History | |
---|---|
France | |
Name | Blonde |
Ordered | 20 April 1780[2] |
Builder | Toulon Dockyard[3] |
Laid down | May 1780 |
Launched | 6 January 1781,[2][3] or 5 January[1] |
Completed | February 1781[1] |
Captured | 27 November 1793 |
Great Britain | |
Name | Blond |
Acquired | November 1793 by capture |
Fate | Sold in 1794 |
Great Britain | |
Name | Prince |
Acquired | 1794 by purchase |
Renamed | Princess (1795) |
Captured | 1796 |
General characteristics [3] | |
Class and type | Coquette |
Displacement | 480 (unladen); 850 (laden) tons (French) |
Tons burthen | |
Length |
|
Beam | 9.90 m (32.5 ft) |
Draught | 4.9 m (16 ft) |
Depth of hold | 5.03 m (16.5 ft) |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement |
|
Armament |
Blonde was a Coquette-class corvette of the French Navy, launched in 1781. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1793 and sold her in 1794, without apparently ever actually having taken her into service. Mercantile interests purchased her and initially named her Prince, but then renamed her Princess. She became a whaler until a French privateer captured her in 1796 during Princess's first whaling voyage.
On 23 April 1794 Thomas Wilkinson wrote to the British East India Company (EIC) offering the ship Prince, late Blonde, of 640 tons on behalf of her owners. He described her as undergoing a complete refit at Plymouth. He offered to bring sugar from Bengal at £26 5s per ton for sugar in boxes, and £24 5s for sugar in bags. He further specified that if the EIC would be willing to take her up at Plymouth her owners would reduce her rates by 10s the ton.[4] The EIC appears not to have taken up Prince, which also does not appear in any subsequent records.
However, Princess, J. Hopper, master, and Wilkinson, owner, enters Lloyd's Register in 1795 with J. Hopper, master, Wilkinson, owner, and trade as London–South Seas Fishery, that is whaling. The entry gives Princess's origins as Brest, and her year of launch as 1786. She had received copper sheathing in 1795.[5]
Captain James Hopper acquired a letter of marque on 13 February 1795.[6] He sailed for the fisheries on 31 March.[7] Initially Princess was whaling off Brazil.[13]
During 1796 the French privateer Modeste, Captain Claude Deschiens, captured Princess while she was at anchor in Delagoa Bay.[14] Although Modeste captured Princess, Butterworth was able to fend off Modeste.[15]