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Thompson | Official Number
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Thompson | Official Number
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The Thompson was a full-rigged ship built at Whitehaven by William Bowes & Son.
The Cumberland Pacquet, Tuesday, 2nd December 1777, page 2;
"Saturday last was launched
a fine new vessel, called the Thompson, built for Capt.Richard Johnstone,
by Messrs. Bowes and Son".
On the morning of 23rd April 1778 thirty men from the American Navy ship Ranger rowed ashore at Whitehaven, spiked the guns in the two forts and attempted to set fire to over two hundred vessels that were lying aground inside the harbour. In its report five days later the Cumberland Pacquet newspaper wrote that "The Thompson, Captain Richard Johnson, a new vessel, and one of the finest ever built here, was in a flame", and then "that by an uncommon exertion, the fire was extinguished before it reached the rigging of the ship".
The Cumberland Chronicle reported that "a party went on board the Thompson, Capt. Johnston, a coal loaden vessel, lying opposite to Allison's, took the boys out of bed, and set her on fire: They offered money to the boys to induce them to go with them, but on there refusing they put them under guard on the Quay, without any other covering than their shirts; having handkerchiefs tied over their mouths to prevent their crying out, at the same time the privateer's people threatening to shoot them if they made any noise or resistance. Immediately after the alarm was effectually given, the fire engines were brought to the Quay, and by the vigorous exertions of people of all ranks, the fire on board the Thompson was speedily extinguished, without damaging any other vessel; thus were the malicious attempts of those daring Incendiaries frustrated."
The Thompson survived the fire and by the following month was working in the coal trade to Dublin.
The Cumberland Pacquet, Tuesday, 9th June 1778;
"Tuesday last
an express arrived here from London, ordering an embargo on all ships and
vessels, not already cleared out. The order for an embargo arrived at the
Custom House, Dublin, on Friday last, at which time Captain Johnston clearing
out for this port, (the same vessel which Paul Jones set fire to) the clearance
was refused, and he is detained amongst a great number belonging to the
ports of this coast".
The embargo was an order to detain vessels in port due to privateers operating in the Irish Sea.
Lloyd's Register of Shipping information shows that the Thompson was engaged in voyages to New York (1779); for transportation (1781-2); Halifax (1783); Virginia (1784); South Carolina (1786); Greenland (1787-90). Her masters were Captain R. Johnson (1779-80/1783); Captain T. Gibson (1781-82); Captain Jos. Bell (1784-90) and her owners were Captain & Co. (1779-80); R. Johnson & Co. (1781-90).
The Thompson was originally a 240 ton ship with a 14 feet draught under load. She was equipped with four 4-pounder & four 3-pounder guns. From 1787 she was listed as a brig (probably a mistake), and her tonnage was reduced to 221 tons in 1790. She was sheathed in 1780, 1782 and 1786. The vessel is not listed in the1791 edition of Lloyd's Register.
The Times, Saturday, 25th July, 1789, page 3;
" GREENLANDMEN - The Precedent, Benn, arrived at Whitehaven
on Monday evening, from Greenland, with ten fish, and eight hundred and
thirty two seals. She left the ice the 1st of July. And the tide following,
the Thompson, Bell, also arrived there with three fish (two of them
large) and seventeen seals. Captain Ansdell, of Liverpool, and part of
the crews of two vessels lost in the ice, arrived in the Precedent."
The Times, Saturday, 10th July 1790, page 3;
" SHIPS LOST - Thompson, of Whitehaven (June 2nd), Urania,
of Sunderland (in the West Ice), Friends, of Hull (May 6th), Essex,
of London (June 2nd) - all the crews saved."
Lloyd's List, Tuesday, 13th July 1790, front page;
"The Thompson, Bell, from Whitehaven; and the Urania, Barry, from Sunderland, are lost at Greenland."
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