History
United Kingdom
NameThames
NamesakeRiver Thames
BuilderHowden
Launched1807
Captured1 July 1813
General characteristics
Tons burthen312,[1] or 314, or 315[2] (bm)
Complement20[1]
Armament

Thames was launched in 1807 in Howden. She first sailed as a West Indiaman, and later traded with Brazil. Privateers captured her twice. The first time the British Royal Navy was able swiftly to recapture her. The second time Thames's American captor sent her into Portland, Maine after a single ship action.

Career

Although Thames was launched at Howdon in 1807, she did not appear in the Register of Shipping or Lloyd's Register (LR) until 1809.[2]

Captain Jame Grieve acquired a letter of marque on 18 May 1809.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1809 J.Grieve Hurry & Co. London–Barbados Register of Shipping (RS)
1809 J.Grieve Hurry & Co. Liverpool–Brazil LR

In January 1810 Lloyd's List reported that HMS Parthian had recaptured Thames, Greeve, master and sent her into Fowey. Thames had been returning to Liverpool from the Braziles when a French privateer had captured her.[3]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1810 J.Grieve
G.Lyons		 Hurry & Co. London–Brazils
London–Jamaica		 LR
1813 G.Lyons Hurry & Co. Liverpool-Brazils LR

Fate

Thames was scheduled to leave Maranham on 30 April 1813 for Liverpool, in company with Paris, Harrison, master, and Watson, Grieg, master.[4] The privateer Yankee captured Thames off Ireland; later, Thames was reported to have arrived in Portland, Maine on 1 July.[5]

Another account has Yankee, Captain Elisha Snow, capturing Thames on 30 May after an action of one hour. Thames had 14 guns, but only 20 men. On 3 June, Yankee stopped a Portuguese brig from New York. Snow put Thames's captain and crew aboard the brig after they had promised not to fight against the United States again.[6]

Yankee was on her third cruise. Thames was carrying 287 bales of cotton, and vessel and cargo sold for $110,000.[7][6] Each share in her voyage received $173.54. Another account reports that Thames was carrying 180 tons of cotton, and was also carrying specie.[8] The account put the value of the capture at $180,000.[9]

In 1813 Yankee captured two vessels named Thames, the Thames of this article and Thames. On this cruise Yankee captured more than six vessels belonging to Liverpool, as well as a number of others. She might have captured more, but on 8 October, she only captured Paris, Harrison, master, of six gun and 11 men, after a single ship action that left both damaged, forcing Yankee to have to go into port to repair. HMS Ringdove later recaptured Paris.[10]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Letter of Marque, p.93 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. 1 2 LR (1809), Supple. pages "T", Seq.No.T55.
  3. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4419. 2 January 1810. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735024.
  4. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4779. 18 June 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026.
  5. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4794. 10 August 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026.
  6. 1 2 Maclay (1900), p. 270.
  7. ↑ Munro (1913), pp. 16–17.
  8. ↑ Good (2012), p. 104.
  9. ↑ Good (2012), pp. 134 & 136.
  10. ↑ Williams (1897), pp. 448–449.

References

  • Good, Timothy S., ed. (2012). American privateers in the war of 1812: the vessels and their prizes as recorded in Niles' Weekly Register. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786466955.
  • Maclay, Edgar Stanton (1900). "A history of American Privateers". Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. OCLC 606621677.
  • Munro, Wilfred Harold (1913). "The Most Successful American Privateer: An episode of the War of 1812". American Antiquarian Society (April): 12–62.
  • Williams, Gomer (1897). History of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque: With an Account of the Liverpool Slave Trade. W. Heinemann.
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