| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Builder | Ulverston [1] |
| Launched | 1799 [1] |
| Fate | Last listed 1833 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 307, [1] or 308, [2] or 320 [3] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
Pitt was launched at Ulverston in 1799 and proceeded to sail to the West Indies and New York. A French privateer captured her in 1806 but she quickly returned to British ownership and sailing as a West Indiaman. She continued trading with the West Indies and North America until she was last listed in 1833.
Pitt first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR), in 1800. [1]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | J.Towers | Alkinson | Lancaster-Antigua | LR |
| 1803 | J.Towers D.Campbell | Atkinson J.&D.M'Gown | Lancaster-Antigua Greenock–New York | LR |
On 8 August 1803 Captain Daniel Campbell acquired a letter of marque. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1807 | Campbell | M'Gowan | Greenock–Jamaica | LR |
On 25 December 1806 the French privateer schooner Jeune Adelle captured Pitt, Campbell, master, at 17°N56°W / 17°N 56°W as Pitt was sailing from Glasgow to Jamaica. Pitt had five men killed and several wounded before she struck her colours. Jeune Adele sent Pitt into Guadeloupe. [4] [lower-alpha 1] The LR volume for 1808 carried the annotation "captured" by Pitt's name. However, the same volume lists Pitt, of 308 tons (bm), launched in Ulvereston, with launch year of 1800. This Pitt did not appear in earlier volumes of LR or the Register of Shipping, suggesting the two vessels are the same, and that in a manner still obscure Pitt returned to British hands, though with a different master and owners.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1808 | Hawthornthwaite | Blount & Co. | Lancaster–"Dmng" | LR |
| 1811 | Hawthornthwaite | Blount & Co. | Lancaster–Martinique | LR; damages repaired 1811 |
On 27 February 1810 Captain Robert Hathornthwaite acquired a letter of marque. [2]
On 13 August Pitt, Hawthornthwaite, master, was at Liverpool, having returned from Dominica, when a gale drove her and several other ships on shore. All were later refloated, having sustained only slight damage. [6]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1812 | Hawthornthwaite Dennings | Blunt & Co. | Liverpool–Dominica | LR; damages repaired 1811 |
Captain William Denning acquired a letter of marque of 19 December 1811. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1814 | Denning M'Farlane Crawford | Blunt & Co. | London–Dominica | LR; damages repaired 1811 |
| 1815 | P.Crawford Forster | M'Gown | Greenock–Saint Thomas | LR; damages repaired 1811 |
| 1820 | J.Hamilton | Donaldson&Co. | Greenock–New Brunswick | LR; small repairs 1814 & repairs 1815 |
| 1830 | J.Hamilton | Donaldson&Co. | Greenock–"BChlr" | LR; repairs 1815 |
Pitt was last listed in LR in 1834 with data unchanged from 1833 with data unchanged from 1830. [3] She may have transferred to Air, but confirming details are lacking.
During the Napoleonic Wars, at least four French privateer ships were named Général Ernouf, for Jean Augustin Ernouf, the governor of the colony of Guadeloupe:
Elizabeth was launched at Bermuda in 1786 or 1790. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1802. She then made four voyages as a slave ship, during the second of which a French privateer captured her. Next, after the end of British participation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade, she spent a little over a year as a hired armed tender under contract to the British Royal Navy. She returned to mercantile service trading with Madeira or Africa, until another French privateer captured her in early 1810.
John Bull was a French vessel that from 1800 to circa 1805 sailed as a British privateer operating out of Jersey. Her master was plaintiff in a notable case involving the law of salvage. She returned to mercantile trading and was wrecked in 1810.
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.
Camilla was built in France in 1799 and was taken in prize by the British. Camillia first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1800 with Caitchern, master, Swane & Co., owners, and trade London–Barbados. Captain Robert Hunter Caitchion acquired a letter of marque on 20 August 1800.
Goodrich was a schooner launched in Liverpool in 1799. Between 1799 and 1807, she made seven voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, two of them while being owned by Americans. After the Slave Trade Act 1807 ended the British slave trade she became a merchantman sailing from Guernsey. A French privateer captured her in July 1808.
Alexander was launched in 1801 in the United States, possibly under another name. She became a slave ship, sailing from Liverpool. A French privateer captured her after she had landed her slaves at Berbice. Alexander returned to British ownership and became a West Indiaman, and then a transport. She was last listed in 1816 but may have been sold or broken up in 1815.
William Heathcote was launched in Liverpool in 1800. She made one voyage as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Next, a French privateer captured her in a single-ship action, and the British Royal Navy recaptured her. She became a West Indiaman before she made an enslaving voyage, one of the last such legal voyages. zAfter British partiipation in the trans-Atlantic slave trade ended, she became a West Indiaman again; she sailed to Brazil and as a transport. She was wrecked in July 1816.
Westmoreland was launched in Yarmouth in 1783. Between 1800 and 1804 she made two voyages as a slave ship. A French privateer captured her during her second voyage but the Royal Navy recaptured her and she completed her voyage. The registers continued to carry her for a few years but with stale data; she actually made a voyage in 1805 to Demerara. On her way a privateer captured her.
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.
Thames was launched in 1794 in London. The French captured her in late 1795, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her within weeks. She then disappeared from the Registers for some years. She reappeared as Thames in 1800, sailing as a West Indiaman. In 1802 new owners sailed her as a slave ship. She made one full voyage as a slave ship. French privateers captured her in 1805 after she had gathered slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to a port in the British Caribbean.
Backhouse was launched in 1798 at Dartmouth. In all, she made four voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. Between the second and the third, and after the fourth, she was a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her early in 1810 as she was returning to Britain from Brazil.
Ellis was a French prize, captured in 1797, possibly built 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.
Echo was launched in 1791 in Liverpool as a slave ship. She made two complete voyages from Liverpool in the Atlantic triangular slave trade. On her third voyage a French privateer captured her, but a British letter of marque recaptured her. She did not return to enslaving and was last listed in 1796.
Hector was launched at Bristol in 1781 as a West Indiaman. A new owner in 1802 sailed Hector as a slave ship. She made one complete voyage as a slave ship before a French privateer captured her on her second slave voyage after Hector had disembarked her slaves.
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.
Battalion was launched at Whitby in 1795. She traded with the Baltic and then in 1796 became a Liverpool-based West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her in 1797 in a single ship action as Battalion was outbound on her first voyage to Jamaica. The Royal Navy quickly recaptured her. She was last listed in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1797.
Ranger was launched in 1791 in New Providence and immediately came to Britain. She generally traded between Liverpool and New Providence. She underwent grounding in 1795 and in 1796 her owners had her repaired, lengthened, and converted from a brig to a ship. A French privateer captured her in August 1797 after a single-ship action. In a process that is currently obscure, Ranger returned to British ownership circa 1799. She then became a West Indiaman. From 1803 on she became a Liverpool-based slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one complete slave trading voyage. Then French privateers captured her after she had embarked slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to the West Indies. A United States citizen purchased her at Guadeloupe and renamed her Delaware. In 1805 the Royal Navy recaptured her. She was returned to her British owners who sailed her between Ireland and Newfoundland. She was last listed in 1814.
Ann was launched at Chester in 1792 as a West Indiaman. From 1796 she made eight complete voyages as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She participated in several single ship actions. On her first voyage she repelled an attack by a French privateer. On her second a privateer captured her but she was recaptured. On her ninth voyage a French privateer again captured her, but this time her captor plundered and then released her. She sank on 24 May 1810 in the Old Dock at Liverpool, but was salvaged.
Laurel was launched in 1790. She first appeared in online British sources in 1802. She made one voyage from Liverpool as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. On her return to Liverpool she became a privateer, but was captured in June 1803 after having herself captured a French merchant vessel.