Adriatic was launched in 1811 at Chester, Connecticut, the first vessel built in the town. The British Royal Navy seized her in July 1812. She was sold in 1813 and her new owners named her Vittoria. She traded with the West Indies, the Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean, the last sailing under a licence from the British East India Company. She was last listed in 1834.
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Adriatic |
| Builder | Isaac Daniel, Master Carpenter, Chester, Connecticut[1] |
| Launched | 1811 |
| Fate | Seized 1812 |
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Vittoria |
| Namesake | Battle of Vitoria |
| Acquired | 1813 as purchase of a prize |
| Fate | Last listed 1833 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 281,[3] or 28143⁄94,[2] or 282,[4] or 283,[5] or 286, or 28934⁄95[1] (bm) |
| Length | 94 ft 9 in (28.9 m),[2] or 87 ft 2 in (26.6 m)[1] |
| Beam | 26 ft 9 in (8.2 m)[2] |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Armament | 10 × 4-pounder guns[5] |
Adriatic edit
Adriatic was launched in 1811 on the Connecticut River. She was the first vessel built in the town.[6]
On 12 July 1812, shortly after the outbreak of war with the United States, HMS Avenger detained the American ships Adriatic, Pochahontas, and Triton.[a]
Vittoria edit
The Prize Court condemned Adriatic. On 16 June 1813 Southam & Co. purchased her and renamed her.[2]
Vittorio first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1813.[4] 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 licence from the EIC.[8]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1813 | Southam | Captain & Co. | London—Isle de France (Mauritius) | LR |
Vittoria, Southam, master, sailed from Portsmouth for the "South Seas" on 23 August 1813.[9] In August 1813, prior to sailing for Île de France (Mauritius), Southam purchased a quantity of "Preserved Meats, Soups, and Milk". He used a little on the outbound leg, but more on the return leg. His letter to the manufacturers, dated 15 January 1815 in London, endorsed the products for their ability to retain the original flavours.[10][b]
Vittoria next appeared in Lloyd's List's ship arrival and departure data as returning from Philadelphia on 3 April 1815. On 17 July 1816 Vittoria arrived at New York from Jamaica.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | Southam | Southam | London—"France" (probably Île de France, i.e., Mauritius.[5]) |
| 1820 | Southam | Southam | London—Jamaica |
| 1825 | Southam | Southam | London—Genoa |
On 23 August 1823, Vittoria, Southam, master, sailed for Bengal under a licence from the EIC.[11] She arrived at Calcutta on 13 January 1824. The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and Its Dependencies reported that Vittoria was the first vessel under 300 tons that had reached Calcutta and that had sailed "under the new Act". The Journal further remarked that her captain and crew numbered only 14 men.[3]
On 14 April 1824, Vittoria, Southam, master, was among some 20 mercantile vessels that sailed from Madras for Rangoon to join the expedition against the Burmese.[12]
In May 1825 Vittoria, J.H.Southam, master, had to put back into Calcutta to be docked. She had been on her way from Bengal to Rangoon when she had grounded in the Hooghly. By 23 June she was at Penang.
On 3 June 1827, Vittoria, Southam, master, sailed for Batavia and Singapore.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | Southam | Southam | London—Genoa |
| 1833 | Southam | Southam | London—Calcutta |
In 1830 and 1831 Vittoria, Southam, master, traded with Sydney, Hobart, Port Phillip, and New Zealand.
Notes edit
- ^ Avenger's crew received a grant of 29⁄30 of the proceeds of the sale of all three vessels. A first-class share was worth £989 6s; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £23 1s 4d.[7] That amount was more than an ordinary seaman's wage for a year.
- ^ Bryan Donkin and John Hall operated as Donkin, Hall, and Gamble, of Bermondsley. Theirs was the first cannery in Britain to use tinned iron containers.
Citations edit
- ^ a b c Thomas A. Stevens, "Vessels Built on the Connecticut River". Connecticut River Museum.
- ^ a b c d Hackman (2001), p. 320.
- ^ a b Asiatic Journal and Monthly Register for British India and Its Dependencies (vol. 18), July 1824,p.77.
- ^ a b LR (1813), Supple. pages UV, Seq.No.V58.
- ^ a b c Register of Shipping (1815), Seq. №265.
- ^ Anon. (1884), p. 223.
- ^ "No. 17005". The London Gazette. 22 April 1815. p. 753.
- ^ Hackman (2001), p. 247.
- ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4799. 27 August 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026.
- ^ Copies of Official Reports and Letters Relative to Donkin, Hall, and Gemble's Preserved Provisions... (1817), pp.30–31.
- ^ LR (1825), "Ships Trading to India".
- ^ "Ship News", 7 October 1824, Morning Post, issue no.16786.
Sources edit
- Anon. (1884). History of Middlesex County, Connecticut: With Biographical Sketches of Its Prominent Men. J. B. Beers & Company.
- Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.