Saturday, May 23, 2009

Impressed American Seamen of 1803.

Here is a list of seamen that were impressed from American ships by the British and put into the British service of 1803, it was believed by the British that once a British subject always a British subject. A lot of the men on this list were taken from merchant ships even though they had the protection of the custom-houses. All the world powers know that with out trade their country would be in economic trouble. Even though one country may not like each other, or may be at war with the other the trade would go on. The custom-houses of one country would give protection to pass with out harm. But these protections were of little use, for when a man-of-war stopped a merchant ship, they almost always found something wrong. When a British man-of-war stopped a ship from another county and found a seamen they believed to be a British subject they were taken off the ship and impressed into their service, and the ship was taken as a prize.

Impressed seamen belonging to American vessels, by the agents of foreign nations.

1. Edward Bass, a native of Philadelphia, impressed at London some time in March or April last, and put on board of the Mars. This man had been impressed into the British service during the late war, and was confined therein until peace. Upon the breaking out of war again, as he was on the point of departing for this country, he was impressed a second time into the British service. He was without a custom-house protection.

2. Robert Carter Gilliarn, native of Sussex county, Virginia, impressed from the American vessel Warren, then lying at the port of London, in March or April last. He was without a protection.

3. John Leland Wade, native of Bristol county, Massachusetts, (having lost his protection,) was impressed at LiverPool, in April last. From the brig Mahela Winsor, and put into the Courageux.

4. William Wall, Henry Clark, and James Clark, Irishmen, not stated to be citizens of the United States, impressed at London the 10th May, from the American ship Industry. No protections.

5. Christopher Tillinghast, native of North Kingston, Rhode Island, impressed into the British ship Loire, off Ireland, on the high seas, on the 20th May, from the American ship Sterlin. Without a protection.

6. John Robberts and John Backham, the former a Dane, and the latter a Swede, impressed on the 25th May. in the North sea, from the American ship Shepherdess, John Bryan, Master, into the British frigate Amelia, Lord Proby, master. Without protections.

7. Barnabas Otis, junior, native of Plymouth, Massachusetts, impressed on the 29th May, in the English channel, into the British frigate Immortalite, Owens, commander, from the American brig Hannah. No protection.

8. Samuel Wilson, a native of Maryland, Andrew Sampson, and Peter Thompson, natives of Curacoa and Norway, but American citizens, impressed on the 31st May, 1803, from the American ship Martha, Henry Waddel, master, at London. Without protections.

9. William Brown, a citizen of the United States, impressed at Cuxhaven, on the 5th June, from the American schooner Astrea, and put into the British frigate Amethyst. He had a protection.

10. John Daniel Kessler, John Anderson, and Michael Jones, impressed on the 6th June, from the American ship William and Jane, off the port of Cork, and put into the British ship Loire. It is not stated that they are Americans.

11. Thomas Cook and George Wilson, the former a native of New York, the latter of Scotland, both without protections impressed October 1st from the ship American Packet, Solomon Swain, master, at sea, about eight leagues from the lighthouse at Sandy Hook, into the British frigate Perseverance.

12. Henry Cobb, native of Falmouth, Massachusetts, impressed into the Loire, British ship. It is not stated when, or whether he had a protection.

13. Daniel Walker, native of Philadelphia, impressed from the American ship Fox, into the British frigate Boston. No protection, and the time of impressments not stated.

14. Jesse Dillings, native of Wethersfield, Connecticut, impressed into the Dreadnought, British ship. No protection; time not stated.

15. Richard Johnson, native of Middletown, Connecticut, impressed into the British service. No protection; time not stated.

16. Joseph Mace, native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, impressed into the British ship Isis. No protection; time stated.

17. Samuel Hills, native of Providence, R. I. impressed into the English ship Britannia. He had a protection, no time stated.

18. Henry Kipp, a native of Hamburgh, and a naturalized citizen of the United States; impressed into the British frigate Endymion from the American ship Eagle. No protection; time not stated.

19. William Chandler, a British subject, taken into the English service at Falmouth, Jamaica, from the American ship Anna, Caleb Johnson, master. No protection.

20. William Fegarie, belonging to the American brig Sally, claimed by the French at St. Pierre, Guadaloupe, as a citizen of France, and kept as such. Time not stated.

21. Nicholas Bullea, by birth a Frenchman, impressed into the service of France, from the American brig Joseph, at St. Pierre. Time not stated.

22. John Nicholson, a black man, with a certificate of freedom, impressed from the American brig Canton, at Surinam, on the 5th October, into a Dutch frigate.

23. Richard Rodman, on the 7th, June, 1803, impressed at Hall, England, into the British service, from the American ship Atlas, Sweeny Wilson master. It is not stated whether he had protection, or what country he is a citizen.

24. Dennis Sweeny, a native of Ireland, and without a protection, impressed on the 7th, of June, in the north sea, into the British frigate Amelia, Lord Proby, master, from the American ship Washington.

25. William Ireland, native of Suffolk county New York, impressed, from the American ship Alknomac, John Gore, master, at Falmouth Jamaica, by pressgang belonging to the Desire, captain Ross, or the armed brig Racoon, though he showed a protection given by the collector at New York, dated 26th, April last. The impressments was ade on the 22nd, June last.

26. John Dirks, Peter German and James Peterson, natives of Denmark, impressed, on the 29th, June, from the Barque Pallas, an American vessel, then lying at London. They had no protection.

27. Hiram Chaples a native of New York, but it is not stated that he had protection, was impressed on the 3ed, day of July, from the American ship Charleston; Joseph Wyer, master, about twenty leagues from Sandy Hook, into the British frigate Cambrian.

28. Joseph Simonds, and Sylivester Pendleton, native Americans and residents of New York, and John Table, a black man, inpressed about the 7th, of July, off the Texel, from the American Schooner Recovery, Josiah Shackford, master, into British sloop of war Harpy, Edmund Heywood commander. Without protections.

29. Ephraim Vanduser, an American citizen and native of New York, with protection as such, impressed, from the schooner Perseverance, Daniel Coyle, master, on the 18th, of July, off Tiberoon, into British sloop of war Snake.

30. Nathaniel Keene, an American citizen, who had been in slavery at Alogiers, and who had a protection, which he left through forgetfulness, at New York, impressed on the 18th, of July, at Folkstone, into the British service, from the American ship Maryland, John Wickham, master.

31. Josiah Hunt, native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, impressed the 17th, July last, from the American brig John. Jonathan Titcomb, into the British ship Emerald, then in sight of Martinico. Without a protection.

32. John Whiting, native of Gloucester Massachusetts, impressed at the sane time as Hunt, and from sane vessel. No protection.

33. Joseph Stevens, an American citizen, with a protection as such, impressed from the schooner Perseverance, Daniel Coyle, master, on the 18th, of July, off Tiberoon, into the British sloop of war Snake.

34. Joseph Emerson, native Lincoln county, Massachusetts, impressed from Amercian schooner Harriet, Nathaniel Knight, master, into the British schooner St. Lucia, Shipley, master, then lying in the road of Basseterre, on the night of the 20th, of July. No Protection.

35. Benjamin Eldridge and William Finney, natives of Falmouth, Massachusetts, impressed on the 20th, of July, from the American schooner Hannah, in the road of Basseterre, on the night of the 20th, of July. No Protection.

36. William Whipp, native of New Haven Connecticut, and John Simpson of Virginia, impressed into British sloop of war Sylph, July 30th, 1803, on the high sea, from the American ship Phaeton, Bush, master, No protection.

37. George Arnold, native of Great Britain, and John Williamson, a Swede, both without protection, impressed the 31st, of July, on board the British frigate Cambriam, William Bradley, commander, from the American ship Venus, Lemuel Bruce, master, upon the high seas.

38. William Liddle, not stated whether he is a citizen of the Unite States, impressed from the Juno, the 3rd, of August, on her passage from Norfolk to Amsterdam, into the British frigate Thetis.

39. John M’Evoy, an Englishman, and without protection, impressed from the American brig Paisly, John Jackways, master, on the 9th, of August, into the British frigate Boston, Captain Douglas, off the Chesapeake.

40. James Farnish, mate, and Neil Lang, seaman, of the American brig Drake, on her voyage to Barbadoes, were impressed on the 12th, of August last, upon the high seas, into a British frigate, name unknown. The crew which remained in the Drake were found to be too weak for working her; in consequence of which, the captain was obliged to put into Antigua, the nearest port that he could make, to the great loss of the adventure.

41. David Kitchell, a native citizen of the United States, at the mouth of Delaware Bay, was impressed into British ship Leander, captain cain, the 22nd, August, 1803, from the American sloop Hiland, John Hand, master, on a voyage from Philadelphia to Alexandria. Kitchell, it is believed was without protection.

42. Oliver Harris, native of Boston, on the 14th, of August, was impressed into the British ship Blenheim, from the American schooner Harrie, or Harris, near the Island of Martinique. No protection in this case.

43. Charles Tracy, an American citizen, impressed on the 25th., of August from the ship Marion, William D. Seton, off Delaware, into a British frigate, name unknown. No protection.

44. James Davis and Henry Wood, black, men, impressed at Liverpool, on the 1st., of Sept., from the American ship Chatham. No protection.

45. Samuel Robinson, an American with protection, Christian Moldenham, Christian Lowman, Danes, with Danish protection, impressed the 5th., of Sept, on the high seas, from the American ship Flora, Caleb Harrison, master, into the British frigate Cambrian.

46. Thomas Doyle, a native of Philadelphia, and seaman, belonging to the American brig Hector, impressed the 6th, of Sept, into the British sloop of war Bittern, then at port, Doyle had protection.

47. Samuel Watt, Andrew Pace, and John Davis, the former having protection, as an American citizen, and the two latter being natives and subjects of Great Britain, were impressed on the 11th, of Sept., from the American ship Charlotte, Thomas Hasam, master, about ten miles east of Cape May, into the British sloop of war Driver.

48. James Matthews, Chief mate of the schooner Amazon, John Murray Master, impressed on the 14th, of Sept., 1803, into the British armed brig Geochi Pine, in the west Indies, no protection.

49. William Watson, a native of Connecticut, with protection, impressed the 29th, of Sept., from the American ship Ontario, Seaman Weeks, master, into the British frigate Cambrian, on the high seas.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

That was enjoyable to read, thanks for posting it.


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