Pursuit (1795 ship)

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.

History
Great Britain
Name: Pursuit
Owner:
  • 1795:Atty & Co.[1]
  • 1799:Dawson
  • 1807:Liney & Co.
Builder: Ing. Eskdale, Whitby[2]
Launched: 17 August 1795[1]
Fate: Captured August 1812
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 393,[3] 406​61⁄94,[1] or 406,[4] or 408[4][2] or 450[5] (bm)
Length: 107 ft 9 1⁄4 in (32.8 m) (overall); 86 ft 1 3⁄4 in (26.3 m) (keel)
Beam: 29 ft 3 3⁄4 in (8.9 m)
Depth of hold: 12 ft 8 3⁄4 in (3.9 m)
Propulsion: Sail
Complement:
Armament:
  • 1797: 12 × 6&12-pounder guns + 6 swivel guns[4]
  • 1801:12 × 6-pounder guns + 8 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 swivels[4]
  • 1813:8 × 18-pounder carronades + 8 × 9-pounder guns "of the New Construction"
Notes: Two decks

Career

Pursuit enters Lloyd's Register in 1795 with J. Barker, master, Atty, owner, and trade London-East India.[6]

EIC voyage #1 (1795-1796): Before Pursuit sailed on her first voyage as an "extra ship" under charter to the EIC, the EIC had Fletcher measure and repair her. Captain John Barker sailed from the Downs on 22 September 1795, bound for Bengal. Pursuit reached Calcutta on 7 February 1796. Homeward bound, she was at Fultah (possibly the present day Falta), on 27 March, and reached St Helena on 21 July and Crookhaven on 26 November. She arrived back at the Downs on 11 December.[3]

EIC voyage #2 (1797-1798): Captain John Barker acquired a letter of marque on 20 March 1797.[4] He sailed from London on 28 March 1797, and from Portsmouth on 3 June, again bound for Bengal. Pursuit reached Calcutta on 27 October. Homeward bound, she was at Culpee (an anchorage towards Calcutta, and just below Diamond Harbour), on 30 November, and reached St Helena on 2 March 1798 and Cork on 25 June. She returned to the Downs on 8 July.[3]

On her return, Pursuit began trading to the West Indies.

Year Master Owner Trade
1798 J. Barker
S.Borrows		 Atty& Co. London—India
London—Jamaica
1799 S. Burrows
J. Stranock		 Atty & Co.
I & J. Dawson		 London—Jamaica

In 1799 new owners changed Pursuit's registration from Whitby to London.[2]

Lloyd's List reported on 28 January 1800 that La Fraternite, which had been sailing from Liverpool to Africa, had returned to Liverpool dismasted. Before she returned she had encountered Pursuit. While Pursuit had been sailing from London to Jamaica, she had repelled an attack by a French privateer, but at the cost of the death of all her officers, except her master, who had been severely wounded. La Fraternite had put a mate on board Pursuit to help her return to port.[7]

Year Master Owner Trade
1800 J. Stunock Dawson London—Jamaica
1801 J. Sterry
J. Sturrock
Borradale		 Dawson London—Jamaica
London—Surinam

On 29 January 1801 James Sturrock acquired a letter of marque.[4] However, when Borradale replaced him as master Borradale did not also acquire one.

A year later, on 27 January 1802 Pursuit, Borradale, master, grounded at Surinam. Part of her cargo had been landed and she was expected to be gotten off.[8]

Year Master Owner Trade
1802 Boradaile
I. Roberts		 Dawson London—Surinam
1806 McDonald
King		 Dawson London—Jamaica

One report has Pursuit parting from her convoy on 23 August 1806 on passage from Jamaica for London in the 1806 Great Coastal hurricane and not being heard of again.[1] However, Pursuit was not lost; she continued to trade.

Year Master Owner Trade
1807 King Lyney London—Jamaica
1808 King Lyney London—Jamaica
1809 King[9] or G. Frouell[10] Liney & Co London—Jamaica
1810 W. Chivers Liney & Co. London—Surinam
1811 W. Chivers Liney & Co. London—Surinam
1812 W. Chivers Liney & Co. London—Surinam
New "B_da"
1813 W. Chivers Liney & Co. London—Surinam

The entry in the 1813 volume of Lloyd's Register carries the notation "captured".[11]

Fate

Lloyd's List reported that Commodore John Rodgers's squadron captured Pursuit as Pursuit was sailing from Surinam to London. The Americans sent Pursuit and another prize to America.[12] The capture took place not long after the outbreak of war between England and the United States.

The other vessel that Lloyd's List mentions as being captured was Argo, Middleton, master, sailing from Pernambuco. Rodgers and President captured Argo on 2 August 1812.[13] The list of captures does not include Pursuit, which actually fell prey to an American privateer.[Note 1]

On 3 August the Philadelphia-based privateer schooner Atlas encountered Pursuit and Planter at 36°N 47°W. At 11a.m. there began an engagement of an hour-and-a-half duration. Eventually both British vessels struck.[15] The British had suffered two men dead and three wounded. The Americans had suffered two men dead and five wounded.[5]

The details below are from Coggeshall and Williams.[5][15]

Vessel Master Tons (bm) Guns Men
Atlas Moffat 10 100
Pursuit Chivers 450 10 35
Planter Frith or Fritte 280 12 15

Atlas made it safely back to Philadelphia with Pursuit.[5] The British recaptured Planter off the Delaware Capes.[15][Note 2] Later, the British Royal Navy captured Atlas and took her into service as HMS St Lawrence.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. The British reportedly recaptured Argo.[14]
  2. The frigate Shannon reportedly was the captor.[14]

Citations

  1. Hackman (2001), p. 241.
  2. Weatherill (1908), p. 96.
  3. British Library: Pursuit.
  4. "Letter of Marque, p.83 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  5. Coggeshall (1856), pp. 79-80.
  6. Lloyd's Register (1795), seq.№P498.
  7. Lloyd's List №4019.
  8. Lloyd's List №4242.
  9. Lloyd's Register (1809), Seq.№P638.
  10. Register of Shipping (1809), Seq.№P620.
  11. Lloyd's Register (1813), Seq. №P695.
  12. Lloyd's List №4709.
  13. Crawford & Dudley (1985), pp. 265-6..
  14. Lloyd's List №4715.
  15. Williams (1815), p. 143.

References

  • Coggeshall, George (1856). History of the American Privateers, and Letters-Of-Marque. New York.
  • Crawford, Michael J.; Dudley, William S., eds. (1985). The Naval War of 1812: a documentary history. 11. Washington: Naval Historical Center, Dept. of the Navy.
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
  • Weatherill, Richard (1908). The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby: Horne and Son.
  • Williams, Samuel (1815). Sketches of the War Between the United States and the British Isles: Intended as a Faithful History of All the Material Events from the Time of the Declaration in 1812 to ... the Treaty of Peace in 1815; Interspersed with Geographical [!] Descriptions ... and Biographical Notices of Distinguished Military and Naval Commanders ... Fay.
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