Achilles (1781 ship)

Achilles was a merchant vessel launched at Sunderland in 1781. She traded widely, particularly to the West Indies. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She was also the victor in 1799 in a sanguinary single-ship action against a French privateer. She herself fell victim in 1801 to a French privateer.

History
Great Britain
Name: Achilles
Namesake: Achilles
Owner: Michael Humble and Stephen Todd[1][2]
Builder: Sunderland[1]
Launched: 1781
Fate: Captured 1801
General characteristics
Tons burthen:
  • Pre-lengthening:390,[1] or 450[3] (bm)
  • Post 1794:507,[1] or 508[4] (bm)
Length: 102 ft 7 in (31.3 m)[1] (pre lengthening)
Beam: 30 ft 3 in (9.2 m)[1]
Depth of hold: 7 ft 10 in (2.4 m)[1]
Propulsion: Sail
Complement: 30[5]
Armament:
  • 1797:20 × 6&$-pounder guns + 12 swivel guns[5]
  • 1801:12 × 6-pounder + 4 × 4-pounder guns + 2 × 4-pounder carronades[4]
Notes: Two decks and three masts[1]

Career

Achilles's first master was Mark Harvey. Achilles appears in Lloyd's Register in 1786, having undergone repairs, with M. Harvey, master, and trade Liverpool—St Petersburg, changing to Liverpool—New York.[3]

On 12 April 1787 John Pile became her master. Joseph Humble replaced him in 1792, but Pile again assumed command on 14 March 1793.[1] Lloyd's List reported on 29 April 1794 that Achilles, Pile, master, had run aground while leaving Liverpool for Quebec and had had to be unloaded to effect repairs.[6]

Achilles underwent lengthening in 1794 that increased her burthen. Lloyd's Register for 1795 gives her master's name as R. Hogg, and her trade as Liverpool—Africa.[7] However, she does not appear in a comprehensive database of Liverpool-based slave ships.[8] Apparently there was a change of plans.

Captain Robert Hogg left Liverpool on 24 August 1795, bound for Bengal. Achilles reached Bengal on 11 February 1796. Homeward bound, she was in the Hugli River on 25 March and at Culpee on 4 April. She reached St Helena on 24 July and Crookhaven on 26 November, and arrived at Blackwall on 15 December.[9]

On her return Achilles underwent a thorough repair. Captain Hogg then acquired a letter of marque on 17 August 1797.[5]

Achilles and Entreprenante

In late 1799 the British Government hired Achilles to transport a company of the Dutch Emigrant Artillery Corps from England to Jamaica. Captain de Menard commanded the company, which consisted of probably a little over 100 Hanoverians. The description of the action below is from his letter to Major Nacquard, the commander of the Corps.

On 2 December, at about 4a.m., Achilles was in the latitude of San Domingo when lookouts saw a large vessel sailing towards them. The British feared that this was a 44-gun French frigate. Achilles cleared for action and at 8a.m. saw that the French vessel had altered her course and that people aboard her were throwing things overboard. Hogg set off to intercept and by about 9:30a.m. got close enough for an engagement to commence. de Menard had his small arms men fire on the French vessel but kept most of his men out of harm's way below deck. The French vessel thought that it was dealing with a lightly-manned merchant vessel and attempted to put boarders on Achilles. After about three-quarters of an hour Achilles was in a position for the Hanoverian soldiers hidden below deck to come out and board the French vessel. The Anglo-German boarding party quickly cleared the French deck and took command of the vessel.[10]

The French vessel proved to be the privateer corvette Entreprenante, of 18 guns, four 12 pounders and fourteen 6-pounders, and 195 men under the command of Captain Jos. Durant. French casualties, by de Menard's account of this action, amounted to 100 men killed and wounded, Durant and three of his officers being among the killed. British and Dutch casualties amounted to one man killed and 14 wounded.[10]

On 31 January 1800, Lloyd's List reported that Achilles, Hogg, master, had captured the French letter of marque corvette Intreprenant. Intreprenant was sailing out of Curacoa. Lloyd's List gave the size of the French crew as 130 men, and the French casualties as 25 men killed and 50 wounded. Achilles had one man killed and several wounded. Achilles brought Intreprenant into Jamaica.[11]

Fate

Lloyd's Register for (1802), published in 1801, gave the name of Achilles's master as R. Hogg and of her owner as Humble. Her trade was London—Jamaica.[4]

Achilles had sailed from Honduras and Charleston for London when on 19 April 1801 she encountered a French privateer of 20 guns and 200 men. She struck after and engagement of two-and-a-half hours.[12] Captain Hogg was killed in the action.

Citations and references

Citations

  1. Craig & Jarvis (1967), p. 20.
  2. Hackman (2001), p. 220.
  3. Lloyd's Register (1786), Seq. №A10.
  4. Lloyd's Register (18010, Seq.№A25.
  5. "Letter of Marque, p.4 – accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 4 October 2017.
  6. Lloyd's List №2607.
  7. Lloyd's List (1795), Seq.A19.
  8. Thomas Cozens: Liverpool Slave Ship Voyages Database
  9. British Library: Achilles.
  10. "Ship News." Times [London, England 3 Mar. 1800: 3. The Times Digital Archive. Web. 3 Oct. 2017.]
  11. Lloyd's List 31 January 1800, №4020.
  12. Lloyd's List №4154.

References

  • Craig, Robert; Jarvis, Rupert (1967). Liverpool Registry of Merchant Ships. Series 3. 15. Manchester University Press for the Chetham Society.
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
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