Harrington

Harrington was a British vessel launched at Calcutta in 1796 for service with the Bengal Pilot Service. Although the supplied input classifies the subject as a Canadian food brand, the authoritative Wikipedia subject is an eighteenth-century sailing vessel and not a consumer brand, food company, or Canadian enterprise. The vessel was recorded as a snow of approximately 180 tons burden and later operated under Calcutta and, in some records, Madras registration. In November 1797, while operating near the Sand Heads or Balasore Roads, Harrington was captured by the French privateer Apollon, commanded by Jean-François Hodoul. Another Bengal Pilot Service vessel, Trial, was captured during the same action. Harrington was taken to Mauritius and arrived there on 21 December 1797. Available records do not establish precisely how or when she returned to British ownership, but Australian records identify a vessel of the same name, construction, tonnage, and master operating again in British service around 1800. Under master William Campbell, Harrington sailed from Madras to Port Jackson in 1801 by way of Bengal, carrying miscellaneous goods and approximately 4,000 gallons of spirits. Governor Philip Gidley King refused permission for the spirits to be landed, and Campbell transferred them to another vessel, John. Harrington subsequently made several movements between Port Jackson and Norfolk Island before departing in February 1802 on a sealing voyage. She worked around Bass Strait and King Island and returned to Port Jackson in June with approximately 5,000 gallons of elephant oil and 5,000 seal skins. Harrington then undertook trading voyages to Chile and Peru. During one voyage, Campbell acted on his belief that Britain was at war with Spain and captured the Spanish coast-guard vessel Extremeña and the merchant brig St Francisco & St Paulo. On the vessel's return to New South Wales, Governor King ordered Harrington detained while British authorities determined whether the captures had been lawful. English crown law officers ultimately advised that Harrington should be returned because Campbell's conduct did not clearly demonstrate piratical intent, although they considered it highly blameworthy. The captured vessels and associated goods were confiscated and sold for £5,054. The vessel later carried sandalwood from Fiji to China and returned with merchandise in March 1808. After Chace, Chinnery & Co. entered liquidation, Campbell purchased the remaining share in Harrington in May 1808. On 15 May 1808, convicts seized the vessel while it was preparing to sail for Fiji. HMS Dédaigneuse encountered Harrington in March 1809 and removed one or two convicts after placing men aboard. Harrington subsequently ran aground on Luzon and was wrecked. The convicts still aboard escaped. No surviving evidence supports treating Harrington as a modern commercial brand, and the vessel is considered defunct.

Harrington was built and launched at Calcutta in 1796 for the Bengal Pilot Service. Records describe her as a snow of roughly 180 tons. The East India Register and Directory of 1803 listed Harrington as a Calcutta-built vessel owned by Covins, Bazett and Co., with William Campbell as master. A related record used the variant spelling Harington and associated the vessel with Madras registration. The vessel's early career was interrupted by capture. On 9 November 1797, the French privateer Apollon, under Jean-François Hodoul, captured Harrington near the Sand Heads, also described as Balasore Roads. Trial, another Bengal Pilot Service vessel, was captured in the same operation. Harrington reached Mauritius on 21 December. The surviving online record does not explain the subsequent transfer that restored her to British ownership, but later Australian records identify a vessel matching Harrington's construction date, tonnage, and master. In 1801 Campbell took Harrington from Madras to Port Jackson through Bengal. Her cargo included miscellaneous goods and 4,000 gallons of spirits, but Governor Philip Gidley King prohibited the spirits from being landed. Campbell transferred them to John, which also carried spirits that had been refused entry. Harrington cleared Port Jackson in ballast in September and returned from southern waters in December. In January 1802 she returned from Norfolk Island, again in ballast. Harrington began a sealing expedition in February 1802. She operated in Bass Strait and around King Island, where her crew observed wreckage on the island's southern extremity. The vessel returned to Port Jackson in June carrying 5,000 gallons of elephant oil and 5,000 seal skins. In October she departed for Chile and Peru. After returning toward Madras in June 1803, she made further commercial movements between the Indian Ocean, Australia, and the Pacific coast of South America. During one voyage to the Chilean and Peruvian coasts, Campbell believed that Britain and Spain were at war and acted as a privateer. Harrington captured the coast-guard vessel Extremeña and the merchant brig St Francisco & St Paulo. Governor King detained Harrington when she returned to New South Wales pending clarification of the legal position. British crown law officers later advised that the vessel should be returned because Campbell's actions did not establish a piratical intention, though they described his conduct as highly blameworthy. The prizes and other associated property were confiscated and sold for £5,054. Harrington continued trading in the Pacific. She carried sandalwood from Fiji to China and returned with merchandise in March 1808. Chace, Chinnery & Co. subsequently went into liquidation, and Campbell purchased the remaining share in the vessel in May 1808. On 15 May, convicts seized Harrington while she was preparing to return to Fiji. The seizure ended in pursuit and wreck. HMS Dédaigneuse caught up with Harrington in March 1809, placed men aboard, and removed one or two convicts. Harrington then ran aground on the coast of Luzon and was wrecked. The convicts who remained aboard escaped. The vessel did not survive as an operating ship, and no evidence connects it with a Canadian food business or any modern brand.

• 1809

  Wrecked off Luzon

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  After intervention by HMS Dédaigneuse, Harrington ran aground on Luzon and was wrecked; surviving convicts escaped.

• 1808

  Convict seizure

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Convicts seized Harrington on 15 May while she was preparing to sail for Fiji.

• 1803

  South American captures

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Campbell captured Extremeña and St Francisco & St Paulo after mistakenly treating the voyage as authorized wartime privateering.

• 1802

  Sealing expedition

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Harrington returned to Port Jackson with approximately 5,000 gallons of elephant oil and 5,000 seal skins.

• 1801

  Arrival at Port Jackson

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Under William Campbell, Harrington reached Port Jackson from Madras via Bengal with miscellaneous goods and spirits.

• 1797

  Captured by Apollon

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  The French privateer Apollon captured Harrington near the Sand Heads or Balasore Roads on 9 November.

• 1796

  Launch at Calcutta

  [1]Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Harrington was launched at Calcutta for the Bengal Pilot Service.

A multipurpose late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century sailing vessel used for pilotage-related service, regional trade, sealing, and long-distance commercial voyages.

Product categories. Maritime transport · Sealing and marine-oil cargoes · General merchandise · Sandalwood and Asian-Pacific trade cargoes

• 1803

  Detention after captures of Spanish vesselsOther

  Background

  William Campbell captured two Spanish vessels after believing Britain and Spain were at war. On Harrington's return, Governor Philip Gidley King detained the vessel pending legal clarification.

  Action taken

  British crown law officers advised returning Harrington because piratical intent was not established, while the prizes and associated loot were confiscated and sold.

  Aftermath

  The sale of the confiscated property realized £5,054, while Campbell's conduct was characterized as highly blameworthy.

  Proceeds from sale of confiscated prizes and associated property. £5,054 (After the 1803 captures; exact sale date not specified)

  Source

1. 1Harrington (1796 ship)en.wikipedia.org