| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | William Dent |
| Owner | John Atkins [1] [2] |
| Builder | George Brown & William Oliver, Shoreham, Sussex [1] |
| Launched | 5 September 1800 [1] |
| Fate | Disappeared January 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 475, [2] [3] or 475,31⁄94 [1] or 500 [4] (bm) |
| Complement | 20 [3] |
| Armament |
|
| Notes | Three decks |
William Dent was launched in 1800 and then made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). On her return she became a West Indiaman. She disappeared in January 1813.
Captain Giles Masson received a letter of marque on 16 December 1800. [3] William Dent first appears in Lloyd's Register in 1801 (published in 1800). It gives the name of her master as G. Musson, that of her owner as J. Atkins, and her trade as London−India. [2] (Subsequent editions change the destination to Bengal.)
Mr. John Atkins had tendered William Dent, Giles Musson, master, to the EIC to bring back rice from Bengal. She was one of 28 vessels that sailed on that mission between December 1800 and February 1801. [4]
William Dent left England on 24 January 1801 and returned on 13 April 1802. [1]
On her return William Dent started trading with Jamaica and the Americas generally.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 | G. Musson | J. Atkins | London–Jamaica | Register of Shipping (RS) |
| 1809 | G. Mosson | J. Atkins | London–Jamaica | RS |
IncidentsWilliam Dent left Jamaica in August 1806 in a convoy of 109 vessels under escort by HMS Veteran, Magicienne, Franchise, and Penguin. On 18 August the convoy left the Gulf of Mexico. The August 1806 Great Coastal hurricane caught the convoy between 21 and 24 August. [5] Some 20 vessels were lost, but William Dent survived. (Vessels lost included Exeter, Herculean, and Nutwell.)
William Dent was with a convoy of 21 vessels from Jamaica on 28 August 1808 at 28°16′N17°00′W / 28.267°N 17.000°W , and under escort by HMS Hunter. [6] William Dent was one of six vessels from Jamaica that lost their anchors in Margate Roads on 14 October 1808. [7]
Lloyd's Register for 1814 still shows G. Musson as master, J. Atkins as owner, and William Dent's trade as London–Jamaica. [8]
HMS Brazen left Jamaica for London escorting a convoy that left on 19 December 1812 and included William Dent. During a heavy gale from 21 to 24 January 1813 William Dent, Jameson, master, and three other ships, parted from the convoy off the Newfoundland Banks; none of the four was ever heard from again. [9] Brazen arrived at Spithead on 9 February 1813. [10]
Citations
References
Friendship was a three-decker merchantman, launched in 1793. She made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). During her first voyage, in 1796, a French privateer captured her, but the Royal Navy recaptured her. On the second, in 1799, she transported convicts from Ireland to Australia. She made a second voyage transporting convicts in 1817-18. On her way back she was broken up in 1819 at Mauritius after having been found unseaworthy.
Experiment was launched in 1798 at Stockton-on-Tees, England. Between late 1800 and 1802 she made a voyage to India for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1803 she transported convicts to Port Jackson. In 1805, on her way home the French captured her, but the British recaptured her. In 1808 she became a West Indiaman. Still, in 1818 or so she sailed out to India. Experiment was condemned at Batavia in 1818 and sold there in 1819 for breaking up.
Phoenix was a merchant ship launched on the Thames in 1790. She made one voyage as an extra ship, for the British East India Company (EIC). Before that she had several masters and sailed under letters of marque. These authorized the vessel's master to engage in offensive action against the French, should the occasion arise, not just defend herself. After the voyage for the EIC Phoenix apparently traded as a West Indiaman until she was condemned in 1812.
Comet was launched in 1800 on the Thames. In 1801 she made a voyage under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). On her second voyage, in 1803, the French captured her. Still, in 1804 her previous owners were able to reacquire her. She then made another voyage for the EIC. On her return she first served as a troopship and then in the West Indies trade. She apparently was lost in 1815 or 1816.
Alligator was launched in 1793 at London. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a general trader crossing the Atlantic. She was wrecked in 1820.
Exeter was launched at Calcutta in 1793. She made three voyages from Calcutta to England for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost in August 1806 in a hurricane while returning to London from Jamaica.
Nutwell was launched at Great Yarmouth in 1800. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). On her return she became a West Indiaman, trading with Jamaica, until the 1806 Great Coastal hurricane overturned her.
Pursuit was launched at Whitby in 1795. She made two voyages for the British East India Company and then traded with the West Indies. She repelled one attack by a French privateer that caused severe casualties, but eventually an American privateer captured her in August 1812.
Queen was launched at Quebec in 1795. She made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) and then became a West Indiaman, trading between London and West Indies. She was last listed in 1813.
Peggy was built at Calcutta in 1793 and initially sailed in the Indian coastal and Far East trade. In 1801 she assumed British registry and her name was changed to Juliana. Her owners sold her to the Transport Board but in 1804 the government resold her and she was sailing as a West Indiaman between London and Antigua. She then made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage to Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, transporting convicts. On her return from this voyage she wrecked in 1821 on the English coast.
Herculean was launched in 1799 at Shields. She made two voyages as an "extra ship", under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a West Indiaman and foundered in 1806.
Indian Trader was launched in 1791. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She was on her second voyage when a French privateer captured her. The British recaptured her and she returned to merchant service, sailing to the Americas. She was lost c.1830.
Coverdale was launched at Whitby in 1795. She made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a West Indiaman. She foundered in 1806 on her way back to England from Jamaica.
Monarch was built at Quebec in 1800. She sailed to England where under new ownership she proceeded to make five voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) as an "extra ship", that is, under charter. In 1813 she became a transport, and then in 1818 or so a regular merchantman. She was broken up in 1820.
Royal Edward was launched in 1782 in France as Alexandre. The British captured her c.1796, and new owners changed her name. She then sailed for a few years as a West Indiaman before completing four voyages as a slave ship. She returned to the West India trade after leaving the slave trade, and then traded more generally. She was condemned as unseaworthy and broken up in Bengal in 1815.
Varuna was launched at Calcutta in 1796. She made four voyages as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC), and then spent two years as a troopship. She returned to India in 1806. She was lost in 1811, probably in a typhoon.
Princess Mary was a ship launched in 1796 that made four voyages as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). From 1805 on she was a West Indiaman, sailing primarily between London and Jamaica. In 1813 she suffered damage in a gale at Halifax, Nova Scotia, but returned to service. She was broken up in 1816.
Sarah Christiana was launched in 1798. She made one voyage as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made a voyage to Jamaica. On her return, the EIC engaged her for four more voyages as an East Indiaman. In 1810 she was sold and became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked broken up in 1828.
Lord Forbes was launched at Chester in 1803 as a West Indiaman. She soon became an "armed defense ship", but by 1805 had returned to being a West Indiaman. She made two voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC). She continued trading with India until 1817 when she sustained damage on her way to Bengal. There she was surveyed, condemned and sold.
Earl of Lonsdale was launched at Whitehaven in 1810. She sailed as West Indiaman. She next made one voyage to the East Indies in 1814, and then returned to the West Indies trade. A gale at Jamaica in October 1815 destroyed her.
