Young William (1794 Whitby ship)

Young William was launched in 1794 at Whitby. She made a voyage to Botany Bay for the British East India Company (EIC), and then on her way to China discovered or rediscovered several Pacific Islands. Later, she made two voyages as a slave ship. She was wrecked in September 1802.

For other ships with the same name, see Young William (ship).
History
Great Britain
Name: Young William
Builder: Whitby
Launched: 1794
Fate: Wrecked September 1802
General characteristics
Tonnage: 460[1][2] (bm)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Full-rigged ship
Armament:
  • 1797:10 × 6-pounder guns[1]
  • 1799:20 × 9-pounder guns[3]

Career

EIC voyage

On 11 September 1794 Young William, with James Mortlock, master, started taking on stores at Deptford on the account of the Government of New South Wales. She then waited at Portsmouth and Plymouth for a convoy to Australia.[4]

Captain Mortlock sailed from Portsmouth on 25 May 1795, bound for China via Port Jackson. Young William reached Rio de Janeiro on 11 July. There she revictualed and stayed until 22 July. On 19 August she passed the Cape of Good Hope.[4] She finally arrived at Port Jackson on 4 October.[5] She unloaded her stores and then on 29 October left for China.[6]

Mortlock sailed for China via New Guinea. On 14 November a flotilla of war canoe approached Young William, clearly intending to board. Mortlock fired a warning shot from one of his cannon, which sufficed to deter them.[4]

On his way, Mortlock rediscovered two sets of islands. At noon on 20 November Mortlock gave his position as 4°56′S 157°5′E. This is about 10 miles from the Takuu Atoll, a Polynesian outlier atoll northeast of Bougainville, Papua New Guinea.[Note 1] On 28 November Mortlock identified another atoll, this one at 5°17′N 153°28′E. This is Satawan, which is part of the Nomoi or Mortlock Islands in the Carolines and administratively it is part of Chuuk State in the Federated States of Micronesia.[7] Both sets are in the Federated States of Micronesia: the Nomoi Islands and the Upper Mortlock Islands.

Young William reached Macao on 13 December, and then arrived at Whampoa Anchorage on 22 December.[4] Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 February 1796, reached St Helena on 6 May, and arrived at The Downs on 3 August.[5] On 2 August the British Royal Navy intercepted her at St. Catherine's Point and pressed most of her crew.[4]

Transport

Young William enters Lloyd's Register in 1797 with W. Walker, master, W. Leighton, owner and trade London transport.[1] That entry continues unchanged in 1798.

Slaver

In 1799, the entry continues, but indicates a change of master to J. Carshaw, a change of owner to Tobin, an increase in armament, and a change in trade to Liverpool-Africa.[3]

1st slave voyage (1799–1800): On 1 July 1799 Young William, Joseph Carshore (or Carshaw), master, sailed to the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands to gather slaves. She embarked her slaves at Bonny and carried them to Montego Bay, Jamaica.[8][Note 2] Young William arrived at Jamaica on 22 April 1800. She disembarked 589 slaves. She arrived at London on 24 December. At some point in the voyage her master had changed to John Smith. She had left Liverpool with a crew of 50 men; 11 men died during the voyage.[8]

2nd slave voyage (1801): In 1801, her master changed first to Robert Bennett and then to W. Williams.[10] She underwent repairs in 1801.

Robert Bennett, master, sailed Young William from Liverpool on 31 November 1801 to the Bight of Biafra and Gulf of Guinea islands. She left Africa on 5 May 1802, and arrived at Kingston, Jamaica, on 21 June, where she disembarked 346 slaves. At some point James Pierce Carroll replaced Bennett as master. She left Jamaica on 28 July 1802.[11]

Fate

One report from late September 1802, stated that Young William, Carrol, master, from Jamaica to Liverpool, was on shore at Holyhead. The expectation was that part of the cargo would be saved.[12] Another report had her running aground at Crigyll, Anglesey, and being wrecked. Her crew were rescued.[13][Note 3] Of her crew of 43, 13 had died on the voyage.[11]

Notes, citations and references

Notes

  1. Both the Google and Bing maps show the atoll as an island, with the Google map showing the "island" twice. In both cases the satellite/aerial photograph clearly shows the atoll.
  2. A database of slavers operating out of Liverpool misidentifies Young William as Young Ralph.[9] There was a contemporary slaver named Young Ralph, but the names of masters and owners of Young William in Lloyd's Register matches that for some of the voyages that the database attributes to Young Ralph.
  3. Hackman conflates this Young William with another Young William. It was this second vessel that a French frigate captured in 1810.[2]

Citations

  1. Lloyd's Register (1797), Seq. №Y33.
  2. Hackman (2001), p. 246.
  3. Lloyd's Register (1799), seq. №Y27.
  4. Griffiths (2002), pp. 196-201.
  5. British Library: Young William.
  6. "Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure". Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday 3 January 1891, p.17. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  7. "The tale of the discovery of the two sets of 'Mortlock Islands'" Mariner's Mirror, Journal of the Society for Nautical Research, May 2002.
  8. Database of Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyages: Voyage #84102.
  9. Thomas Cozens: Liverpool Slave Ship Voyages Database
  10. Lloyd's Register (1801), seq. №Y35.
  11. Database of Trans-Atlantic Slave Voyages: Voyage #84103.
  12. Lloyd's List №4294.
  13. "Shipping and Commercial List". Caledonian Mercury (12646), 30 September 1802.

References

  • Griffiths, R.J.H. (2002) "Navigator...". Mariner's Mirror, May, Vol.88, Issue 2, pp. 196–201.
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
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