Trelawney Planter was a British merchant vessel launched in Jamaica in 1790. Named after the parish of Trelawny, Jamaica, the ship operated primarily as a West Indiaman, trading between London and the Caribbean.
Construction and Design
- Place of launch: Jamaica, 1790
- Tonnage (bm): reported variously as 280, 290, or 305 builder’s old measurement (bm)
- Armament: two 6‑pounder guns (recorded in 1797)
- Materials: frame constructed of bullet‑tree wood (Terminalia buceras) and pitch pine for the bottom, deck, and sides
Service History
- Initial voyage (1790): Captain James M’Donald departed from Martha Brae on 21 July 1790 bound for London, encountering Spanish naval forces in the Gulf of Mexico before reaching Gravesend on 18 September.
- Lloyd’s Register entries: First listed in the 1791 volume. The vessel was absent from the Register between 1797 and 1802, re‑appearing in the 1802 edition.
- Trade routes: Primarily London–Jamaica; later recorded trading between Leith and Tobago, and subsequently between Hull and London.
- Incidents:
- 1801 capture: While sailing to Suriname, a French frigate of 38 guns captured the ship near Madeira; she was later released and returned to British ownership.
- 1802 grounding: Reported to have put into Bantry Bay after damage while sailing from Tobago to Leith; the master and several crew members died at Tobago.
- 1806‑1810 changes of command: Various masters (e.g., James Gunn, Wiseman, J. Fell) served under owners such as Walker & Co. and Robinson, reflecting continued commercial use.
Loss
In early December 1811, under the command of J. Fell Simmons, Trelawney Planter was wrecked near Cape Brittan, Nova Scotia, while voyaging from Pictou, Nova Scotia, to Hull, England. The loss was reported in contemporary newspapers, including The Times.
Legacy
The vessel exemplifies late‑18th‑century British West Indian merchant shipping, illustrating the hazards of trans‑Atlantic trade, including encounters with foreign warships, navigation challenges, and the perils of North Atlantic winter voyages.
