Grace (1814 ship) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
United Kingdom
Name	Grace
Builder	New York
Launched	1812
Acquired	1814 by purchase of a prize
Fate	Abandoned sinking in May 1823
General characteristics
Tons burthen	194, or 197, or 208 (bm)
Complement	13 (1823)
Armament	1 × 12-pounder + 2 × 9-pounder guns

The ship Grace was built in New York in 1812. Around 1814, she was captured and became a prize. This meant she was taken by another country during a war. After this, Grace became a Falmouth, Cornwall, packet ship. She carried mail and passengers for the Post Office.

Grace mostly sailed to New York, often stopping in Halifax and Bermuda. She also traveled to the Mediterranean Sea and Brazil. This brave ship faced American privateers twice. She fought off one attack and was fast enough to escape another. Later, in 1821, Grace went on a long journey to hunt seals and whales near the South Shetland Islands and Chile. Sadly, she sank in the South Atlantic in May 1823 while heading home.

Grace as a Mail Ship

Grace first appeared in a shipping record book called Lloyd's Register in 1814. It showed that G. Vivian was her captain and Bullock & Co. were her owners. Her job was to be a Falmouth packet, carrying mail.

Adventures at Sea

Grace had many exciting voyages as a mail ship. On October 1, 1814, she arrived in Falmouth to take mail to the West Indies. Just a few weeks later, on October 25, she was attacked by an American privateer. A privateer was a private ship allowed by a government to attack enemy ships. Grace fought back and managed to repel the attack, but three of her crew members were killed.

Later, on January 2, 1815, Grace returned to Falmouth. Her captain, Thompson, reported that on October 10, she had fought another American privateer brig with 16 guns. This time, Grace had little damage and no one was hurt. It's not clear if this was the same fight or a different one.

On December 4, 1815, an American privateer schooner chased Grace. But Grace was too fast and the privateer couldn't catch her. A few weeks later, on December 22, a big storm hit. The strong winds and waves broke her bowsprit (a pole at the front of the ship) and mizzenmast (a mast at the back). Her boat was also smashed, and other parts of the ship were damaged.

Long Journeys Across Oceans

Grace made many trips across the Atlantic Ocean. In October 1815, she left Falmouth for Surinam. She then sailed to Demerara and Dominica before returning to England.

In June 1816, she sailed to Halifax, Nova Scotia and then to New York City. She spent time in these ports delivering and picking up mail before sailing back to Falmouth.

Another journey began in November 1816. Grace sailed to Bermuda and then to New York. On her way back to Falmouth in March 1817, she didn't stop in Halifax. This was because a Royal Navy ship had already brought the mail from Halifax to New York for her to pick up.

In March 1817, Grace took mail to Gibraltar and Malta in the Mediterranean Sea. She spent some time there before returning to Falmouth in June.

On a trip in December 1817, Grace sailed to Bermuda and New York. On her way home, after leaving New York, she saw a huge island of ice. It was about 38 kilometers (24 miles) long and 914 meters (3,000 feet) high! Imagine seeing such a giant ice island in the ocean.

Grace also sailed to Brazil in late 1818. She stopped at places like Madeira, Pernambuco, and Salvador, Bahia, before reaching Rio de Janeiro. She returned to Falmouth in March 1819.

Seal and Whale Hunting

After many years as a mail ship, the owners of Grace decided to try something new. They wanted to join the seal and whale trade. This type of hunting had become popular in the South Shetland Islands around 1819.

In June 1821, Captain Henry Rowe sailed Grace from Plymouth towards the South Shetlands. By February 1822, she had collected 1,100 seal skins and 20 tons of seal oil. After this, Captain Rowe sailed to the Galápagos Islands.

In March 1823, Grace was reported to be near Chile. She had collected 20 barrels of sperm oil (from sperm whales), 145 barrels of whale oil, and 2,700 animal skins.

The End of Grace

In May 1823, while Grace was sailing home, she began to sink. On June 17, Captain Henry Rowe and five of his crew members arrived safely in Buenos Aires. They had to leave Grace because she was sinking. At the time, she was full of cargo.

The ship's mate and six other crew members were in another boat. They arrived safely in Buenos Aires on June 28. Sadly, the brave ship Grace was lost at sea.