Butterworth (1785 Ship)

''Butterworth'' was launched in 1778 in France as the highly successful 32-gun privateer ''Américaine'', of Granville. The British Royal Navy captured her early in 1781. She first appeared in a commercial role in 1784 as ''America'', and was renamed in 1785 as ''Butterworth''. She served primarily as a whaler in the Greenland whale fisheries. New owners purchased her in 1789. She underwent a great repair in 1791 that increased her size by almost 20%. She is most famous for her role in the "Butterworth Squadron", which took her and two ship's tenders on an exploration, sealing, otter fur, and whaling voyage to Alaska and the Pacific Coast of North America. She and her consorts are widely credited with being the first European vessels to enter, in 1794, what is now Honolulu harbour. After her return to England in 1795, ''Butterworth'' went on three more whaling voyages to the South Pacific, then Africa, and then the South Pacific again. In 1802 she was outward bound on her fourth of these voyage, this to the South Pacific, when she was lost.

French privateer

Many accounts of the Butterworth Squadron refer to ''Butterworth'' as a former French 30-gun frigate. The tern "frigate" was often used loosely. ''Butterworth''s previous name was ''American'', and there was no French warship of that name that fit her description. However, there was a French privateer frigate ''Américaine'', of Granville, that carried 32 guns and that was active between 1779 and 1780.

Between 1778 and 1779 ''Américaine'' was under the command of Captain Paul Eudes de la Cocardière. Under his command she captured at least four prizes: ''Hunter'', ''Sorel'', ''Edgipezeriere'', and ''Good Intent''. He paid ''Américaine'' off on 20 May 1779.''Les Corsaires''. Accessed 2 December 2016.
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Captain François Jourdan de la Monnerie was her next captain, in 1780. Under his command she captured the prizes ''Machora'', ''Betsy'', ''Sil Lah'', ''Race Horse'', ''Elisabeth Quenley'', ''Notre Dame du Rosaire'', and ''Hanto of Black''. He paid her off on 3 July 1780.

''Américaine'' then made a third cruise. On 17 January 1781 ''Américaine'' recaptured the Dutch ship ''Hendrick Frederick'', Captain Raba, master. ''Hendrick Fredrick'' had been sailing from Oporto to Nantz with 400 chests of fruit when on 13 December at ''Little Ben'', Hayes, master, had captured her.

captured the "private man of war" ''Américaine'' on 26 January 1781. She was armed with 32 guns and carried a crew of 245. ''Prudente'' and brought "the American French Privateer" into Portsmouth.''Lloyd's List'', №1238.
/ref> ''Ambuscade'' shared in the proceeds of the capture.

British career

''America'' first appears in supplementary pages to ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1784. She is described as a ship of French origin and 330 tons (bm), launched in 1778. Her master is Boudinot, her owner J. Atkinson, and her trade New York-London.''Lloyd's Register'' (1784), Seq.№A581.
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In 1785 ''America'' was sold and her new owner, Butterworth, renamed her ''Butterworth''. He then employed her as a Greenland whaler under Captain M. Pile, changing in 1786 to J. Cockburn. Ellison succeeded Cockburn. ''Lloyd's List'' reported in July 1787 that ''Butterworth'', Ellison, master, was at Davis Strait, having taken six fish (whales). On 17 June 1788 ''Butterworth'' was again at Davis Strait, having taken three fish.

Then in 1789, T. Pritzler (or Pritzlea) replaced Butterworth as owner, and William Brown became her master. Her trade became London-Davis Strait.

At some point around 1791 Brown approached interested parties with a proposal to explore Baffin Bay or approach the North Pole.

In 1791 four individuals signed a testimonial to the gun-maker Charles Moore, of East Smithfield, certifying that Moore's harpoon gun was particularly suited to whale fishing as it kept the priming dry. The four were: Theophilus Pritzler (as master of ''Lyon''), Sinclair Halcrow (as master of ''Lyon''), William Stavers (as master of ''Leviathan''), and William Brown (as master of ''Butterworth'').

In 1791 ''Butterworth''s trade became London-Greenland, changing to London-Nootka. In 1792 ''Butterworth''s burthen changed to 390 tons after a "great repair" in 1791.

''Butterworth'' squadron

Alderman William Curtis, Theophilus Pritzler, and probably John Perry, a Blackwall shipbuilder, financed an expedition consisting of three vessels, ''Butterworth'', and two smaller tenders: ''Jackall'', Alexander Stewart (or Steward), master, and ''Prince Lee Boo'', E. Sharp, master. Captain William Brown, master of ''Butterworth'', commanded the expedition.

The expedition is notable for a violent conflict with the Tla-o-qui-aht People of Vancouver Island and another reported conflict in Formosa. ''Butterworth'', ''Jackal'' and ''Prince Lee Boo'' are often credited with being the first European vessels to enter Honolulu Harbor.

France declared war on Britain on 1 February 1793. Brown received a letter of marque on 26 June 1793, i.e., ''in absentia''. All three vessels of the Butterworth squadron were well at Nootka in October 1793. In late 1793 Brown transferred to ''Jackall'', Sharp transferred to ''Butterworth'', and Robert Gordon took command of ''Prince Lee Boo''.

On 14 March 1794 ''Butterworth'' and ''Prince Lee Boo'' were well at "Mout Lerry", Nootka. and had wintered there and then sailed for the Sandwich Islands.

''Butterworth'' then sailed to the California coast, and from there to the Galapagos.

At some point ''Butterworth'' encountered . ''Rattler'', James Colnett, master, was on voyage of exploration to the Pacific for the whaling firm of Samuel Enderby & Sons.

''Jackall'' and ''Prince Lee Boo'' were at Hawai'i by 1 January 1795. There Brown and Gordon were killed defending their vessels from an attack by the locals. The Hawaiians captured both vessels but their crews recaptured them. George Lampert and William Bonallack replaced Brown and Gordon as captains of the two vessels.

''Butterworth'' returned to England from the Galapagos on 3 February 1795. She was under the command of Sharpe, and carried 85 tuns of whale oil and 17500 seal skins. She arrived back at London 24 April 1808.British Southern Whale Fishery Database – voyages: ''Butterworth''.
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Whaling

In 1795, ''Butterworth'', Sinclair Halcrow, master, may have sailed on a whaling voyage. There is no further information on this voyage. ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1796 shows her master changing from W. Brown to S. Halcrow and her trade from London-Nootka to London-South Seas.

Halcrow received a letter of marque on 21 March 1796. He then sailed her on a whaling voyage, this one to Delagoa Bay. ''Lloyd's List'', dated 9 December 1796, reported that a French privateer had attacked ''Butterworth'' in Delagoa Bay, but that ''Butterworth'' had repelled the attack. ''Butterworth'' put into Rio de Janeiro in March 1797, for water, refreshment, and calefaction; she also had sick aboard. She returned to Britain on 1 June.

On 16 September 1797, Captain Lawrence Frazier received a letter of marque for ''Butterworth''. He sailed from Britain on 4 October 1797 for the Pacific Ocean. By this time Mather & Co. had purchased ''Butterworth''. She was reported to have been at the Galapagos islands in August–September 1798. She was in the Marquesas Islands in January 1799. There she gave passage to England to the missionary William Pascoe Crook. She arrived in Britain on 19 May 1799.

''Butterworth'' and ''New Euphrates'' received permission on 7 March 1800 from the British East India Company to sail east of the Cape of Good Hope to the Southern Whale Fishery. ''Butterworth'' left London on 18 March 1800, Henry Glasspoole (or Glaspool), master. She sailed on 27 April with a fleet of 150 sail under convoy. On 15 May she and ''Leviathan'' received the fleet commodore's permission to leave the fleet. ''Butterworth'' and ''Leviathan'' parted company on 24 May. In June ''Butterworth'' stopped at Rio de Janeiro for water, food, refreshment, and calefaction. She was well on the coast of Chile in April 1801, and had gathered 700 barrels of sperm oil. She returned to Britain on 23 March 1802, having gathered more than 920 barrels of whale oil while whaling off Chile.

Loss

''Lloyd's List'' reported that ''Butterworth'', Folger, master, had been lost on 13 July 1802 off St. Jago, while outbound to the Southern Fisheries. One man was drowned, but the rest of the crew were saved and returned to Portsmouth.''LL'' 10 September 1802, №4289.
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Notes

Citations

References

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*''Transactions of the Society, Instituted at London for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce'' (1791). (:London, Dodsley, Lockyer)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Butterworth (1785 ship)
Ships built in France
1778 ships
Privateer ships
Captured ships
Sealing ships
Whaling ships
Maritime incidents in 1802
Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea