, sixteen privates, a woman, the mate, and twelve sailors had to wait on the rock until a second brig arrived on the 12th and took them to Wexford. [15] [16] Lloyd's List (LL) reported that a woman, two children, and a crew man had been drowned. [17]
General Armstrong was an American brig built for privateering in the Atlantic Ocean theater of the War of 1812. She was named for Brigadier General John Armstrong, Sr., who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
Shipley was launched in 1805 at Whitby. A privateer captured Shipley in 1806 on what was probably her maiden voyage, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her. Between 1817 and 1823, she made four voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales. The ship was wrecked in 1826.
Peggy was built at Calcutta in 1793 and initially sailed in the Indian coastal and Far East trade. In 1801 she assumed British registry and her name was changed to Juliana. Her owners sold her to the Transport Board but in 1804 the government resold her and she was sailing as a West Indiaman between London and Antigua. She then made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage to Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, transporting convicts. On her return from this voyage she wrecked in 1821 on the English coast.
HMS Cormorant was probably launched in 1803 at Howden Pans as the merchant ship Blenheim. The Admiralty purchased her in June and the Royal Navy took her into service to use her as a convoy escort. Then in 1809 it converted her into a storeship. After the Admiralty sold her in 1817, she resumed the Blenheim name and returned to mercantile service as a West Indiaman. She disappeared after 10 November 1821 and was presumed to have foundered.
Irlam was a West Indiaman launched in Liverpool in 1813 for Barton & Co., which had lost an earlier Irlam in 1812. The current Irlam was of the same burthen as her predecessor, and was employed in the same trade, Liverpool to Barbados. She was wrecked in January 1824.
Barton was launched in 1794 as a West Indiaman, sailing primarily to Barbados. She was of average size for vessels launched at Liverpool at that time. She sailed under letters of marque and several times repelled attacks by French and Spanish privateers in single ship actions. The United States Navy captured and burnt her in 1814.
Barton was launched at Liverpool in 1810 as a West Indiaman, trading primarily between Liverpool and Barbados. Her owners, Barton, Irlam and Higginson, had just sold another Barton and their new vessel was almost twice the size of her predecessor. One of her captains was involved in the manumission of over 40 slaves at Barbados. She was wrecked at Charleston, South Carolina, in December 1836.
Irlam was launched in 1825 at Liverpool for Barton & Co., which had lost two earlier vessels named Irlam: Irlam (1800 ship) in 1812, and Irlam (1813 ship) in 1824. The current Irlam was smaller than her predecessors, but was employed in the same trade, Liverpool–Barbados.
Bootle was launched in 1805 at Liverpool as a slave ship. She made two voyages delivering slaves to the West Indies before her owner sold her. She then became a West Indiaman. In 1811 the Liverpool partnership of Barton, Irlam and Higginson purchased her and sailed her between Liverpool and Barbados. A hurricane at Bridgetown, Barbados wrecked her in 1813.
Barton, Irlam and Higginson, earlier Barton & Co, was a noted Liverpool firm of shipowners specializing in the trade with Barbados in the first half of the 19th century. The three partners were William Barton, George Irlam, and John Higginson. The firm made a practice of naming several of its vessels after the partners.
Maxwell was launched at Boston in 1798. She came into British hands in 1804 as a West Indiaman, trading between Liverpool and Barbados. She wrecked in January 1814.
Tiger was launched at Liverpool in 1800 as a West Indiaman. She made one voyage in 1806-1807 as a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After British participation in the trans-Atlantic enslaving trade ended in 1807, she returned to the West Indies trade. She also captured three American merchant vessels in 1813. She wrecked on 30 September 1819 with loss of life.
Lancaster was built in France in 1787. She entered British ownership c.1803. In 1805 she made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people during which a French privateer captured her in a single-ship action, but the Royal Navy recaptured her, enabling her to complete her voyage. She also recaptured a British ship. Thereafter she traded widely until she was last listed in 1825.
Cicero was launched at Sunderland in 1796 and initially sailed as a West Indiaman. She was briefly captured in 1799 in a single-ship action with a French privateer. Later, she went whale hunting both in the northern whale fishery (1803-1808), and the southern whale fishery (1816-1823). She capsized at Limerick in September 1832 and was condemned there.
William Rathbone was launched at Liverpool in 1809 as a West Indiaman. During her career she recaptured a British vessel, and was herself captured by an American privateer, but quickly recaptured by the Royal Navy. Later she traded with Africa, and eventually Calcutta. She burnt at sea in May 1846 when a cargo of jute underwent spontaneous combustion.
Roe was launched in France in 1792, almost certainly under another name. The British captured her and between 1801 and 1808 she became a Liverpool based slave ship, making four voyages in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the end of the British slave trade Roe traded with Brazil. The Americans captured her in 1812 but she was quickly recaptured. She was wrecked in November 1814.
Harriot was launched in Liverpool in 1786. For many years she was a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. In 1796 a French frigate captured her, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She became a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. At the beginning of her of her first slave trading voyage a French privateer captured her, and again the Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She made five slave trading voyages in all. Thereafter she traded with South America. She was last listed in 1814 with stale data.
Harriot was launched in 1784 on the Thames as a West Indiaman. Her owners may have intended to send her to the South Seas as a whaler in 1786, but there is no evidence that she actually made such a voyage. A new owner renamed her Dominica Packet around 1787. She then spent her career primarily sailing between Britain and the West Indies. During her career she, together with two other Liverpool letters of marque, captured a valuable Spanish merchantman. Later, Harriot captured a Dutch East Indiaman. A Baltimore privateer captured Dominica Packet in 1813, but the British Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She foundered circa January 1821.
Agreeable was launched at Bermuda in 1786, probably under a different name. French owners acquired her at some point and sailed her as Agréable. In 1793 the British captured her. Subsequently, between 1793 and 1808, she made six voyages as a slave ship, alternating between the triangular trade in enslaved people, and sailing as a regular West Indiaman. French privateers captured her between the second and third voyages, and the third and fourth voyages, but each time the British Royal Navy recaptured her. In the case of the second capture she was in French hands long enough for them to send her out as a privateer. She herself captured an American vessel in 1808 as she was returning to Liverpool from her last enslaving voyage. After the end of British participation in trans-Atlantic enslaving trade, Agreeable traded more widely, particularly to South America. She was condemned at Buenos Aires in 1814 after running aground in the River Plate. She was repaired and continue to sail to Brazil until she returned to Liverpool in June 1819.
Speights Town, was launched at Liverpool in 1784 as a West Indiaman, sailing between Liverpool and Barbados. She was wrecked in late 1794.
| Shipwrecks |
|
|---|---|
| Other incidents |
|
