Antelope (1798 ship)

Antelope was a French vessel launched in 1795 and captured circa 1798. She sailed primarily as a West Indiaman until circa 1804 when Daniel Bennett purchased her and sent her out as a privateer operating off South America, first in the Atlantic and then the Pacific. A Spanish armed merchantman captured her in 1806, killing her master.

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

History
France
Launched: 1795
Captured: 1798
United Kingdom
Name: Antelope
Acquired: 1798 by purchase of a prize
Captured: 13 October 1805
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 186,[1] or 187,[2] or 190[1] (bm)
Complement:
Armament:
  • 1799:2 × 6-pounder guns + 14 × 9-pounder carronades
  • 1800:2 × 6-pounder guns + 14 × 9-pounder brass guns of the "New Construction"
  • 1805:14 × 6&12-pounder cannons[1]

West Indiaman

Antelope first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1799. The surveyors designated her "AN" – almost new,i.e., less than three years old.[2]

Captain Robert Younghusband acquired a letter of marque on 6 June 1799,[1] and sailed from Deal for Demerara on 18 June. From Demerara she sailed to Surinam.

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1799 Younghusband Gale & Co. London–Demerara LR
1800 Younghusband
Ashton
Pashley		 Gale & Co. London–Demerara LR

Captain John Pashley acquired a letter of marque on 26 July 1805.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1802 Pashley
J.Patterson		 Gale & Co.
Patterson		 London–Demerara LR
1803 JPatterson
W.Attwood		 Patterson
Gellispie		 London–Charleston LR

Privateer

Samuel Bennett purchased Antelope in 1804, and her first master for him appears to have been John Samuel Parker.[3] She only appeared under Bennett's ownership in the Register of Shipping for 1806 (and never in LR), it gives her trade as London–Southern Fishery.[4]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1806 Mortlock D.Bennett London–Southern Fishery RS

On 10 January 1805 Captain James Mortlock acquired a letter of marque.[1][Note 1] Although Bennett owned whaling ships and Antelope sailed for the South Seas, she was a privateer, not a whaler.

An Antelope and Lucy, both listed as privateers, were at Portsmouth on 25 January.[5] Antelope may have returned to London because she was listed as being at Deal on 28 February, waiting to sail to the South Seas.

Lloyd's List reported in September that Antelope had cruised for 14 days off the River Plate with Lucy, Ferguson, master, and Bellona, Dean, master. Both were privateers. Alexander Ferguson had received a letter of marque on 10 January 1805.[Note 2] Dean had received one 14 December 1804.[Note 3] Antelope had sprung her foremast and was going to put into St Catherine's to repair. The information for the news came via Bellona, which had returned to Liverpool.[8]

In April 1806 Lloyd's List reported that Antelope, Mortlock, master, and Kitty, Musgrave, master, were well in October 1805 off the coast of South America.[9] Thomas Musgrave had received a letter of marque on 5 February 1805.[Note 4]

Antelope had left England in company with another privateer, possibly Lucy. In her cruise near Montvideo Antelope took five prizes and forced the Spanish warship Asuncion aground in bad weather. He dispatched his companion privateer back to England with the prizes, and decided to round Cape Horn to look for prizes off Callao.[11]

Near Valparaiso Antelope captured two launches that she relieved of their stores. At Coquimbo Mortlock looted a church and some farms. In sight of the island of San Gallao he seized two guano brigs, took their spars for firewood, removed their compasses, and prevented them from entering Callao and alerting the authorities to his presence.[11] (Apparently Mortlock did dissuade his crew from scuttling the two brigs with all hands.[11])

Fate

On 13 October Antelope was some eight leagues from the island of San Lorenzo when she encountered Nuestra Senora de Isiar (alias Joaquina), Don Domingo de Ugalde, master. She had a crew of 70, fourteen 8-pounder cannon and two ‘howitzers’ (possibly obusier de vaisseau. Her cargo consisted of 150 black slaves shackled below deck, and other cargo worth a million pesos belonging to the King of Spain and private individuals. She had left Callao on 24 December 1804 the outbreak of war between Spain and England had led de Ugalde to decide to return to Callao.[12][11]

Around 7pm an engagement developed with an exchange of gunfire at short range. Antelope repelled Joaquina's first attempt to board but succumbed to the second. In the fight Antelope suffered 15 men killed, Mortlake among them, and 16 wounded, most mortally. Joaquina had four dead and 14 wounded, of whom four were mortally wounded.[12]

The prize court valued Antelope at 100,000 pesos. She was apparently brought back into mercantile service on the Pacific Coast.[11][Note 5]

Lloyd's List reported on 15 July 1806 that an armed Spanish ship had captured Antelope, of London, Mortlock, master, off the coast of Peru. It also reported that Mortlock had been killed.[14]

Notes, citations and references

Notes

  1. Between 1794 and 1796, Mortlock had been captain of Young William. In her he had sailed to Australia, up to China, and back to England.
  2. Lucy, of 345 tons (bm), was armed with eighteen 9&18-pounder cannons, and had a crew of 60 men.[6]
  3. Bellona, of 200 tons (bm), was armed with four 9-pounder guns and twelve 12-pounder carronades. She had a crew of 40.[7]
  4. Kitty, of 320 tons, was armed with twenty-two 9&18&24-pounder cannons and 6 swivel guns, and had a crew of 100 men.[10]
  5. One source suggests that she may have been the Antelope, of 70 tons pierced for 10 guns that the British captured on 21 December 1807 when they captured Saint Thomas.[13][11] However, Antelope is a common name and the discrepancy in size and armament between the two vessels is substantial.

Citations

  1. "Letter of Marque, p.50 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. LR (1799), Seq.No.A637.
  3. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Antelope.
  4. RS (1806), Seq.No.A870.
  5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4186). Ship arrival and departure data. 25 January 1805. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. "Letter of Marque, p.75 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  7. "Letter of Marque, p.52 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  8. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4255). 20 September 1805. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  9. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4047). 25 April 1806. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
  10. "Letter of Marque, p.71 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  11. Griffiths (2002), pp. 196–201.
  12. Gaceta de Madrid, Volume 2 (1806), pp.709–710.
  13. "No. 16116". The London Gazette. 9 February 1808. p. 200.
  14. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4064). 15 July 1806. Retrieved 10 August 2020.

References

  • Clayton, Jane M (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Berforts Group. ISBN 9781908616524.
  • Griffiths, R.J.H. (2002). "Navigator...". Mariner's Mirror. 88 (2): 196–201.
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