Thames (1794 ship)

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

History
Great Britain
General characteristics
Tons burthen365,[1] or 379,[2] or 386[3] (bm)
Complement39[3]
Armament
  • 1800: 6 × 18-pounder carronades
  • 1803: 18 × 6-pounder guns + 4 swivel guns[3]
  • 1805: 8 × 4-pounder + 2 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder carronades

Thames was launched in 1794 in London. The French captured her in late 1795, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her within weeks. She then disappeared from the Registers for some years. She reappeared as Thames in 1800, sailing as a West Indiaman. In 1802 new owners sailed her as a slave ship. She made one full voyage as a slave ship. French privateers captured her in 1805 after she had gathered slaves in West Africa but before she could deliver them to a port in the British Caribbean.

Career[]

Thames first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1794.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1794 Atterbury Tranham London–Jamaica LR

Between 21 and 30 September 1795, a squadron of French frigates captured several British merchantmen, Thames, Atterberry, master, among them.[4] Shortly thereafter, HMS Orion recaptured Thames, Atterbury, master.[5]

Thames then disappeared from LR and the Register of Shipping for some years. She reappeared in 1800.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1800 J.Ferguson Adam & Co. London–Tobago LR
1802 J.Ferguson
J.Welch 		Adam & Co.
J.&A.Anderson 		London–Tobago
London–Africa 		LR

1st slave voyage (1802–1804): Captain James Welsh sailed from London on 6 December 1802. Thames gathered her slaves at the Sierra Leone estuary and arrived at Kingston on 2 December 1803 with 341 slaves. Welsh had received a letter of marque on 17 November.[3] Thames left Kingston on 12 April 1804 and arrived back in London 28 May.[6]

2nd slave voyage (1805): Captain Welsh sailed from London on 18 February 1805, bound for Africa.[7]

Fate[]

Two French schooners captured Thames, Welch, master, in late 1805 off Surinam. They took her into Guadeloupe.[8]

Citations[]

  1. ^ a b LR (1794), "T" supple. pages.
  2. ^ a b LR (1800), Seq. No.T386.
  3. ^ a b c d "Letter of Marque, p.89 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2759. 13 October 1795. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  5. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2762. 23 October 1795. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  6. ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Thames voyage #83736.
  7. ^ Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – Thames voyage #83737.
  8. ^ "LIVERPOOL, DEC. 26." Lancaster Gazette and General Advertiser, for Lancashire, Westmorland, &c. (Lancaster, England), 28 December 1805; Issue 237.
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