GRAND TURK (I) 1781
Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2015 7:54 pm
The design of the 25c stamp of Turk & Caicos Islands is made after a punch bowl which depict a painting of the GRAND TURK and which the owner received as a gift from the well know merchant Pinqua in Hong Kong. The bowl is decorated with a painting of a vessel, and the words Ship GRAND TURK at Canton. Later the ship was identified as the West Indiamen HALL and that the image was copied from Hutchinson’s Naval Architecture.
In 1780 Elias Hasket Derby placed an order by the shipbuilder Thomas Barstow of Hanover, Mass to build on his Two-Oaks yard a square rigged vessel of about 300 tons and designed as a fast sailing vessel which could carry 28 guns.
The ship was paid mostly not in cash money but with merchant goods in the books of the shipyard is noted that the iron-founder Robert Eels received for his work barrels of rum and butter.
May 1781 launched as the GRAND TURK (I) it is not known why she got this name, but it is possible that the owner named the vessel after the island Grand Turk where he trade with, or that she was named after the Sultan of Turkey who was known as very bloodthirsty and a cruel man, and a suitable name for a privateer vessel.
13 June 1781 the GRAND TURK armed with 28 guns and a crew of 120 under command of Captain Thomas Simmons got his Letter of Marque.
At the end of June 1781 she sailed out for her first voyage, of this voyage not a logbook exist more, and we know only that two British brigs were taken the DEFIANCE and VENUS, and on this voyage she got prize-money of £1504, 2sh,6d, half for the owner and the other half for the crew.
Her next voyage was under command of Captain Joshep Pratt and she sailed on 26 October 1781 bound for the waters off Queenstown, Ireland, very near of the shore the British ship MARY was taken. She sailed then with her prize to Bilbao, Spain, during the passage she took the brig JOHN & GRACE loaded with fish and with this two prizes she arrived in Bilbao on 16 December 1781.
The two prizes and the cargo were sold for 820,276 Realen what was about USA$ 41,000.
13 March 1782 the GRAND TURK sailed from Bilbao and via the West Indies to Salem, during the voyage three prizes were captured, the British schooners TRITON and PRIMROSE and the barkentine THOMAS & BETSEY, arriving 04 May at Salem, USA, where the prizes were sold for £3,600.
The third voyage was again under command of Captain Pratt and she left Salem in the autumn of 1782, bound for the West Indies where she took the British ship MINERVA which was send to Salem with a prize crew. 17 September the GRAND TURK arrived in Martinique followed by another prize the MARY, which was sold for 102,335 livres.
26 December she sailed from Martinique but she was not so lucky this time she was sighted by a fleet of British warships and only by her better sailing capacity she escaped.
She made a call at Montserrat what at that time was under French control for a short time, after sailing from this island she captured a small vessel the POLLY which had on board a cargo of West Indies produce and nine slaves. The vessel was send with a prize crew to Martinique, the ship and cargo was sold for 12,324 livres and the slaves for 8,695 livres.
In March she captured the British snow SALLY & POLLY and the ships ECHO and ACTIVE, both British, the ACTIVE with a prize crew was send to Salem, the other two to Martinique.
12 March she made her best catch when she captured the British ship POMPEY which surrendered without any fight. From the Captain of the POMPEY they heard that a peace treaty was signed with the American government. Captain Pratt did not believe this and took her as a prize, the crew of the POMPEY was put in boats and ordered to row to the island of St Kitts what was very near. The POMPEY was send to Salem with on board a prize crew. There was a peace treaty signed between the U.K. and America on 20 January 1783 in Paris but the American Congress had only given an order on 24 March which forbid privateering against British ships, and the POMPEY taken before 24 March was sold as a prize to George Crowninshield and renamed AMERICA.
After the GRAND TURK had captured the POMPEY she sailed to Saint Pierre, Martinique were it was confirmed that there was peace between the UK and America.
07 April the GRAND TURK sailed from Saint Pierre bound for Salem where she arrived on 30 April, and this was the end of her career as a privateer.
After arrival her armament was unloaded and she was fitted out as a cargo vessel. Second part of September she was ready and loaded with a full cargo bound for the West Indies.
She was now under command of Captain Samuel Williams with a crew of 13, and on 24 September 1783 she set sail from Salem to Martinique and Guadeloupe, was back at Salem on 07 April 1784 with a cargo of West Indies produce. During the summer she made another voyage to the West Indies now under command of Captain Silsbee.
After arrival in Salem and discharging was she loaded with trading products with a worth of £5,390 bound for a new adventurer.
27 November 1784 she set sail from Salem bound for South Africa under command of Captain Jonathan Ingersoll arriving in the Table Bay in February 1785.
Captain Ingersoll could sell his cargo for a profit, but the plan to load the vessel then with tea from ships which were coming from the East Indies failed, the ships were not allowed to sell the tea in Cape Town.
Part of the cargo of rum was sold for 200 chests of tea which was coming from Captain Thomson private cargo of the East Indiamen CALCUTTA, additional cargo was nankeen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankeen
The rum was sold with the condition that the GRAND TURK had to discharge the rum in St Helena, and on 13 April 1785 the GRAND TURK set course to St Helena where she arrived on 30 April, the first time that an American vessel visited the island.
After 5 days discharging she sailed bound for the West Indies and on 2 June she arrived Roseau, Dominica, she left shortly after arrival with course to Saint Pierre, Martinique with the intention to load some sugar molasses, not any molasses available, but Captain Ingersoll was informed that it was in Granada available and he left the next day for Saint Georges, Granada.
In Granada was much interest in the chests of tea and he sold 164 chest of tea with a profit of 50%.
But he was running in trouble with the customs of Granada, it was not allowed to sell tea in the island from not British registered vessels and he had to leave port, captain Ingersoll did not like that his profit was gone and sailed to the Dutch island Sint Eustatius after he got an agreement with the merchants on Grenada to discharge his cargo of tea at Sint Eustatius. After arrival his 164 chest of tea were loaded on schooners from Grenade, who brought also the rum and sugar cargo from the island for the GRAND TURK which was bought there
Ingersoll did buy more cargo than the GRAND TURK could carry and he decided to stay behind at Sint Eustatius to take care of his interests and command was taken over on the GRAND TURK by the first officer with the orders to sail to Salem. The GRAND TURK arrived 26 July 1785 in her homeport.
The owner decided to send the GRAND TURK to Isle de France (Mauritius) what at that time was under control of France and most probably more easier to buy a cargo of tea.
3 December 1785 the GRAND TURK sailed from Salem with cargo and cash worth £9,200 and under command of Captain Ebenr West, first port of call was the Table Bay in South Africa where she dropt her anchor on 23 February 1786.
Part of the cargo was sold but the Dutchmen known for their trade skills did not want to pay too much and West decided to leave and try his luck at Isle de France.
17March she sailed from the Table Bay and 36 days later she dropt her anchor at Port Louis, Isle de France.
The cargo was sold, the profit was meagre and return cargo was not to find.
Captain West came in contact with a merchant Mr. Sebier who want to charter the GRAND TURK for two third, for cargo to Canton.
30 June the deal was closed and around the first of July the GRAND TURK set sail for Canton, after discharging there Mt Sebier planned to load a cargo of tea for Boston, USA. Mr. Sebier was a passenger on board that trip to Canton. The Grand Turk came at anchor at the Pagoda anchorage at Whampoa she was the third American ship what reached China.
From the American consul Captain West was advised to take a Hong Merchant as agent, and he took the Hong Merchant Pinqua a well know merchant as his agent.
With the help of Pinqua the GRAND TURK was cleared and discharging could commence. After Mr. Sebier’s cargo was sold he did not have enough money to charter the GRAND TURK for a cargo of tea to Boston, and the charter party was finished.
Mr. Pinqua got the instructions from West to arrange a cargo of tea, and with some other cargo from Canton added like porcelain and spices he got a full cargo.
By his last visit on board Mr. Pinqua handed over a gift a nice punch bowl with a painting on it of the GRAND TURK later was discovered that it is the British Indiamen HALL, The punch bowl today is in the Peabody Museum in Salem.
Early January 1787 the GRAND TURK sailed from China via the Table Bay from where she again sailed on 17 March 1787 she arrived at Boston, USA on 22 May 1787.
It is not known what the profit was on the sale of the cargo in Boston, but it was substantial For the owner Mr. Derby.
With a cargo worth $28,000 on board the GRAND TURK on 07 December 1787 set sail again now under command of the 21 year old owner son Elias H. Derby, bound for the Indian Ocean. Arrived safely in Port Louis where the cargo quickly was sold with a profit.
During discharging Captain Derby was visited by a French merchant who offered them $13,000 for the GRAND TURK and the offer was accepted, the owner had valued the GRAND TURK on $7,500.
With this money Captain Derby bought on the island two other vessels the SULTANA and PEGGY and with the sale of the cargo of the GRAND TURK it was possible to load both ships.
The GRAND TURK disappears then in the history, most probably renamed.
The other ships on this sheet have till so far not be identified, the 6 c depict a schooner the GRAND TURK (IV) was a schooner but she did have four masts.
On the 20c is a British ship of the line depict and on the 55c a kitsch rigged vessel.
All four ships have in the background the battle between GRAND TURK (III) and HINCHINBROOKE, the GRAND TURK (III)is an two masted brig rigged ship and has nothing to do with the GRAND TURK (I) a three masted ship, depict on the 25c.
Turks and Caicos Islands 1976 25c sg448, scott313 (The battle scene in the back of this stamps is the battle between the HINCHINBROOKE and GRAND TURK see: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 369#p16369
Source: The Log of the Grand Turks by R.E. Peabody
.
In 1780 Elias Hasket Derby placed an order by the shipbuilder Thomas Barstow of Hanover, Mass to build on his Two-Oaks yard a square rigged vessel of about 300 tons and designed as a fast sailing vessel which could carry 28 guns.
The ship was paid mostly not in cash money but with merchant goods in the books of the shipyard is noted that the iron-founder Robert Eels received for his work barrels of rum and butter.
May 1781 launched as the GRAND TURK (I) it is not known why she got this name, but it is possible that the owner named the vessel after the island Grand Turk where he trade with, or that she was named after the Sultan of Turkey who was known as very bloodthirsty and a cruel man, and a suitable name for a privateer vessel.
13 June 1781 the GRAND TURK armed with 28 guns and a crew of 120 under command of Captain Thomas Simmons got his Letter of Marque.
At the end of June 1781 she sailed out for her first voyage, of this voyage not a logbook exist more, and we know only that two British brigs were taken the DEFIANCE and VENUS, and on this voyage she got prize-money of £1504, 2sh,6d, half for the owner and the other half for the crew.
Her next voyage was under command of Captain Joshep Pratt and she sailed on 26 October 1781 bound for the waters off Queenstown, Ireland, very near of the shore the British ship MARY was taken. She sailed then with her prize to Bilbao, Spain, during the passage she took the brig JOHN & GRACE loaded with fish and with this two prizes she arrived in Bilbao on 16 December 1781.
The two prizes and the cargo were sold for 820,276 Realen what was about USA$ 41,000.
13 March 1782 the GRAND TURK sailed from Bilbao and via the West Indies to Salem, during the voyage three prizes were captured, the British schooners TRITON and PRIMROSE and the barkentine THOMAS & BETSEY, arriving 04 May at Salem, USA, where the prizes were sold for £3,600.
The third voyage was again under command of Captain Pratt and she left Salem in the autumn of 1782, bound for the West Indies where she took the British ship MINERVA which was send to Salem with a prize crew. 17 September the GRAND TURK arrived in Martinique followed by another prize the MARY, which was sold for 102,335 livres.
26 December she sailed from Martinique but she was not so lucky this time she was sighted by a fleet of British warships and only by her better sailing capacity she escaped.
She made a call at Montserrat what at that time was under French control for a short time, after sailing from this island she captured a small vessel the POLLY which had on board a cargo of West Indies produce and nine slaves. The vessel was send with a prize crew to Martinique, the ship and cargo was sold for 12,324 livres and the slaves for 8,695 livres.
In March she captured the British snow SALLY & POLLY and the ships ECHO and ACTIVE, both British, the ACTIVE with a prize crew was send to Salem, the other two to Martinique.
12 March she made her best catch when she captured the British ship POMPEY which surrendered without any fight. From the Captain of the POMPEY they heard that a peace treaty was signed with the American government. Captain Pratt did not believe this and took her as a prize, the crew of the POMPEY was put in boats and ordered to row to the island of St Kitts what was very near. The POMPEY was send to Salem with on board a prize crew. There was a peace treaty signed between the U.K. and America on 20 January 1783 in Paris but the American Congress had only given an order on 24 March which forbid privateering against British ships, and the POMPEY taken before 24 March was sold as a prize to George Crowninshield and renamed AMERICA.
After the GRAND TURK had captured the POMPEY she sailed to Saint Pierre, Martinique were it was confirmed that there was peace between the UK and America.
07 April the GRAND TURK sailed from Saint Pierre bound for Salem where she arrived on 30 April, and this was the end of her career as a privateer.
After arrival her armament was unloaded and she was fitted out as a cargo vessel. Second part of September she was ready and loaded with a full cargo bound for the West Indies.
She was now under command of Captain Samuel Williams with a crew of 13, and on 24 September 1783 she set sail from Salem to Martinique and Guadeloupe, was back at Salem on 07 April 1784 with a cargo of West Indies produce. During the summer she made another voyage to the West Indies now under command of Captain Silsbee.
After arrival in Salem and discharging was she loaded with trading products with a worth of £5,390 bound for a new adventurer.
27 November 1784 she set sail from Salem bound for South Africa under command of Captain Jonathan Ingersoll arriving in the Table Bay in February 1785.
Captain Ingersoll could sell his cargo for a profit, but the plan to load the vessel then with tea from ships which were coming from the East Indies failed, the ships were not allowed to sell the tea in Cape Town.
Part of the cargo of rum was sold for 200 chests of tea which was coming from Captain Thomson private cargo of the East Indiamen CALCUTTA, additional cargo was nankeen http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nankeen
The rum was sold with the condition that the GRAND TURK had to discharge the rum in St Helena, and on 13 April 1785 the GRAND TURK set course to St Helena where she arrived on 30 April, the first time that an American vessel visited the island.
After 5 days discharging she sailed bound for the West Indies and on 2 June she arrived Roseau, Dominica, she left shortly after arrival with course to Saint Pierre, Martinique with the intention to load some sugar molasses, not any molasses available, but Captain Ingersoll was informed that it was in Granada available and he left the next day for Saint Georges, Granada.
In Granada was much interest in the chests of tea and he sold 164 chest of tea with a profit of 50%.
But he was running in trouble with the customs of Granada, it was not allowed to sell tea in the island from not British registered vessels and he had to leave port, captain Ingersoll did not like that his profit was gone and sailed to the Dutch island Sint Eustatius after he got an agreement with the merchants on Grenada to discharge his cargo of tea at Sint Eustatius. After arrival his 164 chest of tea were loaded on schooners from Grenade, who brought also the rum and sugar cargo from the island for the GRAND TURK which was bought there
Ingersoll did buy more cargo than the GRAND TURK could carry and he decided to stay behind at Sint Eustatius to take care of his interests and command was taken over on the GRAND TURK by the first officer with the orders to sail to Salem. The GRAND TURK arrived 26 July 1785 in her homeport.
The owner decided to send the GRAND TURK to Isle de France (Mauritius) what at that time was under control of France and most probably more easier to buy a cargo of tea.
3 December 1785 the GRAND TURK sailed from Salem with cargo and cash worth £9,200 and under command of Captain Ebenr West, first port of call was the Table Bay in South Africa where she dropt her anchor on 23 February 1786.
Part of the cargo was sold but the Dutchmen known for their trade skills did not want to pay too much and West decided to leave and try his luck at Isle de France.
17March she sailed from the Table Bay and 36 days later she dropt her anchor at Port Louis, Isle de France.
The cargo was sold, the profit was meagre and return cargo was not to find.
Captain West came in contact with a merchant Mr. Sebier who want to charter the GRAND TURK for two third, for cargo to Canton.
30 June the deal was closed and around the first of July the GRAND TURK set sail for Canton, after discharging there Mt Sebier planned to load a cargo of tea for Boston, USA. Mr. Sebier was a passenger on board that trip to Canton. The Grand Turk came at anchor at the Pagoda anchorage at Whampoa she was the third American ship what reached China.
From the American consul Captain West was advised to take a Hong Merchant as agent, and he took the Hong Merchant Pinqua a well know merchant as his agent.
With the help of Pinqua the GRAND TURK was cleared and discharging could commence. After Mr. Sebier’s cargo was sold he did not have enough money to charter the GRAND TURK for a cargo of tea to Boston, and the charter party was finished.
Mr. Pinqua got the instructions from West to arrange a cargo of tea, and with some other cargo from Canton added like porcelain and spices he got a full cargo.
By his last visit on board Mr. Pinqua handed over a gift a nice punch bowl with a painting on it of the GRAND TURK later was discovered that it is the British Indiamen HALL, The punch bowl today is in the Peabody Museum in Salem.
Early January 1787 the GRAND TURK sailed from China via the Table Bay from where she again sailed on 17 March 1787 she arrived at Boston, USA on 22 May 1787.
It is not known what the profit was on the sale of the cargo in Boston, but it was substantial For the owner Mr. Derby.
With a cargo worth $28,000 on board the GRAND TURK on 07 December 1787 set sail again now under command of the 21 year old owner son Elias H. Derby, bound for the Indian Ocean. Arrived safely in Port Louis where the cargo quickly was sold with a profit.
During discharging Captain Derby was visited by a French merchant who offered them $13,000 for the GRAND TURK and the offer was accepted, the owner had valued the GRAND TURK on $7,500.
With this money Captain Derby bought on the island two other vessels the SULTANA and PEGGY and with the sale of the cargo of the GRAND TURK it was possible to load both ships.
The GRAND TURK disappears then in the history, most probably renamed.
The other ships on this sheet have till so far not be identified, the 6 c depict a schooner the GRAND TURK (IV) was a schooner but she did have four masts.
On the 20c is a British ship of the line depict and on the 55c a kitsch rigged vessel.
All four ships have in the background the battle between GRAND TURK (III) and HINCHINBROOKE, the GRAND TURK (III)is an two masted brig rigged ship and has nothing to do with the GRAND TURK (I) a three masted ship, depict on the 25c.
Turks and Caicos Islands 1976 25c sg448, scott313 (The battle scene in the back of this stamps is the battle between the HINCHINBROOKE and GRAND TURK see: http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... 369#p16369
Source: The Log of the Grand Turks by R.E. Peabody
.