Blucher (1814 ship)
{{other ships|List of ships named Blucher}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2018}}
| {{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image | Ship image = | Ship caption = }} {{Infobox ship career |Hide header= |Ship country=United States |Ship flag={{USN flag|1813}} |Ship name= |Ship namesake= |Ship builder=Boston |Ship laid down= |Ship launched=1809 |Ship completed= |Ship acquired= |Ship commissioned= |Ship struck= |Ship captured= c.1814 |Ship notes= |Ship badge= }} {{Infobox ship career | Hide header=title | Ship country=United Kingdom | Ship flag={{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|civil}} | Ship name = Blucher | Ship namesake =Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher | Ship owner =*1814:Laing & Co.
| Ship operator = | Ship ordered = | Ship builder = | Ship original cost = | Ship laid down = | Ship launched = | Ship acquired = c.1814 by purchase of a prize | Ship commissioned = | Ship decommissioned = | Ship in service = | Ship out of service = | Ship renamed = | Ship struck = | Ship reinstated = | Ship honours = | Ship honors = | Ship captured = | Ship fate = Wrecked 1818 (possibly) | Ship notes = }} {{Infobox ship characteristics | Hide header = | Header caption = | Ship class = | Ship tons burthen= 240{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=254}} (bm) | Ship length = | Ship beam = | Ship draught = | Ship draft = | Ship hold depth = | Ship propulsion = | Ship sail plan = | Ship complement = | Ship armament =2 × 4-pounder guns | Ship notes = }} |
Blucher was launched at Boston in 1809 under another name. The British captured her around 1814 and new owners renamed her. She traded with India and South East Asia under a license from the British East India Company until she wrecked in 1818.
Career
Laing & Co. purchased her as a prize. She first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1814 with Kennedy, master, Laing & Co., owners, and trade London–Newfoundland.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015005689354?urlappend=%3Bseq=648 Lloyd's Register (1814), supple. pages "B", Seq,.№B36.] The next year Fullerton replaced Kennedy as master.
In 1816 her master changed from Fullerton to C. Kerr, her owner was Goldie & Co., and her trade was London–{{not a typo|Hayti}}.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015005689511?urlappend=%3Bseq=84 Lloyd's Register (1816), Seq.№B315.] By 1818 her trade was London–Cape of Good Hope. That was a far east as she could legally sail without a license from the British East India Company (EIC).
On 31 December 1816 Blucher sailed from the Cape to Île de France. The lists of vessels sailing under a license from the EIC do not include her, suggesting that she may have been sailing east of the Cape without permission.
Be that as it may, she arrived at Île de France on 4 January and on 5 February she was still there undergoing repairs. She had met with a gale after she had left the Cape, but was expected to sail for Batavia in eight or 10 days.Lloyd's List [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735028?urlappend=%3Bseq=322 №5277.] On May 14 she sailed for Java.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735028?urlappend=%3Bseq=420 Lloyd's List №5315.]
On 14 August 1817 Blucher, Kerr, master, was again at the Cape, having reportedly come from Batavia and Île de France.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735028?urlappend=%3Bseq=206 Lloyd's List №5229.]
Loss
On 1 March 1818 a gale caught Blucher in port at Île de France. She had to cut away all her masts and was so damaged as to be considered irreparable.Lloyd's List [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735028?urlappend=%3Bseq=351 №5291.]
On 15 September 1818 Lloyd's Register reported that on 14 May Blucher, Kerr, master, sailed from Île de France, bound for Java.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735028?urlappend=%3Bseq=420 Lloyd's List №5315.] On 10 September 1819 Lloyd's Register reported that Blucher, Kerr, master, had arrived on 8 April at Batavia from Sourabaya.[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735029?urlappend=%3Bseq=302 Lloyd's List №5420.] However, there are no other such mentions from late 1818 or late 1819.
Both Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping continued to carry Blucher, Kerr, master, with stale data to 1827 or 1823. Both were only as accurate as vessels' owners chose to keep them.
Citations
{{reflist|30em}}
References
- {{cite book |last=Hackman |first=Rowan |year=2001 |title=Ships of the East India Company |location=Gravesend, Kent |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=0-905617-96-7}}
{{1818 shipwrecks}}