''Sylph'' was launched at Whitby in 1791. She made one voyage for the British

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...

(EIC) to

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and China. However, a French privateer captured her in 1798 as she was returning to England.

Career

''Sylph'' shifted her registration to London and entered ''

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 ...

'' (''LR'') in 1792 with A. Ward, master, J. Jackson, owner, and trade London–Saint Petersburg.''LR'' (1792), Seq.№S504.
/ref> ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1796 showed ''Sylph''s master changing from A. Ward to J. White. Her owner changed from J. Jackson to P. Faith, and her trade changed from London–Saint Petersburg to London–

Botany Bay Botany Bay (Dharawal: ''Kamay''), an open oceanic embayment, is located in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, south of the Sydney central business district. Its source is the confluence of the Georges River at Taren Point and the Cook ...

. Captain John White acquired a letter of marque 14 June 1796. On 10 June he sailed for Botany Bay and China. ''Sylph'' arrived at

Port Jackson Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...

from England with merchandise on 12 November. She left for China on 6 December.

Fate

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 20 March 1798 that ''Sylph'' was homeward bound from China when she parted from the convoy to the west of Cape Clear. It was believed that she had been captured. The French privateer ''Buonaparte'' captured her on 3 March at .''Lloyd's List'' №2988.
/ref> The EIC valued the cargo it had lost on ''Sylph'' at £32,542.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes Citations References * * * * {{cite book, last=Weatherill, first= Richard , year=1908 , title=The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping, location=Whitby, publisher= Horne and Son 1791 ships Ships built in Whitby Age of Sail merchant ships of England Ships of the British East India Company Captured ships