History
Great Britain
NameBerwick Packet
Launched1798, Berwick
FateWrecked 10 November 1827
General characteristics
Tons burthen106, or 108 (bm)
Sail planSmack
Armament6 × 12-pounder carronades

Berwick Packet was a smack launched at Berwick in 1798. She sailed for some years for the Old Ship Company, of Berwick in the packet trade between London and Berwick. After a change of ownership and homeport around 1806, Berwick Packet traded more widely. In 1808 she repelled an attack by a French privateer. Then in 1809 Berwick Packet served briefly as a transport in a naval campaign. She next returned to mercantile trade until she was wrecked in November 1827 on a voyage from the Baltic.

Career

Berwick Packet first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1799.[1]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1799 Patterson Captain Leith–London LR
1807 J.Patterson
J.Jameson		 Patterson
Anderson		 London–Berwick
Hull–Tonning		 LR

Leith Packet was wrecked at "Sandhale" on 8 March 1807. She was on a voyage from Leith, to Hull. Five of her eight crew survived until 11 March, when Berwick Packet, Jameson, master, rescued them.[2] All the crew had taken to her rigging, but the cook, the master, and his son died of exhaustion in the 33 hours before Berwick Packet rescued them. During the time of the crew's exposure, people on shore gathering what had washed ashore saw the crew's plight, but made no efforts to render assistance.[3]

On 17 February 1808 Berwick Packet, Jameson, master, was off Dimlinton when a French privateer twice attempted to board her. She drove off the attack by firing a 12-pounder.[4][lower-alpha 1]

The Royal Navy hired Berwick Packet on 26 June 1809. She was one of 15 small transports that the Navy hired for the ill-fated Walcheren Campaign. Her commander was Lieutenant David Ewen Bartholomew. Her first assignment was to carry Congreve rockets from the Woolwich Arsenal to Walcheren. She participated in the capture of Flushing and was generally useful for the remainder of the campaign.[5] The Navy returned Berwick Packet to her owners on 28 October.[6] Berwick Packet was the only vessel of the 15 transports actually listed by name in the prize money notice.[7]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1812 J.Jameson
Armstrong		 Anderson London–Gibraltar LR

Berwick Packet, Armstrong, master, arrived at Plymouth in November 1812 from Cadiz. She had developed a leak after having struck the Seven Stone, near Scilly. She was going to unload.[8]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1814 Armstrong Anderson & Co. London–Limerick LR; damages repaired 1812
1815 Armstrong
J.Fry		 Anderson & Co. London–Limerick LR; damages repaired 1812
1816 J.Fry Fry London LR; damages repaired 1812 & rebuilt 1816
1824 J.Fry
Hughes		 W.Fry Cork LR; rebuilt 1816

Fate

On 10 November 1827 Berwick Packet, Hughes, master, was driven ashore at Gothenburg, Sweden. She was on a voyage from Saint Petersburg to Leghorn. Most of the cargo was saved but the vessel herself was a wreck.[9]

Notes

  1. ↑ Berwick Packet was armed with six 12-pounder carronades, courtesy of a government program of arming merchantmen to enable them to protect themselves from French privateers.

Citations

  1. ↑ LR (1799), Seq.No.B400.
  2. ↑ "Ship News". The Hull Packet. No. 1053. 17 March 1807.
  3. ↑ The Athenaeum: A Magazine of Literary and Miscellaneous ... (1807), p.436.
  4. ↑ " Marine Intelligence", Hull Packet (Hull, England), 8 March 1808, Issue 1104.
  5. ↑ Marshall (1830), p. 454.
  6. ↑ Winfield (2008), p. 395.
  7. ↑ "No. 16650". The London Gazette. 26 September 1812. pp. 1971–1972.
  8. ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4722. 24 November 1812. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
  9. ↑ "Ship News". The Morning Chronicle. No. 18173. 12 December 1827.

References

  • Marshall, John (1830). Royal Naval Biography; Or, Memoirs of the Services of All the Flag-officers, Superannuated Rear-admirals, Retired-captains, Post-captains, and Commanders, Whose Names Appeared on the Admiralty List of Sea Officers at the Commencement of the Present Year, Or who Have Since Been Promoted; Illustrated by a Series of Historical and Explanatory Notes ... With Copious Addenda: Supplement ... London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
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