Aurora (1782 ship)

Aurora was launched at Kingston upon Hull. She traded with the Baltic until 1803 when she became a Greenland whaler. She was lost in 1821 on her 18th voyage to the northern whale fishery.

For other ships with the same name, see List of ships named Aurora.

The Greenland whaler Aurora, of Hull; Robert Willoughby, Hull Maritime Museum
History
Great Britain
NameAurora
BuilderHull
Launched1782
FateWrecked 27 August 1821
General characteristics
Tons burthen366,[1] or 370, or 470,[2] or 500[3] (bm)
Armament
  • 1782:4 × 3-pounder guns[3]
  • 1795:6 × 6-pounder guns[2]
  • 1800:8 × 6-pounder guns[1]
  • 1806:10 × 9-pounder guns

Merchantman

Aurora first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1782 with Robinson, master, Hall & Co., owners, and trade Hull–Riga, changing to London transport.[3]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1786 J.Robinson
W. Proctor		 F.Hall Narva–Hull LR
1790 S.Lazenby Hall & Co. Narva–Hull LR
1795 T.Scofield
J.Hall		 F.Hall Hull–Petersburg LR;[2] new deck 1792 & repairs 1793
1800 Campion T.Hall & Co. Hull–Petersburg LR; damages repaired 1797[1]

Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 20 December 1799, apparently erroneously, that Aurora, Campion, master, had been lost near Cronstadt while sailing from Petersburg to London.[4]

Greenland whaler

LR for 1803 showed Aurora with Campion, master, Hall & Co., owners, changing to Gilder, and trade Hull–Petersburg, changing to Hull–Greenland.[5] She underwent repairs for damages in 1803, and Sadler became her master.

The following whaling data is from Lloyd's List (master and grounds), and Coltish (whale oil):[6]

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1803 Sadler Greenland 182
1804 Sadler Greenland 214
1805 Sadler Greenland 26 244

By one account, in 1804, Captain Sadler took 44 whales that yielded only 190 butts.[7]

In 1805, Aurora rescued the crew of Maria, of Hull, Ross, master. Maria had been lost on the "Johns-a-Main". Two of Maria's crew died in an accident to one of Aurora's boats.[8][lower-alpha 1] In addition to the 26 whales and 244 tons of oil, Aurora took nine tons of whale bone.[9]

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1806 Sadler Greenland 12[10] 160/400 butts
Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1806 A. Sadler J. Gilder Hull–Greenland Register of Shipping; thorough repair 1797, new wales 1803, & good repair 1805
1807 Sadler Greenland 28[11] 230/570 butts[11]

LL reported in March 1808 that Aurora had had to put back into Hull. She had been bound for Greenland but had gotten on shore.[12] Despite the delay this caused, in 1808 Aurora had the most successful voyage of her career in terms of the amount of whale oil she gathered. It was also the ninth-best haul in the history of the Hull whaling fleet.[13]

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1808 Sadler Greenland 38[14] 263/700 butts[14]
1809 Sadler Greenland 180
1810 Sadler Greenland 13 146/366 butts[15]

In the 1810 season, Aurora, Sadler, master, was the most successful whaler from Greenland.[15]

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1811 Sadler Greenland 39 250/630 butts[16]
1812 Sadler Greenland 22 or 24[17] 156, or 210[17]
1813 Sadler Greenland 2 20
1814 Sadler Greenland 24 189

In 1813, Aurora, Sadler, master, had been beset by ice from the middle of April to early July.[18]

LL reported that Aurora, Sadler, master, had had to put into Aberdeen on 20 April 1815 leaky. She had been bound for Greenland and had gotten as far as latitude 63°N before she had had to put back.[19] She finally sailed at the end of April.[20]

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1815 Sadler Greenland 6 69
1816 Sadler Greenland 12 76
1817 Sadler Greenland 5 70

In 1818 Sadler became master of Jane, sailing her to Greenland.

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil
1818 Griswood Greenland 7 95
1819 Griswood Greenland 1 19
1820 Thomas Greenland 9 80
1821 Davis Strait 9

The first week of June 1820, saw heavy ice. Aurora had to saw a dock in ice 12' thick.[21]

Fate

Aurora, of Hull, Thomas, master, was lost on 27 August 1821 at Davis Strait. At the time of her loss she had taken 10 fish.[22] Aurora was one of 11 ships sunk during the 1821 season. She was on her first voyage to Davis Strait.[23]

Note
  1. Maria, of Hull and of 204 tons (bm), was launched at Liverpool in 1766.

Citations
  1. LR (1800), Seq.No.A634.
  2. LR (1795), Seq.№A611.
  3. LR (1782), Seq.№A463.
  4. LL No.4018.
  5. LR (1803), Seq.A1005.
  6. Coltish (c. 1842).
  7. Lubbock (1937), p. 165.
  8. Lubbock (1937), p. 168.
  9. Lubbock (1937), p. 169.
  10. Lubbock (1937), p. 178.
  11. Lubbock (1937), p. 180.
  12. LL №4240.
  13. Munroe (1854), p. 39.
  14. Lubbock (1937), p. 182.
  15. Lubbock (1937), p. 186.
  16. Lubbock (1937), p. 188.
  17. Lubbock (1937), p. 191.
  18. Lubbock (1937), p. 194.
  19. LL №4967.
  20. Lubbock (1937), p. 199.
  21. Lubbock (1937), p. 215.
  22. Lloyd's List №5636.
  23. Lubbock (1937), p. 227.

References
  • Coltish, William (c. 1842). An account of the success of the ships at the Greenland and Davis Straits fisheries 1772-1842 inclusive.
  • Lubbock, Basil (1937). Arctic Whalers. Glasgow: Brown, Son & Ferguson.
  • Munroe, Henry (1854). "Statistics of the Northern Whale Fisheries, from the Year 1772 to 1852". Journal of the Statistical Society of London. 17 (1): 34–42. doi:10.2307/2338354. JSTOR 2338354.
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