Thetis (1793 ship)

Last updated

History
British-Red-Ensign-1707.svgGreat Britain
BuilderJohn & William Wells, Rotherhithe
Launched8 August 1793
FateLast listed 1842
General characteristics
Tons burthen306, [1] or 323, [2] or 334 [3] (bm)
Armament
  • 1807: 6 × 6-pounder guns
  • 1815: 6 × 4-pounder guns

Thetis was launched in 1793 in Rotherhithe. She spent most of her career as a West Indiaman. She spent several years as a government transport, and then between 1830 and 1836 she made two voyages as a whaler in the Britishsouthern whale fisheryy. She returned to trading to the western hemisphere, and was last listed in 1842.

Contents

Career

Thetis first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1793. [1]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1793SparksLong & Co.London–JamaicaLR
1797Sparks
Lowry
Long & Co.London–JamaicaLR
1804R.Lowry
Siver (or Sever, or Sever)
Long & Co.London–JamaicaLR
1816W.C.SilverLong & Co.London–JamaicaLR; thorough repair 1805
1819Denham
Boyes
Joad & Co.London–JamaicaLR; thorough repair 1805 & small repairs 1815
1821Boyes
Middleton
Joad & Co.London–JamaicaLR; small repairs 1815
1822Middleton
Williams
Joad & Co.London–JamaicaLR; small repairs 1815
1825J.WilliamsJoad & Co.London–CGH LR; small repairs 1815
1826Rainbett
G.Clayton
J.Somes & Co.Hull–PetersburgLR; small repairs 1815 & 1825
1829G.Clayton
Gray
Somes & Co.Cork–BarbadosLR; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829
1830GraySomes & Co.London–South SeasLR; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829

1st whaling voyage (1830–1832): Captain A.Gray (or Grey), sailed from England on 29 June 1830. Thetis was reported to have been on the Japan Grounds, and at Honolulu. She arrived back at England on 26 May 1832. [3]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1832Gray
Apsey
Somes & Co.London–South SeasRegister of Shipping; large repair 1827 & small repair 1829

2nd whaling voyage (1832–1836): Captain Apsey sailed from London on 16 October 1832. Thetis was reported at Bay of Islands (1833 and 1834), Honolulu (1834), Sunda Strait (1835), and Bay of Islands again (1835). She arrived back in London on 20 May 1836. [3]

On or prior to her return, Somes sold Thetis. Aspey, after his return, went on to captain Harriet, another vessel that Somes owned, sailing her on a whaling voyage to New Zealand.

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1836J.Apsey
Heweth
MitchesonLondon–Quebec
London–Barbados
LR
1839BakerMitchesonLondon–North AmericaLR

Fate

Last listed in 1842 with data unchanged since 1839.

Citations

  1. 1 2 LR(1793), Seq.No.T355.
  2. Hackman (2001), p. 316.
  3. 1 2 3 British southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Thetis.

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<i>Mellish</i> (1819 ship)

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Several ships have been named Thetis for Thetis:

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Harriet was launched in Massachusetts in 1809. The British captured her and on 13 January 1813 a prize court condemned her. New owners retained her name. She became a West Indiaman, and made one voyage to New South Wales. Between 1818 and 1832 she made four complete voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She was lost in October 1833 in the Seychelles on her fifth whaling voyage.

Marquis/Marquess of Lansdown/Lansdowne was launched at Calcutta in 1824. She was initially a "country ship", trading east of the Cape of Good Hope. She then sailed to Port Jackson, but plans to establish a packet service between Australia and Calcutta, including taking tea from India to Australia under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC), did not work out. She then sailed to England and became a whaler, making four voyages to the British southern whale fishery between 1829 and 1845. She was last listed in 1847.

Denmark Hill was launched at Boston, Massachusetts, in 1809, under another name. She was taken in prize and in 1814 her new owners renamed her. She then spent another 25 years as a merchant ship. She transferred her registry to New South Wales and was lost there in 1839. During this time she also made some voyages as a whaler in the waters off New Zealand.

References