Aguilar (1801 ship)

History
United Kingdom
Name	Aguilar
Builder	William Watson, Stockwith, Gainsborough[1]
Launched	30 May 1801[1]
Fate	Condemned 1825
General characteristics
Tons burthen	424,[2] or 42438⁄94,[1] or 435[a] (bm)
Armament	4 × 6-pounder guns + 2 × 18-pounder guns "of the New Construction"

Aguilar was launched in 1801 at Stockwith. She spent almost all of her career as a West Indiaman. In 1823 she made one voyage to Van Diemen's Land. On her return voyage she suffered storm damage and was condemned in 1825 at the Cape of Good Hope (CGH, or the Cape). Her loss gave rise to a court case that revealed interesting information about her last voyage.

Aguilar entered Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1801 with H.Ashingen, master, J.Braddick & Co., owners, and trade London–Jamaica.^[2]

On 18 August 1823, Captain Watson sailed for Van Diemen's Land,^[4] having left Gravesend on 13 August with her first destination being Tenerife. She arrived at the Cape on 22 December and left on the 24th. She then reached Port Dalrymple (George Town, Tasmania).

Watson and Aguilar spent several months at George Town. Watson blamed the delay on the dangers of the Tamar River. This excuse angered Colonel George Arthur, fourth Lieutenant governor of Van Diemen's Land. Arthur resented the defaming of the port, blaming the delay not on the river but on Watson's having sent his mate and some seamen in a boat to hunt seals while waiting to gather a cargo.^[5]

On 4 August 1824 Aguilar and Watson were at Sydney, having come from Van Diemen's Land. On 24 February 1825 she was reported at the Sunda Strait, on her way to Singapore, where she arrived prior to 16 May. On 20 May she sailed from Penang for London. On 19 October 1825 Aguilar arrived at Mauritius from Penang. On 9 November she sailed for London.

On 19 December Aguilar put into Cape Town leaking badly. She was coming from Sincapore, Penang, and Mauritius, bound for London when a gale at Algoa Bay on 11 and 12 December damaged her badly.^[6] First reports were that she would be repaired,^[6] but she was condemned and sold for breaking up.^[1]

In a court case concerning insurance on the cargo on Aguilar from Singapore to London the insurers attempted to refuse to pay the insured, charging delay and deviation. The case revealed the following detailed information about Aguilar's voyage.^[7]

She had arrived at the Cape on 3 December 1823 and left on 24 December. She arrived at Hobart Town on 4 February 1824, where she landed part of her cargo and three passengers. She left Hobart Town on 27 March and arrived at George Town on 6 April and there landed other passengers and cargo.^[7]

While at George Town, Watson was frequently on shore supervising the building of a house on some land he owned. He also purchased a schooner that he manned and equipped from Aguilar. The schooner made two seal hunting voyages and had not returned from the second before Aguilar sailed from Sydney; consequently Aguilar was not fully manned when she left for Singapore.^[7]

Aguilar sailed from George Town on 29 July and arrived at Sydney on 5 August. There she landed passengers and the remainder of her outward bound cargo. She sailed from Sydney on 18 August, bound for Singapore, but bad weather sent her back down to Hobart Town. She did not arrive at Sincapore until 30 March 1823, when the insurance policy took effect. She left Sincapore on 25 May, for London.^[7]

The court found for the insurer.^[7]

• Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
• Law Journal Reports, Volume 1. E.B. Ince. 1832.
• West, John (1852). The History of Tasmania, Vol. 1 (of 2). Launceston: Henry Dowling.