Lucy Ann (US)
An American whaling ship from Wilmington, Lucy Ann, captained by John S Barker, called at Bluff in Foveaux Strait in 1837 and 1838.
Lucy Ann
Looking out over Port Levy and Port Cooper where whaling ships, including Lucy Ann, called in the mid 1830's
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In 1831, the Weller Brothers purchased Lucy Ann from the New South Wales Government. On September 25 she set sail from Sydney under Captain Owen with supplies for establishing the first shore whaling station in Otago. She had on board 6 cases of muskets, barrels, gunpowder, axes, iron boilers, casks of beef, whaling gear, gin, rum, tobacco, and other stores necessary for survival.
On 29 February 1832, Lucy Ann returned to Sydney with a cargo of timber and flax. While in Sydney an attempt was made to burn Lucy Ann in Sydney Harbour, and despite a reward of 50 pounds being offered, the culprit was never apprehended. On 28 May, she sailed for New Zealand again, this time with George Weller on board, who was off to see his family’s new venture. In September she made the voyage to New Zealand again, now captained by her owner, and going via Port Pegasus at Stewart Island where the Weller Brothers had agreed to buy a vessel being built by a party of ship builders who had been abandoned there. In March 1833, Lucy Ann was spoken by Caroline at Paterson’s River, Stewart Island. |
On the 15th of the same month, she left New Zealand with a cargo that included flax, spars, and seal skins, bound for Sydney under Captain Worth, and having on board a number of New Zealand women.
On 05 May, Lucy Ann sailed back to Otago and when she was returned to Sydney five months later, her cargo consisted of 130 tons of black oil, 7 tons of whalebone, 8 tons of potatoes, one ton of flax, and five New Zealanders sailed with her. Among those New Zealanders was a chief who told of the fighting that was taking place between warring North and South Island tribes at Cloudy Bay. Captain William Worth was also able to report the ship wreck that had been discovered at the Auckland Islands by a sealing gang left there by Caroline. On 30 December 1833, Lucy Ann sailed again for Otago. Her passengers included Captain Worth’s wife, Mary Jackson, Captain Hayward, John Hughes, George Beers, and six New Zealand Maori. In April 1834 she arrived back in Sydney, with Captain Worth reporting only having seen one other ship, Joseph Weller, during the entire voyage. Despite the establishment of whaling stations and several European communities around the South Island, visiting ships were still relatively few and far between.
When Lucy Ann sailed again on 19 May, she had a new Captain at her helm, Captain Anglim who had previously been in charge of Caroline. Lucy Ann’s arrival back in Otago had unfortunate timing. 500 Maori, mostly warriors who had had an unsatisfactory war expedition to Cloudy Bay had just arrived back and they were looking for a fight. They assaulted the Europeans and when a chief’s daughter died her death was attributed to the arrival of Lucy Ann, and the tribe threatened to plunder and kill everyone. It was a harrowing time for all, and when Lucy Ann sailed from Otago on July 21 with a cargo of whale oil taken by the station there, Captain Anglim took with him Maori hostages to ensure the safety of the whaling crews who remained in Otago. When she arrived back in Otago in early 1835, the danger had subsided, but it was not to be the last of the trouble for Lucy Ann. While in New Zealand in the autumn of 1835, her captain deserted her, and she was brought back to Sydney on May 15 under the guidance of the ship's mate. Lucy Ann next sailed with Captain Rapsey for Port Cooper, on Banks Peninsula, where she was on the hunt for whales.
At Port Cooper she met another of the Wellers’ ships, Joseph Weller, but only a small cargo of whale oil could be procured. Lucy Ann’s time in New Zealand waters ended after this, when she was sold in Australia in 1836.
On 05 May, Lucy Ann sailed back to Otago and when she was returned to Sydney five months later, her cargo consisted of 130 tons of black oil, 7 tons of whalebone, 8 tons of potatoes, one ton of flax, and five New Zealanders sailed with her. Among those New Zealanders was a chief who told of the fighting that was taking place between warring North and South Island tribes at Cloudy Bay. Captain William Worth was also able to report the ship wreck that had been discovered at the Auckland Islands by a sealing gang left there by Caroline. On 30 December 1833, Lucy Ann sailed again for Otago. Her passengers included Captain Worth’s wife, Mary Jackson, Captain Hayward, John Hughes, George Beers, and six New Zealand Maori. In April 1834 she arrived back in Sydney, with Captain Worth reporting only having seen one other ship, Joseph Weller, during the entire voyage. Despite the establishment of whaling stations and several European communities around the South Island, visiting ships were still relatively few and far between.
When Lucy Ann sailed again on 19 May, she had a new Captain at her helm, Captain Anglim who had previously been in charge of Caroline. Lucy Ann’s arrival back in Otago had unfortunate timing. 500 Maori, mostly warriors who had had an unsatisfactory war expedition to Cloudy Bay had just arrived back and they were looking for a fight. They assaulted the Europeans and when a chief’s daughter died her death was attributed to the arrival of Lucy Ann, and the tribe threatened to plunder and kill everyone. It was a harrowing time for all, and when Lucy Ann sailed from Otago on July 21 with a cargo of whale oil taken by the station there, Captain Anglim took with him Maori hostages to ensure the safety of the whaling crews who remained in Otago. When she arrived back in Otago in early 1835, the danger had subsided, but it was not to be the last of the trouble for Lucy Ann. While in New Zealand in the autumn of 1835, her captain deserted her, and she was brought back to Sydney on May 15 under the guidance of the ship's mate. Lucy Ann next sailed with Captain Rapsey for Port Cooper, on Banks Peninsula, where she was on the hunt for whales.
At Port Cooper she met another of the Wellers’ ships, Joseph Weller, but only a small cargo of whale oil could be procured. Lucy Ann’s time in New Zealand waters ended after this, when she was sold in Australia in 1836.