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The Countess of Liverpool was a brig built at Maryport by Isaac
Middleton, launched on the 8th October 1824.
Report of piracy from the Cumberland Pacquet newspaper, Tuesday, 14th March 1826, page 3:
" In our last paper we inserted a brief account of the piracy on board the Countess of Liverpool, Jenkinson, of Maryport: the following additional particulars are communicated in a letter from Mr.Lindsay, late of Liverpool, one of the passengers on board the vessel:
- Buenos Ayres, December 20 - We arrived here on the 15th instant, after a long and rough passage of 79 days. On the 12th November, at daylight, we saw a sail to windward, steering towards us. At half-past nine a.m., she came within musket shot, when she fired a gun from her starboard side across our stern, hoisted Buenos Ayres colours, beat to quarters, and lowered four boats, with about thirty armed men. The first person that came on board of us was the officer in command. He was a little man, of dark complexion, wore a high-crowned hat, and had a brace of pistols in his belt, (on the barrels of which were the letters D.C.L.,) and a cutlass in his hand. His men were armed with a brace of pistols, a knife, and a cutlass. On coming on board, they asked Captain Jenkinson the name of his vessel, where from, and whither bound, our latitude and longitude, and if we had seen many ships on our passage. After Captain Jenkinson had answered these questions, the officer of the pirate told us he had been cruising off Cadiz, that he was short of provisions, and that if we would supply him with some, he would give us a bill for the amount upon a house in Buenos Ayres. To this proposal, Captain Jenkinson readily agreed. the villain now began to show himself in his true colours. He asked Captain Jenkinson for his cabin boy. The captain having told him he had none, the officer of the pirate immediately struck the captain across the back a number of times with his cutlass in the most brutal manner. He then ordered the provisions and ship stores to be brought up on deck, which having been done, he helped himself to whatever he pleased. After sending his boats to the pirate vessel, loaded with provisions, &c., he proceeded to rifle the cargo. Silk handkerchiefs and stockings were thrown about the deck in all directions, as also a great many barrels of ale. They (the pirates) took a box of coats belonging to Mr.Claypole, Whitechapel, valued at £100. What quantity of goods they took altogether is not known, as they would not allow the captain to take either the number or marks of any thing. After robbing us of nearly all our provisions and part of the cargo, they began with the passengers. The officer of the pirate ordered me to follow him down to the cabin, where I had to turn out the contents of my trunks, from which he took, in cloth and clothes, to the value of £30. Previous to this pirate coming alongside of us, Captain Jenkinson gave me a gold watch, a case of watches directed to Hess, and four small parcels, directed to Helsby, all of which I put under my bed. After rummaging my trunks, the officer of the pirate proceeded to search under the bed, and, having found the watch, quickly put it in his pocket. Some musical snuff-boxes, directed to Helsby, he would not have, and the case of watches, directed to Hess, he did not find. From Mr.Hardacre, a passenger, the pirates took a handsome gold watch, and nearly the whole of his boots, shoes, and shirts; from Mr.Symes, a dentist, another passenger, four dozen of shirts, all his boots and shoes, many of his tools, and about 280 dollars, and afterwards beat him with their cutlasses in a shocking manner. They took the whole of the cabin stores, and only left the captain the shirt he had on his back. As they were about to leave us, the officer ordered Mrs.Lindsay and myself to follow him into the cabin. On getting below, he politely handed Mrs.L. to a chair, and the next moment he placed a pistol to my head, threatening to blow my brains out if I did not give him all the money I had got. I told him that I and every one else in the ship was at his mercy, as we were all unarmed, and, therefore, he might do as he chose, but that money I had none. Mrs.L.offered him two sovereigns, but he was too gallant to take the money from her. The pirates left us about two o'clock in the afternoon, and steered away N.W. We were then in lat. 4N, long.24W."
The Countess of Liverpool sailed from Liverpool for Monte Video
on the 29th December 1827 and was wrecked on the Skerries at 6pm the following day,
without loss of life.
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