HMS Terror (1759)

HMS Terror was an 8-gun bomb ketch launched in 1759 for the British Royal Navy that it sold in 1774. New owners renamed her Union. She made two voyages as a Greenland whaler before becoming a London-based transport. She remained a transport until she was lost on 20 May 1782 off the Malabar coast of India.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Terror and List of ships named Union.

History
Great Britain
NameHMS Terror
Ordered21 September 1758
BuilderJohn Barnard, Harwich
Laid down7 October 1758
Launched16 January 1759
FateSold 9 August 1774
NotesHackman conflates this Union with the Union that had been Squirrel[1]
Great Britain
NameUnion
Owner
  • c.1775:Peter Mestaer
  • 1776:J.Montgomery
Acquired1774 by purchase
FateWrecked 20 May 1782
General characteristics [2]
Class and typeInfernal-class bomb ketch
Tons burthen30183⁄94 or 305, or 315 (bm)
Length
  • Overall:91 ft 6 in (27.9 m)
  • Keel:74 ft 1+3⁄4 in (22.6 m)
Beam27 ft 8 in (8.4 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 1 in (3.7 m)
Complement
  • RN bomb ketch:60
  • RN sloop:110
Armament
  • RN bomb ketch: 6 × 6-pounder guns + 1 × 10" & 1 × 13" mortars
  • RN sloop: 14 × 6-pounder guns + 14 swivel guns
  • 1782:16 × 6-pounder guns
Plan of the Terror

Royal Navy

Commander William Bennet commissioned Terror in January 1759 and sailed for the Mediterranean on 14 April. Commander Michael Kearny replaced Bennett in August. In April 1861 Commander St John Chinnery replaced Kearny, with Terror still serving in the Mediterranean. She was converted to a sloop in 1761 and then back to a bomb in 1762. she was paid-off in March 1763. She then underwent repairs but apparently was not recommissioned.[2]

Disposal: Terror was sold on 9 August 1774 at Deptford for £665.[2]

Mercantile service

In the 1775 and 1776 whaling seasons, Union was engaged in the British northern whale fishery. On 12 June 1775 Union was at Greenland with two "fish".

On 2 August 1776 Union, Hudson, master, arrived at Gravesend from Greenland with four fish and 50 seals.[3]

Union first appeared in online issues of Lloyd's Register (LR) in the issue for 1776.[4]

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1776 John Dryden
John Hudson		 Peter Mestaer London–Greenland
London transport		 LR; thorough repair 1775
1778 J.Hudson J.Montgomery Cork transport LR; thorough repair 1775
1783 Crawford Montgomery London transport LR; thorough repair 1775

Fate

Lloyd's List reported on 8 July 1783 that the transports Union and Prudence had been lost near Tellicherry.[5] The entry for Union in the volume for LR for 1783 bore the annotation "Lost".[6]

The wrecking occurred on 20 May 1782. Union and Prudence were serving as ordnance store ships when a storm drove them from Calicut roads. They were unable to clear Cotta Point and wrecked on the reefs there.[7]

Citations
  1. Hackman (2001), p. 245.
  2. Winfield (2007), p. 343.
  3. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 769, Ship arrival and departure (SAD) data. 6 August 1776. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049059.
  4. LR (1776), Seq. №16.
  5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 1479. 8 July 1783. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049062.
  6. LR (1783), Seq.№U15.
  7. Horsburgh (1852), p. 481, fn.

References
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
  • Horsburgh, James (1852). India Directory, Or Directions for Sailing to and from the East Indies, China, New Holland, Cape of Good Hope, Brazil and the Interjacent Ports. Vol. 1. Kingsburg.
  • Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 978-1844157006.
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