Hercules (1796 ship)

Hercules was launched at Bristol in 1796 as a West Indiaman. In 1815 A United States privateer captured her but the Royal Navy recaptured her. Because the recapture occurred after 1 March 1815, she was returned to the United States.

For other ships with the same name, see Hercules (ship).

History
Great Britain
NameHercules
NamesakeHercules
Launched1796, or 1797,[1] Bristol
Captured21 February 1814
General characteristics
Tons burthen
  • Originally: 322[1] (bm)
  • 1810 (after lengthening): 411, or 412[1] (bm)

Career

Hercules first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1796.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1796 J.Powell Protheroe Bristol–Jamaica LR
1809 F.Gay F.Fisher Bristol–Jamaica LR
1811 F.Gay
James Rae		 F.Fisher Bristol–Jamaica LR; lengthening and good repairs, 1809 & 1810
1815 James Rae F.Fisher Bristol–St. Vincent LR; lengthening and good repairs, 1809 & 1810

Fate

On 9 February 1815 Hercules, Rae, master, passed Tenerife in company with Josephine, Gillies, master. Hercules was on her way from Bristol to Jamaica, and Josephine was on her way from Liverpool to St Lucia. They had parted from the West Indies convoy on 29 January in a gale.[3]

On 24 February 1815, the United States letter of marque Hollins, of 10 guns and 70 men, captured Hercules at 13°6′N 57°46′W, some 112 mi (180 km) east of Barbados. Hollins took out part of Hercules's cargo and stores and sent her to America. Rae and his crew arrived at Grenada on 5 March.[4][lower-alpha 1]

The schooner HMS Canso recaptured Hercules off Abacco on 9 March, and reportedly sent her to Halifax.[6]

Hercules arrived at Nassau. There she was to be returned to the Americans.[7]

All British vessels American vessels had captured prior to 1 March and still in American possession after that date were returned to them, even if the vessels had been recaptured after 1 March. The reason was that the Treaty of Ghent, which ended the War of 1812 between the United Kingdom and the United States, took effect on 1 March. Therefore, any vessel that the Americans had captured before March 1, i.e., during wartime, such as Hercules, was a valid prize, and a vessel recaptured after 1 March, such as Hercules, was recaptured during peacetime, and so not a valid prize.[3]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. Hollins, of 224 tons (bm), was a schooner on her third cruise. Captain Moss J.Stockett had commissioned her on 27 December 1814. She was missing at the end of the war. She had taken three prizes, only one of which returned to the United States.[5] One prize was the schooner Ben Bovil, which Hollins had burnt. She may have captured Ben Bovill on 24 February, the same day that she captured Hercules. Earlier, on 9 February, she had captured the sloop Sally.

Citations

  1. Farr (1950), p. 235.
  2. "H" supple. pages.
  3. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4956. 17 March 1815. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232904. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  4. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4966. 28 April 1815. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232904. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  5. Kert (2015), Appendix 2, No.255.
  6. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4969. 9 May 1815. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232904. Retrieved 13 April 2022.
  7. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4971. 16 May 1815. hdl:2027/hvd.32044105232904. Retrieved 13 April 2022.

References

  • Farr, Grahame E., ed. (1950). Records of Bristol Ships, 1800-1838 (vessels over 150 tons). Vol. 15. Bristol Record Society.
  • Kert, Faye M. (2015). Privateering: Patriots and Profits in the War of 1812. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 72. ISBN 9781421417479.
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