''Adventure'' was a French privateer captured in 1803. She became a
whaler that made two voyages to the Southern Whale Fishery. She was wrecked in April 1808 as she set out on her third.
Capture
On 2 October 1803 captured the French privateer ''Adventure''. ''Adventure'' was out of
Bordeaux and carried 20 guns and a crew of 144 men. ''Acasta'' pursued her in the mid-Atlantic for 45 hours, finally bringing her to action and capturing her.
''Acasta'' also recaptured two prizes, ''Royal Edward'' and ''St. Mary's Planter'', that ''Adventure'' had taken from the Jamaican convoy and whose captains were aboard ''Adventure''. When ''Acasta'' intercepted ''Adventure'', she had been about to take possession of ''Jane'', before going after a fourth ship of the convoy.
[ ''Acasta'' sent ''Venturé'', ''Royal Edward'', and ''St. Mary's Planter'' into Plymouth.
]
Whaler
The London-based shipowner Daniel Bennett purchased a French prize that ''Acasta'' had captured,[ and renamed her ''Adventure''. At the time Bennett was the most important ship-owner in the Fishery and had some 17 vessels out whale hunting.
''Adventure'' first appeared in the ''Register of Shipping'' for 1805 with J. Page, master, Bennett, owner, and trade London–Southern Fishery.][''Register of Shipping'' (1805), Seq.№A219.]
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1st whaling voyage (1804-1806): Captain John Page (or Paget) sailed from England on 3 September 1804, bound for Peru. ''Adventure'' was at Easter Island at some point in 1805 and may have brought a young Easter Islander to England when she returned on 28 April 1806.[British Southern Whale Fishery Database − Voyages:''Adventure''.]
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2nd whaling voyage (1806-1808): Captain Page sailed on 20 June 1806, bound for Delagoa Bay. A report on 15 January 1808 stated that ''Adventure'' was at Delagoa Bay on 1 August 1807, but that Page had died. Captain William Parker (or Barker) returned to England on 6 March 1808.[
]
Fate
Captain William Parker sailed in April 1808. ''Lloyd's List
''Lloyd's List'' is one of the world's oldest continuously running journals, having provided weekly shipping news in London as early as 1734. It was published daily until 2013 (when the final print issue, number 60,850, was published), and is ...
'' reported on 3 May 1808 that ''Adventure'', Parker, master, had become a total loss on 28 April 1808 on the North Sand Head, near Deal, Kent
Deal is a coastal town in Kent, England, which lies where the North Sea and the English Channel meet, north-east of Dover and south of Ramsgate. It is a former fishing, mining and garrison town whose history is closely linked to the anchora ...
, while sailing from London for the South Seas. The pilot and one crewman had drowned. ''Adventure'' drifted off and had been towed on shore near Margate.''Lloyd's List'' №4250.
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Citations
References
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{{1808 shipwrecks
1803 ships
Privateer ships of France
Captured ships
Age of Sail merchant ships of England
Whaling ships
Maritime incidents in 1808
Shipwrecks of England