Royal Bounty (1785 ship)

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History
British-Red-Ensign-1707.svgGreat Britain
NameGeorge and Sarah
BuilderSouth Carolina
Launched1770
RenamedRoyal Bounty
FateWrecked 16 July 1819
General characteristics
Tons burthen282 (bm)
Armament6 × 6-pounder guns, or 6 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 12-pounder carronades

Royal Bounty was launched in South Carolina in 1770, probably as George and Sarah. Her owners changed her name to Royal Bounty circa 1786. As Royal Bounty she sailed out of Leith, going on annual whale hunting voyages to the northern whale fishery (Greenland and Davis Strait). She was wrecked in 1819 on her 35th such voyage.

Contents

Career

George and Sarah

George and Sarah first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1779. [1]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1779G.WatsonG.Selby Cork transport LR; lengthened 1774
1784G.Watson
G.Selby		G.SelbyLondon
London–Memel		LR; lengthened 1774, and good repair 1784

Royal Bounty

Circa 1785 new owners renamed George and Sarah to Royal Bounty; she also underwent a thorough repair. From then on until her loss she was a whaler. Although there is no online copy of LR for 1785, there is a press report that she had returned to Leith from Greenland in August 1785 "clean", i.e., without having caught anything.

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1786R.LiddellJ.ScougalGreenland–LeithLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785; former George and Sarah
1787R.Liddell
W.Paton		J.ScougalGreenland–LeithLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785; former George and Sarah
1789W.Paton
J.Wilson		J.ScougalLeith–GreenlandLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786
1790C.Reid
J. Boyd		J.ScougalLeith–GreenlandLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786
1792J.Boyd
J.Newton		J.ScougalLeith–Davis StraitLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785
1805J.Newton
J. Wright		DouglasLeith–Davis StraitLR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786, 1796, and 1800
1810J.Wright
R.Kelly		DouglasLeith–Davis StraitLR; repairs 1800
1810J.Wright
Kellie		Wood & Co.Leith–Davis StraitRS; small repairs 1806 & 1807
1814R.Kellis
Drysdale		DouglasLeith–GreenlandLR; repairs 1811
1818J.Drysdal
J.Rich		Woods & Co.Leith–GreenlandLR; repairs 1811
1819J.RichWood & Co.Leith–GreenlandLR; repairs 1811

Whaling voyages

The data below for the period 1785 to 1814 comes from press mentions. The data from 1814 on comes primarily from Coltish, [2] augmented by press reports.

YearMasterWhereWhales Tuns whale oilButts blubberNotes
1785LiddellGreenlandClean late in the season
17864
1787PatonGreenland12
1788PatonGreenland120Seven seals, & 1 cwt of whalebone
1789ReidGreenlandClean
1790BoydDavis Strait
1791BoydGreenlandClean
1792No press report
1793Davis strait1
1794Davis Strait2
1795Davis Strait7
1796Davis Strait5
1797NewtonDavis Strait8Full ship
1798Davis StraitClean
1799NewtonDavis Strait8Full ship
1800NewtonDavis Strait7
1801NewtonWest coast of GreenlandFull ship; Royal Bounty grossed £5463 for the voyage [3]
1802NewtonDavis Strait10
1803NewtonDavis Strait
1804NewtonDavis Strait9400
1805WrightDavis Strait6

On 13 April 1806 Royal Bounty lost her mizzen mast and several men but was able to get a new mast and proceed to the fishery.

YearMasterWhereWhales Tuns whale oilButts blubberNotes
1806WrightDavis Strait3
1807No press report
1808WrightDavis Strait8
1809WrightDavis Strait9
1810KelleyDavis StraitWell fished
1811Davis Strait8
1812KellieGreenland19300
1813KellyGreenland270 butts
1814DrysdaleGreenland647.5260 butts or 291 casks3.5 tons whale fins
1815DrysdaleDavis Strait3, 7, or 836.5
1816Drysdale6, or 1550
1817DrysdaleGreenland426.5
1818RitchGreenland315
1819RitchGreenland3Lost with her cargo

Fate

Royal Bounty, Ritch, master, was wrecked on 16 July 1819. She was one of 10 whalers lost within a few days of each other in the Davis Strait due to gales in the ice fields. Her crew was saved. [4] She had taken three whales before she was lost. [5]

Citations

  1. ↑ LR (1779), Seq.No.G251.
  2. ↑ Coltish (c. 1842).
  3. ↑ Jackson (2017), p. 75.
  4. ↑ "DAVIS'S STRAITS WHALE FISHERY". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 21 August 1819; Issue 15283.
  5. ↑ "DAVIS'S STRAITS FISHERY". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 26 August 1819; Issue 15285.

References

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