Name of Vessel:

St. Bee [St. Bees]

Master of Vessel:

John Williamson

Rig of Vessel:

Ship [Bark]

Date of Capture:

[2] February 1781

Place of Capture:

Captor:

Massachusetts Privateer Brigantine Amsterdam

Home Port:

From What Port:

New York, New York

To What Port:

Whitehaven, England

Cargo:

Tonnage:

Battery:

Crew:

Owners:

Prize master:

Prize crew:

Ordered Into:

[Boston, Massachusetts]

Into What Port:

[Boston, Massachusetts]

Date Arrived:

4 February 1781

Date Tried:

Date Sold:

Action:

No

Recaptured:

No

Comments: Massachusetts Privateer Brigantine Amsterdam (Commander James Magee) sailed from Boston, Massachusetts for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, arriving in the latter port on 11 February 1781. En route Magee captured the ship St. Bee (or St. Bees, John Williamson), bound from New York, New York to Whitehaven, England. Williamson had sailed from New York on 2 February, expecting to overtake the convoy that had sailed the day before. This is probably the “light bark” that arrived in Boston on 4 February, captured by the Amsterdam. She was bound for Whitehaven out of New York.

[The Connecticut Courant [Hartford], Tuesday, February 27, 1781, datelined Philadelphia, February 14; The New Jersey Gazette [Burlington], Wednesday, February 28, 1781, datelined Boston, February 5]

Posted 21 March 2010