Lynx (1776 ship)
# Lynx (1776 ship)

Lynx was launched at Whitby in 1776. From 1777 to 1798 she traded with the Baltic. Between 1798 and 1811 Lynx engaged in whaling in Davis Strait, in the British northern whale fishery. She then changed to trading with New Brunswick; in 1812 a French privateer captured her.

## Career

Lynx first appeared in Lloyd's List (LR) in 1778. She had already sailed to the Baltic early in 1777.

| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1778 | Middleton | Capt.&Co. | Archangel–Hull | LR |
| 1781 | Middleton R.Smith | Middleton | Riga–London London transport | LR |
| 1784 | H.Smith E.Preston | Middleton | London transport | LR |
| 1787 | E.Preston | Middleton | Liverpool–Baltic | LR |

In 1786 Lynx's ownership shifted her registry to Hull. Her owners in 1787 were Jos. Barker, Thos. Middleton and James Atty. Her captain was Elisha Preston.

| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1789 | E.Preston W.Lumsden | Middleton | Petersburg Hull | LR |
| 1792 | Lumsden J.Medd | Middleton | Hull Petersburg | LR; small repairs 1792 |
| 1797 | Wray | Middleton | Hull Petersburg | LR; small repairs 1792 |
| 1798 | Wray Banks | Middleton | Hull Petersburg | LR; small repairs 1792 & almost rebuilt 1797 |

From 1798 to 1811 Lynx sailed from Hull on annual whaling voyages to Davis Strait. The data below is from Coltish, augmented with information from newspaper reports.

| Year | Master | Whales | Butts blubber | Tuns whale oil |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1798 | Banks | | | 72 |
| 1799 | Banks | 5 | 200 | 66 |
| 1800 | Banks | 7 | 290 | 90 |
| 1801 | Palmer | 10 | | 150 |
| 1802 | | | | 53 |
| 1803 | Wallace | 3 | 130 | 45 |
| 1804 | Wallace | 7 | 270 | 98 |
| 1805 | Wallace | 7 | 275 | 106 |
| 1806 | Wallace | 4 | | 84 |
| 1807 | Wallace | 5 | | 93 |
| 1808 | Wallace | 8 | | 185 |
| 1809 | Weldon | 17 | 500 | 194 |
| 1810 | Wallace | 16 | 480 | 196 |
| 1811 | Briggs | 3 | | 42 |

After her return from Davis Strait in 1811, her owners withdrew Lynx from whaling and started to sail her to North America.

| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source & notes |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1811 | Wildon Briggs Dewear | J.Dopkins | Hull–Davis Strait | LR; almost rebuilt 1797, & damages repaired 1802 |
| 1813 | S.Dewear | J.Dopkins | Hull–America | LR; almost rebuilt 1797, damages repaired 1802, & good repair 1811 |

## Fate

Lynx, Dewar, master, sailed from Hull to New Brunswick. As she was returning from New Brunswick a French privateer captured her on 23 January 1812 at 18°N 14°W﻿ / ﻿18°N 14°W﻿ / 18; -14. Her crew arrived safely at Kingsbridge.

The LR issue for 1813 carried the annotation "captured" under Lynx's name.

## Citations

* 1 2 3 Weatherill (1908), p. 66.
* ↑ LR (1778), Seq.No.310.
* ↑ Coltish (c. 1842).
* ↑ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4635. 31 January 1812. hdl:2027/uc1.c2735025.
* ↑ LR (1813), Seq.No.L636.
