Cambridge (1803 ship)
Cambridge was launched at Howdon (Newcastle upon Tyne) in 1803. She made one or two voyages as whaler and then became a West Indiaman and later traded across the Atlantic and with the Baltic. In 1814 she repelled an attack by a privateer in a single-ship action. She was sunk in May 1841 while returning to Newcastle on Tyne from Russia. Career. "Cambridge"s first owner was Lord Camelford, a particularly violent former naval officer. When Camelford died three days after being wounded in a duel on 7 March 1804. His whalers, "Cambridge", (or "Willding"), and passed  to Lord Grenville, a relative by marriage, who sold them when they returned from their voyages. Whaler: Captain Benjamin Thompson acquired a letter of marque on 30 January 1804. In February he sailed from London, bound for the Galápagos Islands. On 29 May "Cambridge" and "Caerwent" were at Rio de Janeiro. They were later reported to have arrived at Hood Island. "Cambridge" was again at Rio in July 1806, requiring food, water, and calefaction. This may have represented a second voyage. At some point her captains were reported as Buves, and Anthony. On 5 December 1806 "Lloyd's List" reported  that "Cambridge", Thompson, late master, and "Caerwent", Anthony, master, were at the Cape of Good Hope, "Cambridge" returned to London on 12 May 1807. "Lloyd's Register" for 1807 still showed her master as Thompson, her owner as Rodgers, and her trade as London–South Seas. West Indiaman and general trader "Lloyd's List" reported on 24 June 1808 that "Cambridge", Sullivan, master, had had to put back into Havana, having been run into. On 6 January 1814 "Cambridge", Evans, master, arrived at Havana. She had repelled an attack by a Carthaginian privateer schooner of one gun and 80 men  near Morro Castle (Havana). Two hours later the privateer captured a ship. On 6 May 1825, "Cambridge", Mason, master, rescued the crew and their belongings from the leaky and sinking "Albert", Dixon, master. Both vessels were sailing to London, "Cambridge" from Jamaica and "Albert" from Virginia when "Cambridge" came upon "Albert" at . "Albert" had four feet of water in her hold that was rising at 18" per hour, even with her pumps working. Fate. "Cambridge" was last listed in "Lloyd's Register" in 1841 with the annotation "SUNK". She was sunk on 2 May 1841 by ice in the Baltic  Sea. Her crew were rescued by a Russian ship. She was on a voyage from Reval, Russia to Newcastle upon Tyne. Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References