Wright (1794 ship)

Wright was a merchantman launched at Shields in 1794. From 1797 to 1801 she was a hired armed ship for the British Royal Navy during which service she captured a French privateer. She then returned to mercantile service, sailing out of Newcastle, first as a transport and then trading between Newcastle and Charleston. She was captured circa December 1809.

History
Great Britain
Name: Wright
Builder: Thomas Hearn, North Shields[1]
Launched: 1794
Captured: c. December 1809
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 341[2] (bm)
Armament:
  • 1797:4 × 6-pounder + 2 × 3-pounder guns
  • Royal Navy:14 × 18-pounder carronades[2]
  • 1810:6 × 6-pounder guns

Career

Wright first appeared in Lloyd's Register in the 1797 issue with E.Walker, master, Wright, owner, and trade Saint Petersburgh–Portsmouth.[3]

Armed ship: Wright's contract with the Admiralty lasted from 6 May 1797 to 5 December 1801.[2] In May 1797 Commander Thomas Campbell commissioned Wright for the North Sea.[4]

On 7 April 1798, Wright, Captain Thomas Campbell, was about six leagues from Huntcliff when she recaptured three colliers that a French privateer had captured earlier that morning.[Note 1] After securing the three colliers Campbell set out after the privateer. He captured her after a chase of about six and a half hours during which she had throw five of her six guns overboard. Her name was Marveilleuse and she had a crew of 39 men under the command of Pierre Lefevre. She was eight days out of Dunkirk and had only taken one collier the day before.[5][Note 2] On 13 April Lloyd's List (LL) reported that the armed ship Wrights had brought into Tynemouth a privateer of six guns and her three prizes. the privateer had left Dunkirk on 2 April in company with six other privateers.[8]

Merchantman: Wright appeared in the Register of Shipping (RS) volume for 1802 with J.Mills, master, S.Wright, owner, and trade Newcastle transport.[9]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1806 S.Mills S.Wright Newcastle transport RS
1810 Gillespy S.Wright Newcastle–Charleston RS

Fate

LL reported on 2 January 1810 that Wright, Scott, master, of six guns and 17 men, had been captured and taken into Rotterdam.[10]

RS continued to carry Wright for a number of years, but with data unchanged since 1809. LL had not carried Wright after the Admiralty hired her.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. The three colliers were Spalding, of Boston, Ranger, of Yarmouth, and Elizabeth, of Wells.[5] Ranger, of 89 tons (bm), J.England, master, had been launched at Yarmouth in 1789.[6]
  2. Merveilleuse was a 27-ton (French; "of load") privateer schooner from Honfleur, built on a design by the naval architect Jean-Louis Pestel. She was commissioned in 1798.[7]

Citations

  1. Tyne Built Ships: "W".
  2. Winfield (2008), p. 389.
  3. LR (1797), Seq.№W186.
  4. Marshall (1823–1835), p. 1006, Vol. 2, Part 2.
  5. "No. 15006". The London Gazette. 10 April 1798. p. 306.
  6. LR (1797), Seq.№R25.
  7. Demerliac (2004), p. 237, n°1977.
  8. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (2993). 13 April 1798. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  9. RS (1802).Seq.№W313.
  10. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4419). 2 January 1810. Retrieved 11 April 2020.

References

  • Demerliac, Alain (2004). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 à 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-24-1.
  • Marshall, John (1823–1835). Royal naval biography, or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains, and commanders, whose names appeared on the Admiralty list of sea officers at the commencement of the present year 1823, or who have since been promoted ... London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
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