Thames (1794 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Thames (ship).

History
Great Britain
General characteristics
Tons burthen	365, [1] or 379, [2] or 386 [3] (bm)
Complement	39 [3]
Armament	1800: 6 × 18-pounder carronades 1803: 18 × 6-pounder guns + 4 swivel guns [3] 1805: 8 × 4-pounder + 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades

Thames was launched in 1794 in London. The French captured her in late 1795, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her within a few weeks. She then disappeared from the registers for several years. She reappeared as Thames in 1800, sailing as a West Indiaman. In 1802, new owners sailed her as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people. She made one full voyage as a slave ship. French privateers captured her in 1805 after she had gathered captive in West Africa, but before she could deliver them to a port in the British Caribbean.

Career

Thames first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1794. ^[1]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1794	Atterbury	Tranham	London–Jamaica	LR

Between 21 and 30 September 1795, a squadron of French frigates captured several British merchantmen, Thames, Atterberry, master, among them. ^[4] Shortly thereafter, HMS Orion recaptured Thames, Atterbury, master. ^[5]

Thames then disappeared from LR and the Register of Shipping for some years. She reappeared in 1800. ^[2]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1800	J.Ferguson	Adam & Co.	London–Tobago	LR
1802	J.Ferguson J.Welch	Adam & Co. J.&A.Anderson	London–Tobago London–Africa	LR

1st voyage transporting enslaved people (1802–1804): Captain James Welsh sailed from London on 6 December 1802. Thames acquired captives at the Sierra Leone estuary and arrived at Kingston on 2 December 1803, with 341 captives. Welsh had received a letter of marque on 17 November. ^[3] Thames left Kingston on 12 April 1804, and arrived back in London 28 May. ^[6]

2nd slave voyage (1805): Captain Welsh sailed from London on 18 February 1805, bound for Africa. ^[7]

Fate

Two French schooners captured Thames, Welch, master, in late 1805 off Surinam. They took her into Guadeloupe. ^[8]

Citations

1. LR (1794), "T" supple. pages.
2. LR (1800), Seq. No.T386.
3. "Letter of Marque, p.89 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
4. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2759. 13 October 1795. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068 . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2762. 23 October 1795. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068 . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
6. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Thames voyage #83736.
7. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Thames voyage #83737.
8. "LIVERPOOL, DEC. 26." Lancaster Gazette and General Advertiser, for Lancashire, Westmorland, &c. (Lancaster, England), 28 December 1805; Issue 237.