Career
Irlam entered Lloyd's Register in 1813 with Rodger Hall, master, Barton and Company who were the owners, and traded from Liverpool to Barbados. [1] She had entered service by June. The ship was fitted with a "Liverpool Patent Binnacle and Compass" manufactured by Egerton, Smith & Co Ltd, Liverpool. [2]
Departing from Barbados in December 1814 in a convoy of 44 ships escorted by HMS Hazard, HMS Orontes, and HMS Palma, she arrived at Cobh, County Cork on 26 January 1815, after a voyage of 40 days. She was carrying a cargo of coffee and sugar. [3] On 9 December 1816 Irlam, Irlam master, arrived at Liverpool from Barbados. As she was coming up to dock for repairs she struck the pier and her anchor drove through her bows with the result that she ended up with four feet of water in her hold. [4]
Irlam having returned from another voyage from Barbados was driven ashore on 6 July 1817 at Liverpool. [5] In April/May 1819, Irlam sailed from Barbados to Liverpool in 30 days. [6]
Loss
Irlam under Master Higgins was wrecked on 22 January 1824 on the Blackwater Bank, in the Irish Sea 9 nautical miles (17 km) off the coast of County Wexford. Her passengers and crew were rescued. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to Barbados. [7] The announcement of her loss stated that "should the weather prove favourable, the Ships materials may be saved". [8]
Admiral Colpoys was a vessel built in South America in 1792 that the British captured circa 1800. Her new name refers to Admiral John Colpoys. She first traded between London and the Caribbean. Between 1802 and 1807 she made three voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. After the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 she became a merchant vessel. Then in 1813 new owners turned her towards seal hunting. She made four complete voyages to South Georgia before she was wrecked in 1817 during her fifth seal hunting voyage.
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 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.
At least four ships have borne the name Irlam.
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 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.
HMS Conway was a Royal Navy sixth-rate post ship launched in 1814 as the lead ship of her class. The Royal Navy sold her in 1825 and she became the merchantman Toward Castle, and then a whaler. She was lost in 1838 off Baja California while well into her third whaling voyage.
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.
Duckenfield was launched in 1814 at Great Yarmouth. She spent most of her career as a West Indiaman. Between 1831 and 1833 she sailed to Australia and Bengal. She then started sailing across the North Atlantic. She became waterlogged and the survivors of her were rescued at sea on 1 December 1835, leaving her in a sinking state.
Busiris was launched at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1814 as a West Indiaman. She made one voyage as an East Indiaman and then returned to the West Indies trade. She was wrecked in May 1826.
Ceres was launched at Kolkata in August 1793 as Lutchmy and renamed in 1794. She sailed to England in 1798 and became a West Indiaman. She was condemned at Barbados in 1806. New owners returned her to service, first as a West Indiaman and then as an East Indiaman. She was damaged at Mauritius in 1818 and although she was listed until 1824, it is not clear that she sailed again after the damage she sustained in Mauritius.
Horatio was launched in 1800 at Liverpool. She made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. During two of these voyages she was captured and recaptured. Shortly before the British slave trade ended she left the slave trade and sailed between Britain and South America and as a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in 1817.
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.
Stentor was a British transport and merchant vessel launched in 1814 at Sunderland. In 1820 she transported settlers to South Africa. She made several journeys to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). As a transport she carried troops and supplies to such destinations as Sierra Leone, Fernando Po, Ceylon, and the West Indies. She was wrecked in November 1846.
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.
Kent was launched at Chittagong in 1814. Between 1814 and 1823 Kent sailed between India and Great Britain under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). In 1823 she was sold in England. From then until she was last listed in 1831 she sailed between Liverpool and Africa.
United Kingdom 
