Phoenix (of London)

''Phoenix'' was a vessel launched in France in 1809. After the frigate captured her she was sold and her new owners employed her as whaler. She visited the Galapagos islands in July 1823. In 1824, while under the command of John Palmer, she discovered Phoenix Island, later known as Rawaki Island (also Kanton Island). She is last listed in 1829.

French privateer

''Phénix'' was built in Bordeaux in 1809. In 1810 she was under the command of Jacques François Perroud, a notable French captain with a long history of privateering. Under Perroud's command, ''Phénix'' made a number of captures.

On 25 January 1810 the privateer ''Phoenix'', of 20 guns and 110 men, belonging to Bordeaux, captured ''Donna Maria'', Lunes, master, which had been sailing from Boston to Lisbon. However, on 9 February recaptured ''Donna Maria'' on 9 February; she arrived at Plymouth on 24 February.
On 13 March, the English ship ''Chatham'', which had sailed from Georgia with a cargo of rice and cotton, arrived at Paimbœuf. ''Chatham'' was a prize to ''Phoenix'', of Bordeaux.

On 12 September 1810, ''Aigle'' captured ''Phénix''. ''Aigle'' was at at 11a.m. on 12 September when she sighted a strange sail coming towards her. The unknown vessel approached but as she got within about 9 miles of ''Aigle'' turned and sailed away from her. ''Aigle'' gave chase and after 13 hours and 130 miles succeeded in capturing her quarry. Captain Wolfe, of ''Aigle'', was fulsome in his praise of ''Phoenix'', her master, and crew. He described ''Phoenix'' as "nearly new, strong built, and Copper fastened." She had outsailed four pursuers in the 50 days she had been out and ''Aigle'' only caught her due to a fortuitous gale of wind; on the way into Plymouth, the captured ''Phoenix'' always led ''Aigle''. Perroud had exhibited superior seamanship until the wind enabled ''Aigle'' to come up. Lastly, ''Phoenix''s crew was "the best Crew I ever saw, composed of strong, healthy, active, stout young Seamen."

''Phoenix'', of "18 Guns and 120 Men", arrived at Plymouth at the end of September.''Lloyd's List'', n° 4497 - accessed 18 November 2015.
/ref> At about the same time ''Agenoria'' too arrived in Plymouth. ''Phoenix'' had on 24 August captured the American bark ''Agenoria'', which had been sailing from New Orleans to Liverpool with a cargo of cotton, but had recaptured her. ''Phoenix'' had also captured, on 14 August, the English brig ''Unity'', which had been carrying a cargo of fish from Newfoundland to Lisbon.

British whaler

''Phoenix'' first appeared in the supplement to ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1811. Her owner's name is given as Gould & Co., and her master as William Pyke. Initially, her trade was given as Plymouth to London. Pyke received a letter of marque on 7 June 1811. In 1812 her master became "Parker", and her trade changed to London–South Seas, that is she became a whaler. In 1812 her owner became Daniel Bennett, owner of several whalers, and she embarked for the South Seas whale fisheries in February 1812.

''Phoenix'' returned to London in 1813 with 205 tons of sperm oil. She then sailed for the whale fisheries again, returning in May 1814, before leaving again in August. In 1815 her trade became Plymouth - London.

However, Captain R. Murray took command in 1815 while ''Phoenix'' was in the Australia and New Zealand grounds after Parker broke a leg. That year, ''Phoenix'' was recorded as being in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. By 1816 Parker was again master, and ''Phoenix'' was no longer armed. ''Phoenix'' was reported to be at on 22 September 1817 on her way from London to the South Seas.

''Lloyd's Register'' for 1821 gives ''Phoenix'' a new master with J. Bennett replacing Parker. ''Phoenix'' and Bennet were reported to be at on 18 November 1821 with 133 tons of sperm oil.

Then in 1823 ''Lloyd's Register'' shows Palmer replacing J. Bennet as master.''Lloyd's Register'' (1823), seq. no. 296.
/ref> William Dalton signed on to ''Phoenix'' as a doctor a year after qualifying in medicine, and shortly before she sailed in February 1823. He would go on to keep a journal of the voyage that has proved a useful source for a number of discoveries and observations.

On 23 February 1824 Palmer discovered an island at that he named Phoenix Island.

On 5 August ''Phoenix'', Captain John Palmer, and , Captain Edward Reed, visited Kanton Island. Dalton named the island, at , Mary Ballcott's Island.

In April 1825 Captain Reed transferred to ''Phoenix'' from ''Frances'', which had rescued him and his crew after ''Mary'' had wrecked in January.

''Phoenix'' returned to England in November 1825.

Fate

''Phoenix'' sailed on 5 December 1828. She was reported on 22 January 1830 to have been at Tahiti. Then ''James Colvin'' reported at Honolulu that ''Phoenix'' had been lost at Mounts Bay.British Southern Whale Fishery Database – voyages: ''Phoenix''.
/ref>

''Phoenix'' is last listed in ''Lloyd's Register'' and in the ''Register of Shipping'' in 1829. The ''Register of Shipping'' has her master as W. Phillips. Bennett is still her owner and her trade is still London–South Seas fishery.''Register of Shipping'' (1829), Seq. №P323.
/ref>

Building a career

One of her crew was Robert Clark Morgan, who rose through the ranks to become a captain of a whaling ship. On ''Phoenix'' he was an apprentice (June 1814 - June 1819), able seaman (June 1819 - September 1822), 2nd Mate (January 1823 - November 1825), and 1st Mate (May 1826 - September 1828). He then became master on ''Sir Charles Price'', another Bennett whaler.

Painting

''Phoenix'' has been immortalized in J. Steven Dews' painting "The Whaler Phoenix off Greenwich 1820".

Notes, citations and references

Notes

Citations

References
*
* Dalton, William, and Neil Gunson, ed. (1990) ''The Dalton Journal: two whaling voyages to the South Seas, 1823-1829''. (Sydney: National Library of Australia).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoenix (1809 ship)
1809 ships
Whaling ships
Captured ships
Privateer ships
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom