Minerva

Official Number
none

The Minerva was launched from Mr.Brockbank's shipyard at Lancaster in July 1805, and was at the time the largest vessel ever built at the port. She was 551 tons burthen, and was pierced for 50 guns. Though she had been built for the Jamaica and Clyde trade, the Minerva seems to have been bought by London owners and operated from there, mainly in the trades to Central America and the Caribbean. Lloyd's Registers were not always up-to-date, and cannot be considered reliable, and the information in the table below from the Underwriters' Green Book is particularly poor. Reports from London newspapers (Morning Post and Morning Chronicle) confirm that the Minerva, Capt.John Anderson, made voyages to Bengal in 1811 and 1813, as an 'extra' East India ship.<

Lloyd's Register
 		Master(s)
 		Arms
 		Voyage
 		     
Lloyd's Register Master(s) Arms Voyage
1806 (Green Book) McKinley 22 guns Lancaster - West Indies
1811 (Red Book, Supplement)
 Anderson
 20-18 & 12 C London - India
1807 (Green Book) McKinley
 4-9, 2-6P, & 16-18NC London - Surinam
1812 (Green Book) Gunhouse 6-9 P, 10-18 NC London - Honduras
1808 (Green Book) McKinley, S.Williams
 4-9, 2-6P, & 16-18NC London - Surinam
1812 (Red Book) Anderson
 20-18 & 12 C
 London - India
1809 (Green Book) Alexand.
 4-9, 2-6P, & 16-18NC London - Surinam
1813 (Red Book) Anderson 20-18 & 12 C London - India
1809 (Red Book)
 L.Williams
 4-9 & 2-6P, & 16-18C London - Surinam
1813 (Green Book) Gunhouse, Campbell 6-9 P, 10-18 NC London - Honduras
1810 (Green Book) Kennan, Gunhouse 4-9, 2-6P, & 16-18NC London - Surinam
1814 (Red Book) Anderson 20-18 & 12 C London - India
1811 (Green Book) Gunhouse 6-9 P, 10-18 NC London - Honduras
1815 (Red Book) Anderson 20-18 & 12 C London - India
1811 (Red Book) R.Kennan 4-8 & 8-6 P London - Surinam
1815 (Green Book) Gunhouse, J.Mackie 6-9 P, 16-18 NC London - Honduras

Throughout the period of wars with Napoleonic France, and then the USA, the vessel was relatively well-armed for a merchantman, carrying 20 to 30 guns of various sizes and types. Throughout these years the Minerva had a Letter of Marque, issued to Capt.John McKinlay in February 1806, then to Capt.Thomas Alexander in May 1807 and September 1808, Capt.Lewis Williams in January 1808, Capt.Godfrey Gunhouse in June 1810 and Capt.John Anderson in May 1811 and February 1813. The final Letter of Marque described the Minerva as a "private ship of war" and was issued to allow her to specifically to act against ships of the United States. The Minerva at this time carried 4 x 9 pounder and 10 x 18 pounder carriage guns, with fifty men, each provided with a cutlass and small arms. The Minerva would not have been a pure privateer, seeking to only to capture enemy vessels and cargoes, but an armed merchantman, equipped to defend herself and seize enemy vessels if the opportunity arose.

From 1818 the Minerva was still a licensed India ship, meaning that she was licensed by the Honourable East India Company to carry goods to the colonies where that company had a monopoly on trade. In fact, the 'goods' were convicts, carried to Australia in four passages made under the command of Capt.John Bell. The following voyages are listed on various Australian websites:

The Minerva disappeared from Lloyd's Register after this final voyage - possibly she remained in Australia or the Far East, or was wrecked on a return trip.

Another vessel named Minerva was commanded by a Capt.J.Bell, and was making passages to Australia in this period. This vessel, probably a brig, was built at Aberdeen, and was commanded by Capt.James Bell. She left Leith in February 1822, then Plymouth in March 1822, bound for Van Diemens's Land and New South Wales with goods and passengers (not convicts).

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Minerva
1805
551
  
 
  
 3
Woman 
Square  
8 years A1 

Sources :

  1. Launch reported in the Lancaster Gazette, Saturday, 3rd August 1805, page 3.
  2. Awards of Letters of Marque from Privateers of 1812 website.
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Underwriters' Green Book) 1806: Minerva, coppered ship, 551 tons, 3 decks, 22 guns, built at Lancaster, 1 year old, owned by Richies, commanded by Capt.McKinley, voyage Lancaster - West Indies (there were 106 other vessels of the same name listed, including one other built at Lancaster, a 185 tons brig, 11 years old, operating in the Liverpool - Africa trade).
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1817-18 (Shipowners' Red Book): Minerva, coppered ship, 551 tons, built at Lancaster in 1805, owned by Donaldson, master Capt.J.Bell, voyage London - Botany Bay (also in list of Licensed {East India Co.} Ships for 1817, with the same details, except tonnage is given as 530).
  5. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1819-20 (Shipowners' Red Book): Minerva, same details as 1818, except vessel was re-coppred in 1819, and voyage is given as London - NSW (also included in list of Licensed Ships, sailed London for NSW in 1819, tonnage is given as 530).
  6. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1821-22 (Underwriters' Green Book): Minerva, same details as 1820, except vessel was owned by Cundle & Co., voyage is given as London - Botany Bay (also included in list of Licensed India Ships, sailed 30th July 1821 from London for Fort William (530 tons, built Lancaster 1805, commanded by J.Bell, owned by S.Donaldson).
  7. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1822-3 (Underwriters' Green Book): Minerva, same details as 1822. Note also there is another ship listed named Minerva, Capt.J.Bell, built Aberdeen, 10 years old, 259 tons, voyage Liverpool - NSW).
  8. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1824-5 (Shipowners' Red Book): Minerva, same details as 1820, but vessel re-coppered in 1823, owner named as Donaldson voyage is given as London - NSW. The Aberdeen-built Minerva is listed as a brig, still command by J.Bell, but voyage given as London - NSW.
  9. Lloyd's Register of Shipping 1825-6 (Shipowners' Red Book): Minerva, same details as 1820, owner named as Donaldson voyage is given as London - NSW. The Aberdeen-built Minerva is no longer listed.
  10. Not Listed in LR(Green Book) 1827 or 1828.
  11. Career of Capt.John Bell described in the Australian Dictionary of Biography.
  12. Australian voyages from Journeys in Time (Macquarie University) and Convict Ships websites.
  13. Voyage of the Aberdeen-built Minerva from the Times newspaper, 2nd March, 1822, page 1: " For Van Diemens Land and New South Wales, at Leith, to sail from thence on the 25th of February, and from Portsmouth the 15th of March, the Minerva, James Bell, commander, A1, 400 tons burden, nearly loaded, and several of the berths being positively engaged, the time of sailing may be depended on; is a very fine fast sailing vessel, copper-fastened and new coppered; height betwen decks 7 feet; is admirably adapted for passengers, and the number will be limited so as to ensure their comfortable accommodataion. There will be an experienced surgeon on board. For freight or passage apply to Mr.S.W.Garratt, Portsmouth; or to William Gibson & Co., Old City-chambers, London."