Thames (1805 ship)
Thames was a Spanish vessel launched in 1804, almost certainly under a different name, and captured circa 1805. She became a whaler, making eight whaling voyages between 1805 and 1826. Although the registers carried "Thames" for some years after her return from her eighth voyage, there is no evidence that she ever sailed again. Career. W. Mellish purchased "Thames" and she would go on to make eight whaling voyages for him. There is some confusion among sources as to the vessel. Once source describes her as having been built in Rotherhithe in 1804, but another source points  out that other than the name and the name of a master, John Hemmons, there is no further evidence for this vessel. 1st whaling voyage (1805–1808): Captain Charles Gardner acquired a letter of marque on 30 September 1805. He sailed on 10 October 1805 in company with , James Birnie, master, and "William and Elizabeth", J.Coffin, master. They separated from each other a little later. "Thames" sailed via Porto Santo (1 November), Palma (5 November), Isle of Mayo (11 November), and St Catherine's (off the coast of Brazil. In February 1807, some men were mutinous, but she rounded Cape Horn  and fished off the coast of South America, being reported having been "all well" in March 1807. She returned to England on 2 January 1808, having taken 57 whales. "Thames" first appeared in "Lloyd's Register" in 1808. 2nd whaling voyage (1808–1811): Captain Joseph Bowman (or Bowerman), sailed from England on 11 March 1808, bound for the waters off Peru. "Thames" was reported to have been on the coast of Peru in December 1809, "all well" on 27 March 1810, and off Peru in September 1810. She returned to England on 13 February 1811. 3rd whaling voyage (1811–1813): Captain Andrew  Bristow acquired a letter of marque against America. He sailed from England on 8 June 1811, bound for New Zealand. "Thames" returned on 21 December 1813. 4th whaling voyage (1814–1816): Captain John Stavers sailed from England in 1814, bound for the waters off Peru. I May 1815 she was at the Galapagos Islands. She returned to England on 16 April 1816 with in excess of 1500 barrels of whale oil. On her return several crew members accused Stavers of having caused the death of an apprentice. Although some sources report that "Thames" was sold to the government, or private owners , she appears to have remained under Mellish's ownership. "LR" also did not show any change of ownership. 5th whaling voyage (1816–1818): Captain Edward Lawson sailed from England on 27 June 1816. "Thames" returned on 1 July 1818 with 760 casks of whale oil. 6th whaling voyage (1818–1820): Captain Lawson sailed from England on 21 September 1818. "Thames" returned on 22 September 1820. 7th whaling voyage (1821–1823): Captain Lawson sailed from England on 31 March 1821, bound for Peru. On 8 October 1822 "Thames" was at Honolulu, having taken some 1700 barrels in the waters off Japan. She returned to  England on 5 October 1823 with 650 casks. The voyage from Lima had taken 93 days. "Thames" had brought with her a Spanish colonel who was carrying dispatches for the British government. On 5 October, as "Thames" was returning from the South Seas, she ran afoul of "Freundschaft", Johanson, in the Downs. "Freundschaft" had to put into Ramsgate, having sustained some damage. 8th whaling voyage (1824–1826): Captain John Meek sailed from England on 10 October 1824, bound for the Sandwich Islands. On 25 April and 29 October 1825 "Thames" was at Honolulu. She returned to England on 5 December 1826  with 500 casks of oil. Fate. "LR" continued to carry "Thames" with stale data for a number of years after 1826. However, William Mellish had purchased a new "Thames", launched on the Thames, in 1827, that set out for the Southern Whale Fishery on 6 September 1827. Citations & references. Citations References