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Paragon
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Official
Number
none |
The Paragon was a
full-rigged ship built at Lancaster in 1800. She was armed with 14 x
9-pounder and 6 x 24-pounder guns, and was equipped with a letter of
marque (see Source 1).
From the Morning Chronicle, Friday 19th August 1803;
"On Saturday last, says a letter from
Lancaster, dated August 13, we had the pleasure of seeing the first
prize brought into this port, this war, viz. the coppered French ship
polacre L'Harmonie, Peter
Paul Boniface master, burthen 238 tons, laden with 307 bales of cotton,
20 bundles of buffalo hides, 985 cwt.Campeachy wood, &c. She sailed
from New Orleans, for Marseilles, on the 14th of June, and was captured
on the 25th July, in lat.35.10, long.23.16, by the Paragon, letter of marque, of this
port, Captain Hart, belonging to Messrs.Ridley and Dodson. She had
seven passengers, four of whom arrived in her. They had not heard of
the war."
The position was 350 nm NW of Madeira, and it appears from a later
report that the crew of L'Harmonie
were taken aboard the Paragon,
which proceeded to Barbados, having to repel an attack from a French
privateer near that island. Capt.Hart, of the Paragon, of
Lancaster, sent a message from
Barbados, dated 16th August 1803, reporting an action 18 leagues to
windward
of Barbados with a French schooner privateer of 12 guns and 100 men.
During
an action of one hour, the Paragon repulsed two attempts to
board
her, and used grapeshot from the heavy guns on her quarter-deck to
inflict
"dreadful carnage among the crew of the privateer; her decks were
almost
covered with dead bodies before she got from alongside, and her
scubbards
run with blood." Of the 30 crew of the Paragon, two were killed
and
seven wounded. The Paragon had
18 guns, and also had 20 French prisoners aboard (see Source 2).
On the 3rd April 1804 the Paragon was reported as part of a
West
India convoy of 38 sail, under the protection of HM frigate Carysfort
(see Source 3).
The Paragon disappeared
from Lloyd's Register after 1830.
A brig named Paragon was built at
Lancaster
in 1824.
|
Name
|
Year Built
|
Tons
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Length (feet)
|
Breadth (feet)
|
Depth (feet)
|
Masts
|
Figurehead
|
Stern
|
Lloyd's Classn.
|
|
Paragon
|
1800
|
295
|
|
|
|
3
|
|
|
A1, 9 years
|
Sources :
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Underwriters' Green Book) 1803 -
owned Ridley & Co., master Capt.W.Hart, voyage London - Demerara
(probably a mistake, and should have been La for Lancaster rather than
Lo for London ).
- The Times, Tuesday, 11th October 1803, page 3, also the Newcastle
Courant, 15th October 1803.
- The Times, Wednesday, 2nd May 1804.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Underwriters' Green Book) 1815 -
295 tons, owned Collins & Co., master Capt.D.Stewart, armed with 12
x 9-pounder guns.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Shipowners' Red Book) 1820 -
308 tons, owned Harper & Co., master Capt.Hyde, voyage London -
Greenland.
- Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Underwriters' Green Book) 1825 -
301 tons, master and owner Capt.G.Smith, voyage London - Newcastle.