The Sea Horse 1782-1816

The Sea Horse was a three masted, square rigged ship of 293 tons burden, built in Gravesend for the Hudson Bay Company and launched on 30 March 1782. The ship continued in their employment for ten years, trading with the Native Americans, after which she was sold to a London ship-owner, employed as a Mediterranean merchantman and re-launched with letters of mark as a privateer. The ship was soon captured by French ‘men of war’ in 1795 and carried into Cadiz. She was then renamed the Principe Fernando and fitted out for a voyage to Lima. The ship was recaptured in 1800 by British privateers and later sold in Guernsey. The new owner employed her as a troop transport ship for a couple of years until peace ‘broke out’ in 1802. The ship was then fitted out as a South Seas whaler for a couple of years, until war broke out again when she was re-employed as a troop transport. She remained a troop transport until she was wrecked in 1816. In my estimation, having traced the majority of her voyages she journeyed at least 120,000 sea miles 'made good'. For a more detailed description of the ship and a comprehensive chronology of the ship’s voyages, see my article in this year’s issue of Decies, Journal of the Waterford Archaeological & Historical Society.

Thomas Russell, the Carpenter of The Sea Horse

The only dead seamen whose names are mentioned in the contempoary newspapers are those of  the first mate John Sullivan from Cork, whose wife was drowned and the ships carpenter, Thomas Russell, whose unfortunate family were left destitute:

T Russell, the carpenter of the unfortunate Sea Horse transport, lately wrecked on the coast of Ireland, was among the number that perished, and has left a most distressed widow (a worthy women) and six children totally destitute. He was a good husband, a sober, decent man, much respected in his subordinate, but useful line; he was two years carpenter of the Adam transport, which being paid off some time ago, he could not get another ship until recently, when he joined the Sea Horse; during his being unavoidably out of employment, his little saving were expended (as he always allowed the greater part of his wages for the support of his wife and children in his absence), and the widow and children are therefore absolutely penniless.-The donations of those who feel for the suffers, by such an awful visitation of providence, will be thankfully received by the widow, at her humble home no 6 Adams-gardens, Rotherhithe; at Sir Jas Esdaile and Co.’s, Lombard Street; Messrs Merries and Co.’s St James street; Bar of Lloyd’s Coffee House and Mr J Lachlan, late Agent for the ship, 22, Great Alle Street, Goodman’s Fields.[1]

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[1] The Morning Chronicle, 24 February 1816.

Numbers On Board the Sea Horse

According to Captain Gibbs, the Sea Horse took on board at Ramsgate, on the 24 January, 16 Officers, 287 men, 33 women, and 38 children and a crew 17 in number. There was also a passenger, Lieutenant Allen of the Royal Navy, which including Gibbs himself, comes to a total of 393 souls. Total losses were reported to be 12 officers, 15 seamen, 71 women and children as well as the 264 enlisted men, a total of 363. While the numbers reported to be saved were 4 officers, 23 enlisted men, one of which died shortly afterwards and 3 seamen.

      However a letter from Ramsgate dated 6 February clearly related that, ‘the statement of men on board the Seahorse is not correct-there embarked here 14 officers, 266 men, 33 woman and 34 children.’[1] While there can be little doubt that there were 16 officers on board, the number of enlisted men, women and children remains open to question. Furthermore, an investigation into the Regimental Pay List from 25 January 1816 to 24 March 1816 confirm the deaths of 4 senior enlisted staff, 4 colour sergeants, 1 drum major, 10 sergeants, 14 corporals, 15 drummers and fifers and 197 privates on 30 January 1816, a total of 245 dead men, 2 of which died at the wreck of the Lord Melville. Adding the 22 enlisted men that are listed in the pay list as having survived the wreck of the Sea Horse, the total of the enlisted men recorded to be on board comes to 265.[2] A figure much closer to the Ramsgate tally; if we take this reckoning as the more accurate of the two, then the numbers on board amount to 16 officers, 265 enlisted men, 33 woman and 34 children, 18 seamen and one passenger, a sum total of 367 souls of which 338 were lost. However, if the number of soldiers on board is incorrect in the official tally, then the number of women and children is also probably incorrect. Also, Gibbs stated that there were only 17 seamen on board, including himself. The exact figures of those on board and those lost is unknown.

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[1] The Times, 8 February 1816.

[2] 59^th Foot 2^nd BN 1815 & 1816 War Office Regimental Pay Lists, 25 January 1816 to 24 March 1816 , WO/12/6870, The National Archives, accessed online at http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/.