''Rockingham'' was launched in America in 1767 as ''Almsbury''. By 1768
Samuel Enderby & Sons were her owners and her name was ''Rockingham''. From 1775 Enderbys were using her as a
whaler
A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales.
Terminology
The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Japa ...
, and she made eight whaling voyages for them under that name. In 1782 Enderbys renamed her ''Swift'', and as ''Swift'' she then performed ten whaling voyages on the Brazil Banks and off Africa until through 1793. She was still listed in ''
Lloyd's Register
Lloyd's Register Group Limited (LR) is a technical and professional services organisation and a maritime classification society, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, a UK charity dedicated to research and education in science and ...
'' as whaling until 1795.
''Rockingham''
''Rockingham'' entered ''
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 ...
'' in 1768 as ''Almsbury'', renamed to ''Rockingham''. Her owner was Enderby & Co., her master was John Reed, and her voyages were Newfoundland-London and New England–London.
[''Lloyd's Register'' (1768), Seq. №153.]
/ref>
In 1774 ''Rockingham'', Reed, master, was sailing from Liverpool to Lisbon. She received extensive damage in the Bay of Biscay and had to put back to Plymouth for repairs.
She made eight whaling voyages for Enderby between 1775 and 1782.
British Southern Whale Fishery Database – voyages: ''Rockingham''.[
''Rockingham'' left on 10 October 1776 for the Brazil Banks under the command of Captain Tristram Barnard (or Barnet). She returned from her second whaling journey on 8 July 1777 with 26 tuns of sperm oil and 33 tuns of whale oil.][ She underwent repairs in 1777.][
Barnard sailed her again in 1777 on her third whaling voyage. She returned with 24½ tuns of sperm oil and 46 tuns of whale oil.][ She again underwent repairs in 1778.][
''Rockingham'' sailed on her fourth whaling voyage under the command of W. Gardner and later under Barnabas Ray to the southward of Greenland Seas and the ]Davis Strait
Davis Strait is a northern arm of the Atlantic Ocean that lies north of the Labrador Sea. It lies between mid-western Greenland and Baffin Island in Nunavut, Canada. To the north is Baffin Bay. The strait was named for the English explorer John ...
. She returned on 8 August 1779 with 21½ tuns of whale oil.[
In 1779 Barnabas Ray sailed ''Rockingham'' for the Brazil Banks and Africa on her fifth whaling voyage. She returned with 33¼ tuns of sperm oil.][
Captain William Goldsmith sailed ''Rockingham'' on her sixth whaling voyage on 3 April 1780 with the destination of the Brazil Banks and Africa. She returned on 25 October 1781.][
In 1781-82 ''Rockingham'' made two trips, one with William Folger as master, and the other with Peearce (or Pease) as master.][
]
''Swift''
In 1782 ''Rockingham'' underwent a good repair and Enderbys renamed her ''Swift''. She then went on to perform another nine whaling voyages.
Jones, A.G. E.; Dale Chatwin; and Rhys Richards. BSWF Database – voyages: ''Swift''.[ She underwent a good repair on her return.][
In 1783 Goldsmith sailed ''Swift'' to the Brazil Banks on her second whaling voyage. She returned on 28 April 1784 with 80 tuns of sperm oil from 27 fish (whales).][
Captain P. Pease left for the Brazil Banks on 21 June 1784. ''Swift'' returned from her third whaling voyage with 76 tuns of sperm oil.][
''Swift''s fourth whaling voyage, in August 1785, again took her to the Brazil Banks and Africa, again under the command of Captain Pease. She returned on 8 September 1786 with 28 tuns of sperm oil and eight tuns of whale oil.][
Captain Simon Paul sailed ''Swift'' on her fifth whaling voyage, leaving Britain on 16 December 1786 for the Brazil Banks.][ ''Swift'' and Paul were reported to have been "all well" at Cape Verde on 8 January 1787. He returned on 21 September 1787 with 95 tuns of whale oil and 75 Hundredweight, cwt of whale bone ( baleen).][
George Hales was ''Swift''s master on her sixth whaling voyage. She left in 1787 and returned on 18 August 1788 with 86 tuns of whale oil, 69 cwt of whale bone, and 3009 seal skins.][
Hales was again master on ''Swift''s seventh whaling voyage. She left in 1788 and was "all well" at "St Hellen's Bay" on 9 March 1789. On 10 September she was at .''Lloyd's List'' №2136.]
/ref> She returned to Britain on 20 September 1789 with nine tuns of sperm oil, 98 tuns of whale oil, and 70 cwt of whale bone.[
Captain Blatchford was master on ''Swift''s eighth whaling voyage. She left in 1791 and returned on 8 June 1792.][
Blachford (or Blackford) sailed for the Brazil Banks in 1792. ''Swift'' returned from her ninth whaling voyage on 14 July 1793 with 125 tuns of whale oil and 90 cwt of whale bone.][
For her tenth whaling voyage ''Swift'' for Africa on 1793. She returned with 32 tuns of sperm oil, 100 tuns of whale oil, and 75 cwt of whale bone.][
]
Fate
''Swift'' was last listed in ''Lloyd's Register'' in 1797 with Blanchard, master, S. Enderby, owner, and trade London–South Seas.[''Lloyd's Register'' (1797), Seq.№S394.]
/ref> The information had not changed since 1794, suggesting that it was stale.
Citations
References
* {{cite book , last=Clayton , first=J.M. , title=Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775-1815: An alphabetical list of ships , publisher=Jane M. Clayton , year=2014 , isbn=978-1-908616-52-4 , url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzMzAwAAQBAJ
1767 ships
Whaling ships
Sealing ships
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom