Earl Spencer (1799 ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name: | Earl Spencer |
| Owner: | John Hill, Paradise Row |
| Builder: | Brazil |
| Acquired: | 1799 |
| Fate: | Lost c. end-1801 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 509,[1][2] 520,[3] or 600[4] (bm) |
| Propulsion: | Sail |
| Complement: | 35 [1] |
| Armament: | 20 × 6-pounder guns + 6 swivel guns[1] |
Earl Spencer was a Brazilian-built ship,[3] that enters Lloyd's Register in 1799 as foreign built,[4] with later editions specifying "Brazil". She made two seal-hunting voyages to South Georgia between 1799 and 1802, being wrecked there on the second.
Captain William Beacon received a letter of marque for Earl Spencer on 3 August 1799.[1] In 1799 and 1800 she was listed in the Protection Lists,[3] which exempted the crews of certain classes of vessels, such as whalers, from impressment.
Earl Spencer sailed in 1800 to South Georgia on her first sealing voyage.[2][5] She returned to Britain on 3 February 1801.[2] At the time of her visit she was the largest vessel to have visited to that date.[6]
Earl Spencer sailed a second time for South Georgia on 15 May 1801 under the command of Captain William Beacon (or Bacon, or Beyton). She was lost there towards the end of 1801 or early 1802 when she drifted from her anchors and was wrecked.[Note 1] However, the crew was saved. She was valued at £8,000.[3]
Notes, citations and references
- Notes
- ↑ Lloyd's List reported the loss on 16 February 1802.[7] Contra some accounts, it did not occur on that day.
- Citations
- 1 2 3 4 Letter of Marque, p.60, accessed 14 May 2011.
- 1 2 3 British Southern Whale Fishery - Voyages: Earl Spencer.
- 1 2 3 4 Clayton (2014), p.107.
- 1 2 Lloyd's Register (1799), №E470.
- ↑ Headland (1990), p.89.
- ↑ Jones (1950), p.361.
- ↑ Lloyd's List №4203.
- 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 978-1908616524
- Headland, R.K. (1990) Chronological List of Antarctic Expeditions and Related Historical Events. (Cambridge University Press). ISBN 9780521309035
- Jones, A.G.E. (1950) Polar portraits: collected papers. (Caedmon of Whitby).