Commerce was launched at Liverpool in 1791. She was initially a West Indiaman. New owners in 1795 sent Commerce to the southern whale fishery in 1796. The Spanish captured her in 1797, but by 1799 she had returned to British ownership. She then traded generally until a French privateer captured her in 1805.
Commerce first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1791 with J.Conning, master, G. Slater, owner, and trade Liverpool–St Vincent.[1] After the outbreak of war with France in 1793, Captain William Bosworth acquired a letter of marque on 24 October 1794.
In 1795 ownership of Commerce changed to Bolton & Co., and her new owners employed her as a whaler, sending her to the Pacific. Captain Welham Clarke acquired a letter of marque on 17 June 1796. Captain Clarke sailed from London on 27 June 1796, bound for Chile.[2] Commerce sailed for the Southern Fishery from Gravesend on 11 August 1796.[3] On her way to the Pacific she stopped at Rio de Janeiro for water, refreshment, and calefaction.
Lloyd's List reported on 13 February 1798 that Commerce, Clark, master, was one of several British whalers that the Spanish had captured off the coasts of Chile and Peru.[4] Spanish records have Commerce being taken at Pisco, Peru.
In a process that currently is obscure, Commerce had returned to British ownership by late 1798 or early 1799.[5] She then traded between Britain and North America, the West Indies, Portugal, and Ireland. On 14 January 1804, sailing from Jamaica to London, Commerce was assisted (for unknown cause) in mid-Atlantic at 42°N -39°W by, which believed she would put into Fayal, Azores.[6] Later, Commerce lost her rudder in bad weather and was, with difficulty, assisted into Cove of Cork about 29 February by, eventually reaching London on 2 April 1804.[7] [8]
Lloyd's List reported on 5 April 1805 that Commerce, Whitaker, master, had been taken while sailing from Cork to London and taken into Calais, where she arrived before 26 March.[9] Lloyd's Register for 1806 carried the annotation "capt." by her name.[10] Her captor was the French privateer Glâneur.[11]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1791 | J.Conning | Slater & Co. | Liverpool–St Vincent | LR |
| 1793 | J.Conning W.Bosworth | Slater & Co. Js. Bolton | Liverpool–St Vincent Liverpool–Dominica | LR |
| 1796 | Bosworth W.Clark | Bolton & Co. P. Hurry | Liverpool–Dominica London–South Seas | LR; repaired 1795 |
| 1799 | Frizall | Bainbridge | London–Halifax, Nova Scotia | LR |
| 1803 | T.Wake Whitaker | Bainbridge | London–Halifax | LR; damages repaired 1792, repairs 1795, good repair 1801, thorough repair 1802 |
| 1806 | Whitaker | Bainridge | London–Lisbon | LR; damages repaired 1792, repairs 1795, good repair 1801, thorough repair 1802, damages repaired 1804; Annotated "capt." |