Mentor (1781 ship)

Mentor was launched in New England in 1781. From 1784 she sailed from Great Britain, trading between London and New York or Quebec. From 1789 she made three complete voyages as a whaler in the British Southern Whale Fishery. The French Navy captured her in early 1795 as she was returning from her fourth whaling voyage.

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

History
Great Britain
BuilderNew England[1]
Launched1781[1]
CapturedEarly 1795
General characteristics
Tons burthen180,[1] or 219[2] (bm)
Complement20[2]
Armament10 × 4-pounder guns + 4 swivel guns[2]

Career

Mentor first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1784.[1] For the next few years she traded across the Atlantic to New York and Quebec.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes
1784 J.Laughton S.Pearce London–New York LR; raised 1783
1786 W.Nichol J.Laughton S.Pearce London–New York LR; raised 1783 & good repair 1785
1787 W.Nichol
L.Martin		 S.Pearce London–New York
London–Quebec		 LR; raised 1783 & good repair 1785
1789 L.Martin
Lucas		 Capt.&Co.
Spence		 London–Quebec
London–Southern Fishery		 LR; raised 1783 & good repair 1785

1st whaling voyage (1789–1790): Captain Lucas sailed on 19 November 1789. Mentor returned on 4 November 1790.[3]

2nd whaling voyage (1791–1792): Captain Gardner sailed from London on 7 March 1791, bound for Walvis Bay. Mentor returned on 18 May 1792.[3][lower-alpha 1]

3rd whaling voyage (1792-1793): Captain Lucas sailed from London on 16 October 1792, bound for Patagonia.[3] On her way Mentor stopped at Rio de Janeiro and Montevideo.[4] She returned to Britain on 11 October 1793 with 21,000 seal skins.[3]

War with France had broken out in February 1793. Captain William Lucas acquired a letter of marque on 28 December 1793.[2]

4th whaling voyage (1794): Captain Lucas sailed on 20 March 1794, bound for Walvis Bay.[3]

Fate

Mentor, of 10 guns, from the South Seas, was reported in February 1795 as having been captured by a French naval squadron.[5]

Notes
  1. Captain Lucas was master of Olive Branch in 1791-1792, engaged in whaling.

Citations
  1. LR (1784), Seq.No.M544.
  2. "Letter of Marque, p.77 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  3. British Southern Whale Fishery Database – Voyages: Mentor.
  4. Clayton (2014), p. 122.
  5. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 2694. 27 February 1795. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049068. Retrieved 12 January 2021.

References
  • Clayton, Jane M (2014). Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships. Berforts Group. ISBN 9781908616524.
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