Nelson (1807 ship)

UK merchant ship 1807–1813

History
United Kingdom
Owner| P.J.Miles & Co.
Builder| Hilhouse
Launched| 24 February 1807[1]
Captured| 31 January 1813
General characteristics
Tons burthen| 574[3] (bm)
Length| 103 ft 0 in (31.4 m)[2]
Beam| 32 ft 2 in (9.8 m)[2]
Complement| 35[3]
Armament| 14 × 4&9-pounder guns[3]

Nelson was launched at Bristol in 1807 as a West Indiaman. In January 1813 a United States privateer captured her off Jamaica.

## Career[edit]

At the time of her launch, she was the largest vessel ever built at Bristol.[1][2] Nelson first appeared in Lloyd's Register in the volume for 1807.[4]

Year  | Master  | Owner  | Trade  | Source

|
|
|
|

1807  | Thomas  | P.J.Miles  | Bristol–Jamaica  | LR

Captain William Thomas acquired a letter of marque on 31 October 1809.[3]

Year  | Master  | Owner  | Trade  | Source

|
|
|
|

1811  | Thomas
T.Cox  | P.J.Miles  | Bristol–Jamaica  | LR
1812  | Thomas  | P.J.Miles  | Bristol–Jamaica  | LR

## Fate[edit]

On 8 February 1813, HMS Algerine was in an action with an American privateer that escaped. In the action the British lost three men killed and seven or eight wounded.[5] This single-ship action may have been with the American privateer Saratoga. Algerine returned to port in Jamaica, while Saratoga went on to capture Nelson.[6][a]

Nelson encountered Saratoga on 31 January 1813, having sailed from Carlisle Bay five days earlier.[1] Nelson and Saratoga fought for about four hours before Nelson struck when about 20 leagues to windward of Jamaica.[2] Saratoga mounted 16 guns and had a crew of 130 men.[1]

On 6 February Captain W.C. Wooster of Saratoga put the crew and passengers on a boat by which the 17 people reached Grand Caymanas. There they hired a schooner that on the 14th delivered them to Lucea.[6]

Reportedly, Nelson was in sight of Jamaica for three days before Saratoga sent Nelson into New Orleans.[8]

Nelson's entry in Lloyd's Register for 1814 carried the annotation "captured".

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Maclay assigned the capture to the privateer Decatur.[7]

## Citations[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Powell (1930), p. 316.
2. ^ a b c d Farr (1950), p. 244.
3. ^ a b c d "Letter of Marque, p.79 – Retrieved 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
4. ^ LR (1807), supple. pages "N", Seq.No.N19.
5. ^ "Lloyd's List". 30 March 1813. pp. 78 v.
6. ^ a b Powell (1930), p. 317.
7. ^ Maclay (1900), p. 311.
8. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4764\. 23 April 1813. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735026. Retrieved 11 February 2022.

## References[edit]

* Farr, Grahame E., ed. (1950). Records of Bristol Ships, 1800-1838 (vessels over 150 tons). Vol. 15\. Bristol Record Society.
* Maclay, Edgar Stanton (1900). "A history of American privateers". Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. OCLC 606621677.
* Powell, J. W. Damer (1930). Bristol privateers and ships of war. J.W. Arrowsmith: Bristol.