Havik (1808 ship)

Havik was built in Batavia in 1808 or 1809. The Dutch government purchased her and had her fitted out in 1809; she then sailed for North America. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1810. She then sailed to Britain where new owners named her Peter Proctor, after the British officer who captured her. She then traded widely and was last listed in 1845. She brought the first group of coolies from India to Australia in 1837.

History
Kingdom of Holland
Name:	Havik
Builder:	Batavia[Note 1]
Launched:	1808
Captured:	February 1810
United Kingdom
Name:	Peter Proctor
Launched:	1810 by purchase of a prize
Fate:	Last listed 1845
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	200–250 (est.),[4] or 264, or 267 (bm)
Sail plan:	Snow
Armament:	Havik: 6 × 3-pounder guns + 2 × 1-pounder swivel guns[4] Peter Proctor: 10 × 6-pounder + 2 × 12-pounder carronades

Havik

The journal of van Willem Veerman, a junior officer serving on Havik, is a little a little unclear about where around Batavia she was built. His journal says, in translation "This ship was built on this island in Lassem and now bought for the government and put into service."[4] The main shipyard at Batavia was Onrust Island; it is not clear what Lassem refers to.

Havik underwent fitting and provisioning in September 1809 and sailed on 20 October. [4]

On 10 February 1810 Havik a Royal Navy schooner.

English account: HMS Thistle gave chase to a vessel hat she had encountered. After seven hours Thistle caught up with her quarry, which hoisted Batavian colours, opened fire, and attempted to ram Thistle. The two vessels exchanged fire for about an hour when the Batavian vessel attempted to sail off. A running engagement ensued. After four hours the Dutch vessel struck. According to Lieutenant Proctor, she was the Batavian naval corvette Havik, of 10 guns, though pierced for 18. She had a crew of 52 men under the command of Lieutenant J. Sterling. Her passengers included the former lieutenant-governor of Batavia, Admiral Buyskes ([Buijskes]), together with his suite. She was on her way to New York with a part cargo of indigo and spices. Havik had one man killed and seven men badly wounded, one of the wounded being the Admiral. On Thistle, a marine was killed and seven men were wounded, Lieutenant Proctor being one of the wounded. During the initial exchange of fire three of Thistle's carronades had been dismounted.[5]

Dutch sources: Havik, Lieutenant Steelingh, captain, had an estimated burthen of 200–250 tons (bm). She was on her way to Europe at the time of the encounter. She was armed with six 3-pounder guns and two 1-pounder swivel guns. (This gave her a broadside of 10 pounds, versus Thistle's broadside of 66 pounds.) Her complement consisted of 32 men: 30 crew, and two passengers – the Admiral, and his aide. She struck after she had expended all her ammunition.[4]

Thistle and Havik arrived at Bermuda on 20 February.[6] Havik arrived at Portsmouth from Bermuda on 14 June 1810. Her cargo was reported to have a value of £40,000.[7]

Peter Proctor

Peter Proctor, Bouner, master, first appeared in online records when on 30 December 1810 she sailed from Gravesend with the West Indies fleet, bound for St Kitts.[8] After her return in 1811 she sailed for Malta and Smyrna.

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1811	M.Bonner	Smith & Co.	London–St Kitts	LR
1812	Bonner Barnett	Helme	London–St Kitts London–Smyrna	Register of Shipping
1815	B. Barnet J. Peterkin	Smith & Co.	London transport London–Dominica	LR
1819	J. Peterkin	Baker & Co.	London–Dominica	LR
1821	Brown	Baker & Co.	London–Dominica	LR

On 27 September 1822 Peter Proctor, Brown, master, ran ashore on the lower part of the Knock Sand. She was gotten off after having discharged part of her cargo, and arrived in the Thames.[9] She was returning from St Petersburg with a cargo of tallow and hemp when she grounded. She was stuck for three days, but was gotten off with the assistance of the revenue cutter Fox, Lieutenant St. John, and two fishing vessels. Lieutenant St. John was awarded £120 pounds for the service.[10]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1825	J.Brown	Baker & Co.	London–Demerara	LR

On 26 July 1825 Peter Proctor was at Dominica when a major hurricane hit the island. The hurricane sank or damaged many vessels there. Peter Proctor rode out the gale without injury.[11]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1826	J.Brown Fuller	Baker & Co.	London–Dominica	LR
1827	Fuller Black	Baker & Co.	London–Dominica	LR

On 26 June 1828 Peter Proctor, Black, master, ran aground at Skanör med Falsterbo as she was sailing from London to St Petersburg. She was gotten off.[12] She then put int Carlsham to discharge and effect repairs.

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source
1828	Black Reed	Baker & Co.	London–Elsinor	LR
1829	G.Reed J.Terry	Allan	London–Quebec	LR
1830	J.Terry	T.&J. Allan	London–Cape of Good Hope	LR

In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a license from the EIC.[13] On 25 October 1829 Peter Proctor, J.Terry, master, sailed for Mauritius and Covelong under a license from the EIC.[14] In December 1831 she had to put back to Bristol after having sustained damage. She had been sailing to Boston from Bristol when she lost her bulwarks and boats, and sustained other damage. On her return to Bristol she had been out a month.[15]

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1832	J.Terry	T.&J. Allan	Bristol	LR; small repairs 1831

The EIC gave up its shipping activities in 1833. Peter Proctor sailed between Britain and India in the early 1830s.

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1837	G.Barlow	J.Allan	London	LR; large repair 1836

With the ceasing of convict transportation to New South Wales becoming imminent by the late 1830s, the colonists there sought a substitute source of cheap labour. In 1837 a Committee on Immigration identified the possibility of importing coolies from India and China as a solution. John Mackay, an owner of indigo plantations in Bengal and a distillery in Sydney, organised the import of 42 coolies from India who arrived on 24 December 1837 on board Peter Proctor. This was the first sizeable transport of coolie labour into Australia.

Year	Master	Owner	Trade	Source & notes
1839	Barlow Armstrong	J.Allan	Londn London–West Indies	LR; large repair 1836 and damages repaired 1838
1840	Armstrong	J.Allan	London–West Indies London–Launceston, Tasmania	LR; large repair 1836 and damages repaired 1838
1841	Armstrong	J.Allan	London–Launceston London–Ceylon	LR; large repair 1836 and damages repaired 1838

Fate

Peter Proctor was last listed in 1846 with data unchanged since 1841.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

1. Hackman, a major source, probably drawing on Lloyd's Register (LR), states that Peter Proctor was built in India, in 1808. [1] However, the most complete listing of ships built in Calcutta does not list her.[2] Neither does she, or any other vessel of her burthen, appear in the list of ships built in India admitted to the registries of Great Britain before 1814.[3] The Register of Shipping gives her origin as Batavia.

Citations

1. Hackman (2001), p. 304.
2. Phipps (1840).
3. House of Commons (1814), p. 87.
4. van Rees & Krijgsman (2018).
5. "No. 16372". The London Gazette. 22 May 1810. p. 750.
6. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4551). 20 April 1810. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735024. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
7. "Advertisements & Notices". Hampshire Telegraph and Sussex Chronicle etc (Portsmouth, England), 18 June 1810; Issue 558.
8. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (4526). 8 January 1811. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735025. Retrieved 24 September 2020.
9. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List (5738). 1 October 1822. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735032. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
10. "TRURO". Royal Cornwall Gazette, Falmouth Packet & Plymouth Journal (Truro, England), 2 November 1822; Issue 1010.
11. "The Late Gale". Aurora and Franklin Gazette (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), 23 August 1825; Issue 2299.
12. "SHIP NEWS". Morning Post (London, England), 12 July 1827; Issue 17652.
13. Hackman (2001), p. 247.
14. LR' (1831), "Ships Trading to India – 1829".
15. "MONMOUTHSHIRE, SOUTH WALES, &c." Bristol Mercury (Bristol, England), 3 January 1832; Issue 2175.

References

• Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
• House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain (1814). Minutes of the Evidence Taken Before the Select Committee on Petitions Relating to East-India-Built Shipping. H.M. Stationery Office.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
• Phipps, John (1840). A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India ...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships ... Built in India to the Present Time ... Scott.
• van Rees, H.B.; Krijgsman, A.C. (2018). "Het Journaal van Willem Veerman, tweede episode – Aan boord van Des Koning's schip "de Havik"" (PDF). Tenanker (in Dutch). 1 (25).