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Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine Venus |
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| Venus | Commander William Raddon |
| Armed Brig | 13 July 1776- |
| Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine |
| Commissioned/First Date: | 13 July 1776 |
| Out of Service/Cause: |
| Owners: | Daniel Roberdeau and Thomas Pryor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Tonnage: | 75 |
| Battery: | Date Reported: 13 July 1776 Number/Caliber Weight Broadside 6/3-pounder 18 pounds 9 pounds Total: 6 cannon/18 pounds Broadside: 3 cannon/9 pounds Swivels: |
| Crew: | 13 July 1776: 26 [total] |
| Description: |
| Officers: | (1) First Mate Thomas Cummin, 13 July 1776- |
| Cruises: | (1) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to St. Eustatius, Dutch West Indies, [July] 1776-[August] 1776
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Comments:
Pennsylvania Privateer Brigantine Venus (Commander William Raddon) was commissioned on 13 July 1776. She was listed as being armed with six 3-pounders and as having a crew of twenty-five men. Thomas Cummin was listed as “second in Comd.” Her bond was signed by Thomas Pryor of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and by Raddon, also of Philadelphia, for $5000.1
On 12 July 1776 Venus was at Philadelphia, preparing to go on a powder voyage. Roberdeau received permission from the Pennsylvania Council of Safety to obtain two pound shot, gunpowder, and other munitions from the public stores.2 She was at St. Eustatius in August 1776. She had come there with a cargo of flour, bread, biscuit and staves. In return she was picking up rum, salt and dry goods.3 Venus, judging from her disbursements, had an interesting time at St. Eustatius. Anchors were lost, and when a launch was borrowed to retrieve them, that too was lost.4 It is a presumption that she returned safely to Philadelphia.
1 NDAR, “Continental Bond of the Pennsylvania Letter of Marque Brig Venus,” V, 1063 and 1064 note
2 NDAR, “Minutes of the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety,” V, 1048
3 NDAR, “St. Eustatius' Merchants' Account with the Pennsylvania Letter of Marque Brigantine Venus,” VI, 947 and note
4 NDAR, “Disbursements for the Pennsylvania Letter of Marque Brigantine Venus at St. Eustatius,” VI, 945-946 and 946 note
| Posted 23 December 2009 |
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