Summary
Robert entered Lloyd's Register in 1815 as an American prize. Until 1822 the brig was a West Indiaman based in Liverpool and sailing to the Bahamas or Havana. On 2 February 1817 Lloyd's List reported that Robert, Wilkes, master, had been sailing from New Providence to Liverpool when she struck a reef off Egg Island and had to put back for repairs.[4]
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Robert |
| Owner | H. Wood |
| Builder | United States[1] |
| Acquired | 1814 by purchase of a prize[1] |
| Fate | Wrecked 1822 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 158,[2] or 164[3][1] (bm) |
| Sail plan | Brig |
In 1822 she was under the command of Captain R. Fields, or R. Fyldes, or Fieldes,[5] or Robert Fildes.[6] He sailed her to go seal hunting in the South Shetland Islands, where she was lost on 7 March 1822.[5]
Robert anchored in Clothier Harbour for most of the season.[6] There ice damaged her. Several other whaling captains surveyed her and declared her a total loss.[7] Her crew were saved.[6]
Robert Fildes edit
Robert Fyldes had visited Desolation Island and the South Shetlands in 1820–1821 as captain of Cora,[8] owned by his father-in-law Henry Wood. Fildes in 1821 introduced the name Livingston Island for the second largest island in the South Shetlands, popular until then as 'Friesland Island' and also known as 'Smolensk Island'.[9][10]
Fildes may have named Robert Island for Robert.[11]
Fildes Strait, between King George Island and Nelson Island, in the South Shetland Islands, is named for Robert Fildes.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | H.Wilkes | Wood & Co. | London–Bahamas | Lloyd's Register |
| 1816 | H.Wilson | Wood & Co. | Liverpool–Bahamas | Register of Shipping[1] |
| 1818 | Wilkes | Wood & Co. | Liverpool–Havana | Register of Shipping |
| 1820 | M.Sands | Wood & Co. | Liverpool–Bahamas | Register of Shipping |
| 1822 | R. Fields | Wood & Co. | Liverpool–Southern Fishery | Lloyd's Register[2] |
| 1822 | R.Fyldes | H.Wood | Liverpool–Southern Fishery | Register of Shipping[12] |
Citations edit
- ^ a b c d Register of Shipping (1816), Seq.№R360.
- ^ a b Lloyd's Register (1822), Seq.№R279.
- ^ Lloyd's Register (1815), Supple. pages "R", Seq.№R8.
- ^ Lloyd's List №5153.
- ^ a b Lloyd's List №5719.
- ^ a b c Headland (1989), p. 126.
- ^ Jones (1975), p. 458.
- ^ Register of Shipping (1821), Seq.№C863.
- ^ Purdy (1855), p. 173.
- ^ Ivanov (2015), p. 23.
- ^ Australian Antarctic Data Centre Gazeteer" Robert Island.
- ^ Register of Shipping (1822), Seq.№R299.
References edit
- Headland, R. K. (1989). Chronological List of Antarctic Expeditions and Related Historical Events. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-30903-5.
- Ivanov, Lyubomir (2015). "Bulgarian Antarctic Research: A Synthesis". In Pimpirev, C.; Chipev, N. (eds.). Geography and History of Livingston Island. Sofia: St.Kliment Ohridski University Press. ISBN 9789540739397.
- Jones, A. G. E. (1975). "Captain William Smith and the Discovery of New South Shetland". The Geographical Journal. 141 (3): 445–461. doi:10.2307/1796478. ISSN 0016-7398. JSTOR 1796478.
- Purdy, John (1855). Laurie's Sailing Directory of the Ethiopic or Southern Atlantic Ocean; Including the Coasts of Brasil etc. to the Rio de la Plata, the Coast thence to Cape Horn, and the African Coast to the Cape of Good Hope etc; Including the Islands between the Two Coasts (4th ed.). London: Richard Laurie.