View source for Young Nicholas (1798 ship)

{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2017}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2017}}
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|Ship country=[[Dutch Republic]] & [[Batavian Republic]]
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| Ship country=Great Britain
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| Ship name = ''Young Nicholas''
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| Ship owner =Prinsep & Co.,<ref name=RS1800/>{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=246}} equally Prinsep & Saunders{{sfnp|Hardy|1811|p=217}}
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| Ship acquired = c.1798 by purchase of a prize
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| Ship fate = Wrecked 3 September 1804
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| Ship tons burthen= 392,<ref name=LoM>{{Cite web |url=http://www.1812privateers.org/Great%20Britain/marque1793-1815.pdf |title=Letter of Marque, p.93 - accessed 25 July 2017. |access-date=11 March 2018 |archive-date=20 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020052005/http://www.1812privateers.org/Great%20Britain/marque1793-1815.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> or 393,<ref name=RS1800>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015021233591?urlappend=%3Bseq=392 ''Register of Shipping'' (1800), Seq.№23.]</ref> or 400{{sfnp|Hardy|1811|p=217}}([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
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| Ship complement =*1799:30
*1803:50
| Ship armament =*1799:14 × 2&4&6-pounder guns
*1803:10 × 6-pounder guns + 6 × 18-pounder [[carronades]] + 6 [[swivel gun]]s
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'''''Young Nicholas''''' was built in Holland in 1790 under another name. The British captured her in 1798 and Prinsep & Saunders purchased her and named her ''Young Nicholas''. She made one voyage under license from the British [[East India Company]] (EIC) that resulted in legal difficulties. Next, she had a short, unsuccessful cruise as a [[privateer]] that resulted in a French privateer capturing her in a [[single-ship action]], but then releasing her. Lastly, she made a third cruise that resulted in a French privateer capturing her, the [[Royal Navy]] recapturing her, and her being wrecked in a hurricane. This cruise too resulted in legal difficulties culminating in a notable court case.

==Career==
''Young Nicholas'' entered ''[[Lloyd's Register]]'' (''LR'') in 1798 with D. Ferris, master, Prinsep & Co., owners, and trade London-[[Cape of Good Hope]].<ref name=LR1798>[http://hdl.handle.net/2027/hvd.32044105233035?urlappend=%3Bseq=349 ''LR'' (1798), "Y" Supple. pages.]</ref> However, ''Young Nicholas''{{'}}s first voyage, in 1798, was to St Petersburg. In September she was at Elsinore, and by end-September had returned to Elsinore from there.

===Cape of Good Hope===
Captain Daniel Ferris acquired a [[letter of marque]] on 16 January 1799. However, Captain Richard Silby (or Tilby), acquired one on 26 January.<ref name=LoM/>

''Young Nicholas'' arrived at the Cape on 12 June 1799.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|p=7}} It is not clear what ''Young Nicholas'' did between her arrival in June and early 1800. She is recorded as arriving again at the Cape from [[Saldanha Bay]] on 18 January 1800.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|p=314}}

However, in early 1800 Messrs. Walker and Peters purchased 367 bags of Java coffee and one case of [[Benzoin (resin)|gum Benjamin]] at a prize court sale of the cargo of the Danish ship ''Christianus Septimus''.{{efn|In May 1798 the Danish ship ''Christianus Septimus'', Christian Sonningen, master, put into [[Simon's Bay]]. She had been sailing from Batavia to Copenhagen but damage from bad weather had rendered her so leaky she could not be repaired and was not seaworthy.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|pp=54-9}} On 29 May the squadron stationed at the Cape and under the command of Admiral [[Hugh Cloberry Christian]], detained ''Christianus Septimus''.<ref>{{London Gazette|date=30 April 1799|issue=15129|page=414}}</ref> The case took a year before the [[Vice admiralty court]] at the Cape ruled that the vessel and her cargo be restored to her owners. Because much of her cargo was perishable, the court ruled that it could be sold at the Cape, but only for export to Copenhagen, her original destination.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|pp=54-9}}}} They also purchased three cases of [[Bandana|bandannoes]] and three cases of [[tamarind]]s from the prized cargo of the American ship ''Pacific''.{{efn|After the French had driven the American ship ''Pacific'' onshore at River Noir, {{HMS|Adamant|1780|2}}, {{HMS|Jupiter|1778|2}}, and {{HMS|Tremendous|1784|2}} came on the scene and sent in their boats, which removed much of ''Pacific''{{'}}s cargo of bale goods and sugar. The British then set ''Pacific'' on fire.<ref name=LG15212>{{London Gazette|date=10 December 1799|issue=15212|page=1280}}</ref>}} Walker and Peters loaded their purchases aboard ''Young Nicholas'' as she was preparing to sail to England. However, they could not get permission to export their purchases and requested that they be allowed to unload the cargo and put it under the "King's Locks" until they could the authorities could advise on its export or disposal. They received permission to land the goods.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|pp=159-160}}

However, Henry James Jessup, Chief Searcher of His Majesty's Customs at the Cape, on the advice of Peter Mosse, Advocate, requested that W.S. van Ryneveld, the King's Fiscal, detain ''Young Nicholas'' and seize the cargo that had come from ''Christianus Septimus''. Because ''Christianus Septimus'' had been ruled not a prize, her carrying cargo from east of the Cape, to wit, [[Batavia (Dutch East Indies)|Batavia]], to England represented a violation of the British East India Company's monopoly. When the goods were landed, Jessup seized them. The merchants involved had the authorization under a law of the colony to ship them to England. Charges and counter-charges were made, and several people were relieved of their offices, Jessup among them. They then sailed to England.{{sfnp|Theal|1899a|pp=181-181}}

The government in May 1800 chartered ''Young Nicholas'' for a year in what appeared to have been a highly irregular arrangement. The government agreed with Walker & Robertson to a charter at a rate of £1200 per month. Walker & Robertson agreed on a parallel charter with Captain Selby on a rate of £591 per month. The only other difference between the two charters was that the value in case of the loss of ''Young Nicholas'' was stated as £6000 on the charter to the government, and £4000 on the parallel charter to Walker and Robertson.{{sfnp|Theal|1899b|pp=244-8}}

Next, ''Young Nicholas'' was one of 28 vessels that left England between December 1800 and February 1801 to bring back rice from the [[Cape of Good Hope]] or beyond. The EIC had a monopoly on such trade and the vessels and sailed under charter to it. Prinsep & Saunders alone tendered 15 vessels, including ''Young Nicholas'', Richard Silby, master.{{sfnp|Hardy|1811|p=217}}

{{See also|Transport vessels for the British Government's importation of rice from Bengal (1800–1802)}}

The government took up ''Young Nicholas'' at the Cape in early November 1802 to transport 160 to 170 tons of cannon and some officers and 250 invalids to [[Spithead]]. Lieutenant Street, the agent for transports, was placed in charge of her.{{sfnp|Theal|1899b|p=452}} ''Young Nicholas'' arrived at Portsmouth on 18 February 1803. The report of her arrival described her as a hired armed transport under the command of Lieutenant B. Street, and bringing ordnance stores, 200 invalids, and some passengers.<ref>''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 9, p.164.</ref> Actually, the invalids she had embarked numbered 193 men, 20 men, and 15 children,{{sfnp|Theal|1899b|p=459}} the women and children presumably the dependents of the men.

===Privateer===
In June 1803, after the resumption of [[Napoleonic Wars|war with France]], ''Young Nicholas'' became a privateer,{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=246}} with Captain John Cunditt acquiring a letter of marque.<ref name=LoM/>

On 7 July ''Young Nicholas'' encountered the French privateer {{ship||Blonde|1803 ship|2}}, of 22 guns and 100 men. The ensuing engagement lasted an hour and a half before ''Young Nicholas'' [[striking the colours|struck]] after she had suffered four men killed. Captain [[François Aregnaudeau|Aregnaudeau]] of ''Blonde'' gave ''Young Nicholas'' up to Captain Cunditt and his crew in recognition of their "courageous Conduct", and she arrived at [[Penzance]] on the 29th.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=125 ''Lloyd's List''] №4372.</ref>

===Last voyage===
On 3 September 1803 Prinsep & Co. and Hunter signed a charter party. ''Young Nicholas'' was to sail to Honduras to gather mahogany, 60 tons of dye wood, and logwood or [[fustic]]. She gathered 200,000 feet of wood and sailed for London on 29 March 1804. A storm on 21 April so damaged ''Young Nicholas'' that she had to put into port to effectuate repairs.{{sfnp|Hyde East|1809|pp=378-95}}

''Lloyd's List'' reported on 29 May that ''Young Nicholas'' had been parted with off Charleston in a leaky state. She intended to put into Charleston.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=295 ''Lloyd's List'' №4475.]</ref> ''Lloyd's List'' reported about a month later that ''Young Nicholas'', Henry, master, had put into Savannah in distress. She was reported to be sailing from Honduras to London.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=309 ''Lloyd's List'' №4464.]</ref> To pay for the necessary repairs ''Young Nicholas''{{'}}s master sold part of her cargo.{{sfnp|Hyde East|1809|pp=378-95}}

''Young Nicholas'', Horry, master, sailed from Savannah on 8 July. The next day a French privateer captured her and sent her to Guadeloupe. Eventually, Captain Horry arrived at Liverpool in ''Daphne''.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=333 ''Lloyd's List'' №4476.]</ref>

On 6 August,{{sfnp|Hyde East|1809|pp=378-95}} {{HMS|Hippomenes|1803|6}} recaptured ''Young Nicholas'', which was laden with mahogany.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=15794|date=2 April 1805|page=436}}</ref> ''Hippomenes'' sent her into St Kitts.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=371 ''Lloyd's List'' №4495.]</ref>

On 3 September 1804 a hurricane at St Kitts drove her ashore, wrecking her. She was one of five ships and several small craft that the hurricane destroyed. All crews were saved.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735021?urlappend=%3Bseq=385 ''Lloyd's List'' №4502.]</ref>

==Court case==
When ''Young William'' came in to St Kitts as a prize, the [[Vice admiralty court]] ordered her sold, together with her cargo. Captain Horry/Henry then brought the proceeds home with him and passed them to Princep & Saunders, who deducted freight charges from them. The owners of the cargo sued for the return of the freight charges. The charter party specified that one-third of the freight was due on the cargo's arrival in England, and two-thirds some 90 days later. The court agreed with the plaintiff, Hunter, that as the cargo had not arrived in England no freight was due and so Prinsep & Saunders were required to refund the charges.{{sfnp|Hyde East|1809|pp=378-95}}

==Notes==
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==Citations==
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==References==
* {{cite book |last=Hackman |first=Rowan |year=2001 |title=Ships of the East India Company |location=Gravesend, Kent |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=978-0-905617-96-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Hardy|first=Horatio Charles|title=A register of ships, employed in the service of the Honorable the United East India Company, from the year 1760 to 1810: with an appendix, containing a variety of particulars, and useful information interesting to those concerned with East India commerce|year=1811|publisher=Black, Parry, and Kingsbury|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.hxh3ft;view=1up;seq=9}}
* {{cite book |last=Hyde East |first= Sir Edward |year=1809 |title=Hunter ''against'' Princep and others: Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Court of King's Bench |volume=10 }}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Theal |editor-first=George McCall |editor-link=George McCall Theal |year=1899a |title=Records of the Cape Colony: Dec 1799–May 1801 |location=Cape of Good Hope, South Africa |publisher=Government of the Cape Colony }}
* {{cite book |editor-last=Theal |editor-first=George McCall |editor-link=George McCall Theal |year=1899b |title=Records of the Cape Colony: May 1801–Feb 1803 |location=Cape of Good Hope, South Africa |publisher=Government of the Cape Colony }}

{{1804 shipwrecks}}
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[[Category:1790 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Captured ships]]
[[Category:Age of Sail merchant ships of England]]
[[Category:Privateer ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1804]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea]]