Blenheim (1783 ship)

Blenheim may have been launched in 1776 in Philadelphia as Britannia. By 1777 she was the Massachusetts-based privateer American Tartar and had taken several prizes. She had also participated in an inconclusive single-ship action with a British merchantman. The British Royal Navy captured American Tartar late in 1777 and she became HMS Hinchinbrook. The Royal Navy sold her in 1783 and she became the West Indiaman Blenheim. In 1785-86 she became a Greenland whaler and she continued in that trade until two French frigates captured and burnt her in 1806.

History
or Massachusetts
Name:	Britannia
Builder:	Philadelphia
Launched:	1776
Renamed:	American Tartar
Captured:	August 1777
Great Britain
Name:	HMS Hinchinbrook
Acquired:	9 October 1777 by purchase of a prize
Fate:	Sold 1783
Great Britain
Name:	Blenheim
Acquired:	1783 by purchase
Fate:	Captured and burnt 1806
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	300,[1] or 318,[2] or 321,[3] or 331[4] (bm)
Complement:	Privateer:150–200 Royal Navy:125[2]
Armament:	Privateer July 1777:20 × 9-pounder + 12 × 4-pounder guns August 1777:10 × 9-pounder + 8 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 4-pounder + 4 × 3-poundeer guns Royal Navy:16 × 6-pounder guns[2] Whaler:6 × 4-pounder guns[4]
Notes:	Built of live oak and cedar[5]

American privateer

The vessel's exact origins are obscure. Lloyd's Register (LR) described her as originating in Philadelphia in 1776.[5] The Register of Shipping gave her origins simply as "BrPlant", i.e., British Plantations (British colonies), in 1777.[3]

Granville Hough stated that the vessel American Tartar had been Britannia, out of New York, but then had become a privateer with a letter of marque from Massachusetts.[6]

Commander John Grimes commissioned American Tartar on 29 November 1776. Her owners were Dean and Joseph Barrell, and other investors.[6]

On 21 May 1777, American Tartar sailed in company with two American frigates, USS Boston and Hancock for a cruise in the North Atlantic. American Tartar parted from the two frigates shortly thereafter and sailed for northern European waters.[6]

On her way, American Tartar captured the 150-ton (bm) brigantine Sally and sent her into Boston where she was libeled on 17 July.[6]

American Tartar encountered the British merchantman Pole, Maddock, master, on 12 July at 50°N 20°W (or 56°N 26°W).[Note 1] Pole was sailing from New York to Liverpool with 40 crew and passengers. American Tartar approached and opened fire. Maddock so maneuvered Pole as to be able three times to clear American Tartar's forecastle. After almost three and a half hours, American Tartar withdrew. Pole, of sixteen 6-pounder guns, had sustained a passenger and two mates wounded.[8]

The next day American Tartar captured two brigs off the Shetland Islands. The first was carrying lumber and hides. The Americans took out her hides and tackle and furnishings, and then burnt her. The second brig was carrying tar. The Americans kept her with them.[6]

On the 15th, American Tartar captured Royal Bounty, of 300 tons (bm), William Kerr, master. She had been sailing from Greenland to Leith. Grimes put a prize crew aboard her, as well as the hides taken from the first brig captured the previous day, and 30 barrels of tar from the second brig. Grimes then released the second brig to her master and crew.

That same day American Tartar captured the ship Janet off the Shetland Islands. Five days later, she captured the ship Nautilus, George Corney, master, off Isle of Lewis. On 28 July American Tartar was off Norway where she captured the ships Peggy and Thomas and Elizabeth, and the brig Fanny.[6]

On about 4 August Grimes sent Royal Bounty to Boston. However, HMS Diamond's tender recaptured Royal Bounty on 22 September off Cape Ann and sent her into Halifax.[9][10] The tender was the American privateer schooner Buckram, John Cross, master, that Diamond had captured on 17 September in Boston Bay.[9]

Capture: HMS Bienfaisant captured American Tartar on 28 August and sent her into St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.[2] Lloyd's List (LL) reported that American Tartar had been armed with 28 guns and had had a crew of 200 men.[11]

Royal Navy

Admiral John Montague purchased American Tartar at Newfoundland on 9 October 1777 and renamed her HMS Hinchinbrook (or Hinchinbroke).[2]

At some point between 1777-1788 Hinchinbrook briefly came under the command of Lieutenant Isaac Schomberg.[12]

Commander John Brudenel (or Bradenel) had commissioned Hinchinbrook in September, but she was not formally registered and renamed until 25 February 1778. In October she was still on the Newfoundland Station. Her captain was Commander John Wainwright.[2]

Hinchinbrook arrived at Woolwich on 18 January 1780. She was then moved to Sheerness on 5 March to undergo fitting. However, her refitting was cut short and she became a "slop ship",[2] that is, a ship serving to store clothes (slops) for seamen, circa July 1781, when Lieutenant James Screech recommissioned her.[2]

Disposal: The Navy sold Hinchinbrook at Sheerness on 21 March 1783 for £960.[2]

Mercantile career

Blenheim entered Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1783 with G.Kitson, master, E.Snerdon, owner, and trade London–Jamaica. She had undergone a thorough repair in 1783.[1] The entry in the 1784 volume of LR reproduced the same information. However, the entry also carried the annotation that Blenheim was the former man-of-war Hinchinbrook.[5]

Blenheim became a Greenland (Northern Whale) Fisheries whaler. In 1786 she appeared in LR with J. Metcalf, master, W. Walker, owner, and trade London–Greenland. She had undergone a good repair and a damage repair in 1786.[13]

In 1788–89 she fished in Davis Strait. On 20 July 1787 Lloyd's List reported that she was at Davis strait and had taken two "fish".[14] She underwent a repair in 1788 also. LR for 1797 showed Blenheim's master changing from J. Metcalf to R. Maxwell. LR for 1798 showed Blenheim with Maxwell, master, Blaydes, owner, and trade Hull–Davis Strait. She had undergone a good repair in 1796.[4]

The data below are from a database of whaling voyages by Hull-based whalers.[15]

Year	Tuns whale oil	Year	Tuns whale oil
1797	62	1802	57
1798	110	1803	34
1799	95	1804	89.5
1800	Note: undergoing rebuilding	1805	120
1801	34.5	1806	Note: captured and burnt

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source and notes
1805	J. Welburn	Blaydes	Hull–Greenland	LR; rebuilt in 1800[16]
1805	J. Welburn	T. Barnaby	Hull–Greenland	RS; rebuilt in 1800[3]

Fate

On 2 August 1806 Sirène, capitaine de frégate Le Duc, and Revanche, capitaine de frégate Lambert, captured the Greenland whalers Holderness, Swan, master, and Blenheim, Welburn, master, both of and for Hull. The French burnt their captures.[17]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

1. Pole, the former Caesar, had a burthen of 250 tons and had been launched at Liverpool in 1768. Her master was J. Maddock, her owner was J. Neilsen, and her trade Liverpool–New York.[7]

Citations

1. LR (1783), Seq.№B406.
2. Winfield (2007), p. 290.
3. Register of Shipping (1805), Seq.№B362/
4. LR (1798), Seq.№B200.
5. LR (1784), Seq.№B213.
6. American War of Independence at Sea (AWIAS), American Privateers: Massachusetts Privateer ship American Tartar.
7. LR (1778), Seq.№P194.
8. Williams (1897), pp. 205–206.
9. "No. 11929". The London Gazette. 21 November 1778. pp. 6–7.
10. Vice-Admiralty Court, Halifax (1911), pp. 67–68.
11. LL №900.
12. Schomberg, Isaac, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, C. H. H. Owen, Retrieved 5 January 2008
13. LR (1786), Seq.№B468.
14. Lloyd's List №1900.
15. Coltish (c. 1842).
16. LR (1805), Seq.№B325.
17. Lloyd's List №4093.

References

• Coltish, William (c. 1842). An account of the success of the ships at the Greenland and Davis Straits fisheries 1772-1842 inclusive.
• Vice-Admiralty Court, Halifax (1911). American vessels captured by the British during the revolution and war of 1812. Salem, Mass.: Essex Institute.
• Williams, Gomer (1897). History of the Liverpool Privateers and Letters of Marque: With an Account of the Liverpool Slave Trade. W. Heinemann.
• Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1844157006.