Anna Augusta (1801 ship)

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History
Spain
Launched1793
Capturedc.1800
United Kingdom
NameAnna Augusta
Owner
Acquiredc.1801 by purchase
FateWrecked January 1803
General characteristics
Tons burthen128 (bm)
PropulsionSail

Anna Augusta was a Spanish prize that John St Barbe purchased. In 1802-3 he sold her. Her captain (and owner) sailed her on a whaling voyage but she was wrecked in 1803 off Brazil on the outward leg.

Career[edit]

Anna Augusta appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1801 with F. Christal, master, St Barbe, owner, and trade London–Aboukir.[1][a] In March 1801 the British had fought a battle at Abukir as a prelude to their capture of Alexandria. Whether or not Anna Augusta sailed in support of the operations at Abu Qir is an open question.

Lloyd's Register for 1802 showed Anna Augusta's master changing from Christale to Smith, her owner changing from St Barbe to "Capt. & Co", and her trade from London–Aboukir to London–Southern fishery.[4]

Loss[edit]

On 29 January 1803 Smith and his crew arrived at Salvador, Bahia. Anna Augusta had been lost a few days earlier somewhat to the south.[5] Smith sent his launches under the command of his mate to see what they could salvage. When they did not return, Smith took four men and a whaleboat on 9 February to go look for them; he found the launches with "considerable salvage". On their return the government seized the salvage to dispose of it.[6]

Whales abounded off the coast and some merchants approached Smith to gather information about establishing whale fishing on the British method of boiling the whale oil on board the vessels.[7] On 24 March Smith sailed to Lisbon aboard the King's brig, after having overcome many administrative obstacles.[8]

Before Smith left, Thomas Lindley purchased Smith's right to the wreck.[b] Lindley then sent his former mate, William Barker, to examine it.[10] The report was not clear so Lindley got permission from the governor at Salvador and found someone to sail him south. On 3 April Lindley found the wreck on a reef called Morrera, off the Ilha de Boipeda;[c] The brig was so completely wrecked there was no hope of further salvage beyond a few trifles.[11]

Post script[edit]

Although Anna Augusta had been lost, Lloyd's List did not get the news, which also apparently did not reach the registers for some time. Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping carried stale data until 1807 or so, causing confusion in records.[12][13]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ There is a mention of an Anna Augusta having left Cape Town on 11 November 1800 with a prisoner for Port Jackson,[2] but there is no record of her arriving there.[3] Although the name Anna Augusta appears unique, there is currently no information that would permit one to make a verifiable link between the vessels.
  2. ^ Lindley was the captain of the brig Packet, which the Portuguese authorities had seized. They also imprisoned him, his wife, and crew for some years. Lindley kept a journal that he later published.[9]
  3. ^ This would appear to be Moreré (13°37′54″S 38°53′19″W / 13.631642°S 38.888598°W / -13.631642; -38.888598).

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Lloyd's Register (1801), "A" Supple. Seq. №49.
  2. ^ Theal (1899), pp. 124–5.
  3. ^ "Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure". Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday 3 January 1891, p.16. 3 January 1891. Retrieved 10 May 2012.
  4. ^ Lloyd's Register (1802), Seq.№A620.
  5. ^ Lindley (1808), p. 133.
  6. ^ Lindley (1808), pp. 139–40.
  7. ^ Lindley (1808), p. 141.
  8. ^ Lindley (1808), pp. 154–5.
  9. ^ Lindley (1808).
  10. ^ Lindley (1808), pp. 156–7.
  11. ^ Lindley (1808), pp. 161–3.
  12. ^ British Southern Whale Fishery voyage database: Anna Augusta.
  13. ^ Clayton (2014), p. 58.

References[edit]

  • Clayton, Jane M (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Berforts Group. ISBN 9781908616524.
  • Lindley, Thomas (1808). An authentic narrative of a voyage from the cape of Good Hope to Brasil: a Portuguese settlement in South America, in 1802, 1803 ... with general sketches of the country, its natural productions, colonial inhabitants, &c ... W. Baynes.
  • Theal, George McCall, ed. (1899). Records of the Cape Colony: May 1801-Feb. 1803. Government of the Cape Colony.
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