Royal Bounty (1811 ship)

Royal Bounty first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in the Register of Shipping (RS) in 1811. A United States privateer captured and burnt her in 1812.

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

History
United Kingdom
Name: Royal Bounty
Acquired: 1811
Captured: 1 August 1812 and burnt
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 337, or 338 (bm)
Complement: 18 men
Armament: 10 guns (probably 6-pounders)

Career

Both gave her origin as "Foreign", with the RS also describing her as "old".[1][2] An advertisement noted that Royal Bounty, of 338 tons (bm), would be offered for sale on 8 February 1811 at the Leith Coffeeroom. It noted that she had just undergone a thorough repair and was ready for sea.[3]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1811 H.Gamble Campbell Leith–America LR; good repair 1810
1811 Gambles Robertson Leith–St Andero
Hull–Quebec		 LR; repairs 1811
1812 Gambles Robertson Leith–St Andero
Hull–Quebec		 LR; repairs 1811 & good repair 1812

Fate

Royal Bounty, Captain Henry Gamble, sailed from Hull on 8 June 1812, bound for Prince Edward Island. She had a crew of 18 men and also carried four passengers, one a woman. The United States privateer Yankee, Captain Oliver Wilson, captured Royal Bounty off Saint Pierre and Miquelon on 1 August.[4]The 1813 volume of RS carried the annotation "captured" under her name.[5]

Captain Gamble was unaware that war between the United States and Great Britain had broken out. A vessel flying the Union Jack pursued him, then raised American colours, and fired on him. Gamble and his crew returned fire. Royal Bounty struck after an engagement of an hour and a half. The boy manning the helm had been killed, and Gamble, his second mate, and two other crew wounded. The chief mate was also wounded by some shots after Royal Bounty had struck. American casualties consisted of two men wounded. The American vessel was the privateer Yankee, of Rhode Island, of 18 guns, and a crew of 120 men under Captain Wilson. The Americans took all aboard Royal Bounty onto Yankee, where they treated the wounded. The Americans dealt roughly with the rest of the crew.

A little later Yankee captured Thetis, of Poole, Pack, master, whose crew escaped. Thetis was carrying coals for Sydney. Yankee set fire to Thetis, and apparently Royal Bounty as well. Royal Bounty had been sailing in ballast and so had no valuable cargo. The Americans put Gamble and his men aboard a boat, in which they were able to reach Placentia safely.[6]

Some American reports of the action doubled Royal Bounty's burthen, and gave her armament as sixteen 6-pounder guns.[7]

Citations
  1. LR (1811), Supple. pages "R", Seq.No.R16.
  2. RS (1811), "R" supple. pages.
  3. "Advertisements & Notices". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 26 January 1811; Issue 13902.
  4. "Marine List". Lloyd's List (4713). 18 September 1812.
  5. RS (1813), Seq.No.R490.
  6. "CAPTURE OF THE ROYAL BOUNTY OF LEITH". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 18 September 1812; Issue 14158.
  7. "Mr. Editor, In send you for the occupany of a few columns in your first number, the American Prize List. "From the Star of Liberty". National Intelligencer (Washington, District Of Columbia), 13 October 1812; Issue 1873.
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