Sylph (1791 ship) explained

Sylph was launched at Whitby in 1791. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) to New South Wales and China. However, a French privateer captured her in 1798 as she was returning to England.

Career

Sylph shifted her registration to London and entered Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1792 with A. Ward, master, J. Jackson, owner, and trade London–Saint Petersburg.^[1]

Lloyd's Register for 1796 showed Sylphs master changing from A. Ward to J. White. Her owner changed from J. Jackson to P. Faith, and her trade changed from London–Saint Petersburg to London–Botany Bay.^[2]

Captain John White acquired a letter of marque 14 June 1796. On 10 June he sailed for Botany Bay and China.

Sylph arrived at Port Jackson from England with merchandise on 12 November. She left for China on 6 December.^[3]

Fate

Lloyd's List reported on 20 March 1798 that Sylph was homeward bound from China when she parted from the convoy to the west of Cape Clear. It was believed that she had been captured.^[4] The French privateer Buonaparte captured her on 3 March at 51.3°N -21°W.^[5] The EIC valued the cargo it had lost on Sylph at £32,542.

References

• Book: Demerliac, Alain. La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 A 1799. 1999. Éditions Ancre. 2-906381-24-1. French.
• Book: Hackman, Rowan . 2001 . Ships of the East India Company . Gravesend, Kent . World Ship Society . 0-905617-96-7 .
• Book: House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain . 1830 . Reports from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to enquire into the present state of the affairs of the East India Company, together with the minutes of evidence, an appendix of documents, and a general index . 2 . Printed by order of the honourable court of directors, by J.L. Cox . .
• Book: Weatherill, Richard . 1908 . The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby. Horne and Son.

Notes and References

1. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015004281252?urlappend=%3Bseq=342 LR (1792), Seq.№S504.
2. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015004281229?urlappend=%3Bseq=317 LR (1796), Seq.№S460.
3. Web site: Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure . 3 January 1891 . Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday . 28 April 2012. 17.
4. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c3049069?urlappend=%3Bseq=263 Lloyd's List №2988.
5. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c3049069?urlappend=%3Bseq=271 Lloyd's List №2988.