Resolution (1793 ship)

Resolution was a small American schooner, built in the Marquesas Islands in 1793 as a tender for the maritime fur trade ship Jefferson. Later in 1793 she arrived at the Columbia River, becoming the fourth European vessel to enter the river. Cruised between the Columbia River and Clayoquot Sound. In March 1794 the Resolution separated from the Jefferson. After several brief voyages she was captured and destroyed by Haida chief Cumshewa and his followers in 1794. All the crew but one were killed. The lone survivor was later rescued by the Boston ship Despatch.

For other ships with the same name, see Resolution (ship).
History
Name: Resolution
Owner: Josiah Roberts
Laid down: 1792
Launched: February 8, 1793
Out of service: 1794
Captured: 1794, Haida Gwaii
Fate: Destroyed, 1794, Haida Gwaii
General characteristics
Tons burthen: 90 (bm)
Propulsion: Sail
Complement: 12

Construction

The wooden frame for Resolution's hull was prefabricated in Boston in 1790 and transported to the Pacific Ocean aboard the fur trading vessel Jefferson in a voyage commencing in November 1791. After a year at sea, Jefferson anchored in Resolution Bay on Santa Christina Island in the Marquesas shortly before Christmas in 1792.[1][lower-alpha 1] Her captain Josiah Roberts ordered the frame to be unloaded and built into a small schooner that he named Resolution in honour of the Bay in which it was assembled.[1]

The newly built Resolution was launched on February 8, 1793. Sea trials showed that she sailed well and fast, and would be capable of making the voyage from the Marquesas to the North American mainland. Roberts selected 12 men from Jefferson to be her crew and appointed one, a Mr. Burling, as captain.[2][3] Her first mate was Solomon Kendrick, who had previously visited the Pacific Northwest as part of his father John Kendrick's 1788 expedition to Nootka Sound.[2][4]

The Resolution sailed with the Jefferson as her tender. On 19 May 1793 the vessels reached the Pacific Northwest Coast, entered the Columbia River. They cruised between the Columbia and Clayoquot Sound until March 1794 when they separated to collect furs, intending to join company later.[5] The Jefferson never saw the Resolution again. Its fate was later learned from several sources, including logs from the merchant ships Ruby and Despatch. The Resolution was captured by Haida chief Cumshewa and his people in 1794. All the crew but one were killed, including Captain Burling and Solomon Kendrick. The lone survivor was later rescued by the Boston ship Despatch. In 1799 the merchant ship Eliza under Captain Samuel Burling visited the Kaigani Haida of Dall Island at the trading site known as "Kaigani". Chief Altatsee told Captain Burling that the Cumshewa Haida had killed his brother and Solomon Kendrick.[5]

See also

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. The Bay was originally named by Captain James Cook who anchored there in 1773 during his second voyage to the Pacific. The name reflects that of HMS Resolution, Cook's flagship on that voyage.[1]

Citations

  1. Howay 1933, p. 207
  2. Howay 1933, p.208
  3. Howay 1922, p. 299
  4. Howay 1922, p.279
  5. Malloy, Mary (1998). "Boston Men" on the Northwest Coast: The American Maritime Fur Trade 1788-1844. Limestone Press. ISBN 978-1-895901-18-4. Retrieved 22 August 2017.

References

  • Howay, F. W. (December 1922). "John Kendrick and his Sons". The Quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society. Oregon Historical Society. 23 (4): 279–280. JSTOR 20610224.
  • Howay, F. W. (November 1933). "The Resolution on the Oregon Coast, 1793-94". Oregon Historical Quarterly. Oregon Historical Society. 34 (3): 207. JSTOR 20610810.
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