Camden (1813 ship)
Camden was built at Whitby in 1813. She served as a general trader for much of her career, though in 1820-21 she made one voyage to Bombay for the British East India Company (EIC). Between 1833 and 1837 she was a Greenland whaler out of the Whitby whale fishery, and was the last vessel from Whitby to engage in whaling. She was last listed in "Lloyd's Register" in 1850. Career. "Camden" first appeared in the registers in the "Register of shipping" ("RS") in 1814. As a government transport, "Camden" made a voyage to Jamaica. She  returned and then, no longer a transport, sailed to Quebec, returning to England on 16 September 1817. In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC. "Camden", Johnson, master, sailed for Batavia 25 February 1818, or 27 March. "Camden" and a number of other outward bound vessels had ended up waiting at Deal. She sailed to Portsmouth, but after leaving Portsmouth had to put back. she finally sailed from Portsmouth on 31 March, bound for  Batavia. On 15 April 1819 "Camden", Johnson, master, was at Mauritius, having come from Batavia and Manila. On 2 October she sailed from Gravesend, for Amsterdam. EIC voyage (1820-1821). Captain James Johnson sailed from the Downs on 2 May 1820, bound for Bombay. "Camden" arrived at Bombay on 21 August. Homeward bound, she was at the Cape of Good Hope on 24 January 1821, and arrived at Gravesend on 7 April. In 1824 "Camden" moved her registry to London. Hudson's Bay Company. Between 1824 or 1825 and 1831 "Camden" sailed under charter to the Hudson's Bay Company . Whaler. Between 1833 and 1837 the Chapmans employed "Camden" as a whaler in the Whitby whale fishery. Whalers from Whitby had been whaling in Davis Strait since 1753, though by the 1830s the business had almost died out. In 1832 "Phoenix", a Chapman-owned ship, was the sole vessel to go out, and she returned with 234 tons of oil (195 Imperial measure), the largest amount ever to have been brought back. The Chapmans therefore sent out "Camden" in 1833, as well as "Phoenix". Both vessels were successful in volume terms: "Phoenix" returned with 227 tons, and "Camden" returned with  230 tons. However, whaling became unprofitable as the price of whale oil had fallen. Between 1833 and 1837 it varied between £23 and over £50 per ton. Whalebone prices varied between £30 and £150 per ton. "Phoenix" and "Camden" left in 1837, but "Phoenix" grounded on her way out and came back to port. "Camden"s voyage proved a failure. The Chapmans withdrew both ships from whaling, and with that whaling from Whitby ended. On 31 October 1835 "Camden", Armstrong, master, from Davis Strait, and "Smales", Sinclair, master, from Quebec, ran afoul of each other. Both received  considerable damage. On 28 March 1838 "Camden" sailed to America. On at least one of here voyages, in 1845, "Camden" brought back lumber for the naval dockyard at Chatham. Fate. "Camden" last appeared in "Lloyd's Register" in 1850. Her owner was still Chapman, but she had no master and no trade. The last mention in ship arrival and departure data was in October 145 when she sailed for Quebec. Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References