Two Sisters (1797 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see Two Sisters (ship).

History
Great Britain
Name| Two Sisters
Launched| 1797,[1] or 1798, Arichat, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia[1]
Fate| Last listed in 1813
General characteristics
Tons burthen| 52, or 59,[1] or 60[2] (bm)
Sail plan| Schooner,[1] later brig[2]

Two Sisters was launched in 1797 in Nova Scotia and in 1804 shifted her registry to the United Kingdom. A French privateer captured her in 1804 but two members of her crew (a man and a boy) were able to take control of her after the prize crew abandoned her. They were able to reach an English port after almost three weeks. Two Sisters became a coaster and was last listed in 1813.

## Career

[edit]

Two Sisters first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1804.[2]

Year  | Master  | Owner  | Trade  | Source & notes

|
|
|
|

1804  | H.White  | J.Crews  | Dartmouth–Newfoundland  | LR; large repair 1804

Lloyd's List (LL) reported in September 1804 that the French privateer Uncle Thomas had captured at 40°30′N 25°10′W﻿ / ﻿40.500°N 25.167°W﻿ / 40.500; -25.167 two vessels, Mary, of Greenock, which had been sailing to Virginia, and Two Sisters, of Dartmouth, which had been sailing from Newfoundland.[a] Polly brought into Penzance on 3 September 11 crew from the vessels.[4][b]

The French prize master sailed Two Sisters for Ushant. As she approached the port the French prize crew sighted some sails that they thought might be British naval vessels, and took to her boats, abandoning her, and her mate and a boy who had been part of the original crew and whom the French had kept on board. The two had no compass, quadrant, or the like, and few provisions. The two were at sea for some 20 days before they succeeded in reaching Ilfracombe.[6] LL reported that Two Sisters had been taken, retaken, and had come into Ilfracombe.[7]

Year  | Master  | Owner  | Trade  | Source & notes

|
|
|
|

1805  | H.White
Efford  | J.Crews  | Dartmouth–Newfoundland  | LR; large repair 1804

The entry in LR carried the notation "captured", but struck through.

Year  | Master  | Owner  | Trade  | Source & notes

|
|
|
|

1808  | Harvey  | J.Crews  | Dartmouth–Wales  | LR; large repair 1804 & small repairs 1807

## Fate

[edit]

Two Sisters was last listed in 1813.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Mary is unfortunately a common name for vessels. Still, she appears to have been Mary, J.Hilton, master, of 238 tons (bm), launched in New England in 1794, and American owned but British-registered. Her entry in LR gave her trade as Greenock–Virginia.[3]
2. ^ Polly was a government transport, coming from Jamaica with French prisoners of war from San Domingo, 23 of whom had died on the voyage. When she arrived at Plymouth she went into quarantine.[5] She was a cartel; she had come from Port Royal and was to go on to France.

## Citations

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Archives Canada Ship Registrations – Item: 76417: TWO SISTERS.
2. ^ a b c LR (1804), Supple. pages "T", seq.No.T30.
3. ^ LR (1804), Seq.No.M164.
4. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4489\. 18 September 1804. hdl:2027/hvd.32044050633072.
5. ^ "POSTSCRIPT". 20 September 1804, Trewman's Exeter Flying Post (Exeter, England), Issue: 2135.
6. ^ "Ship News". 17 October 1804,Aberdeen Journal (Aberdeen, Scotland), Issue: 2962.
7. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4496\. 12 October 1804. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735021.