An early stage in the career of shipmaster
Charles Clarke
senior (1767-1835) saw him in command of a vessel of 271
tons called the Pomona ; built in
Teignmouth
in 1784, and (possibly) owned by the firm of Hurry & Co..
One of the logs survives in the
National Archives
as HCA 32/803/49. In the following transcription illegible,
uncertain or inferred text is shown
thus. The log comprises five parts:
Charles began a muster list, but left it incomplete,
recording only himself and the First Officer and omitting
[1]
all others, including John LeBreton and Tom
Crossfield (er, excuse me, 'The Doctor'). Seventeen
months later, this neglect comes under
investigation
[2] at the
Old Bailey
.
Ship Pomona Muster List
No
Names
Stations
Wr Borne
1
Charles Clark
Master and Harpooner
England
2
Thomas Dennis
Chief mate and do
do
There is an additional section headed
Apprentices, but this, too, is blank.
2) Journal Entries (Clarke)
Charles employs very little punctuation. I have added a few
stops where most necessary. His capitalisation seems a bit
random. Entries begin with the Pomona
berthed in the Thames (probably near Wapping, where Charles
lodged at Gun Dock
[3]).
Ship Pomona in the River Thames
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Remarks
December 1794 Thursday
Southerly
Most part of these 24 hours fogy weather. At 10
AM Mr. Hutchinson
[4] came on board and took charge of the ship.
At 4 pm hauld out side and lashed alongside of the Princess. bent the small bower
[5]
cable
Friday
Easterly
First part fogey middle and latter part clear. employd
lashing and securing stores in between decks
Saturday
Easterly
Throughout these 24 hours delightful weather. got up top
galt yards and bent the sails. detained for want
of hands to take the ship Down
[6]
Sunday
Southerly
Most part of these 24 hours light rain at 5 AM cast off
from the Feer and began to
warp
down. at 9 came too with the small bower in
Blackwall
Reach. steadyd the Ship with the
Kedge
to the Northward
Monday
Variable Northerly Calm
First part of these 24 hours clear weather. middle and
latter part foggy. at 6 AM weigh'd from Blackwall Reach.
people employd on sundry needful jobs about the rigging
Tuesday
Northerly
Most part of these 24 hours foggy weather. at 7 AM weigh'd
in
Halfway Reach
and made sail south at first from the Northward. at 10 very
thick fog. Came too in
Grays
and at 12 weigh'd again and ran down to
Gravesend
at ½ past 1. Came too with the small bower abreast
the Town sent the boat on Shore at 4 returnd with a Quarter
of fresh beef
[7] Cabages Onions etc. Cleared the Ship and sent
the Custom house officers on shore
Ship Pomona between Gravesend and ye Downs
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
December 1794 Wednesday
Easterly & Calm
Most part of these 24 hours calm and foggy. employd on sundry
needful jobs - at nine sighted our Anchor and let him go again
at 1 the fog broke away hove up and made sail at 2 a thick
fog came too again with the small bower in 5 fathoms at low
water in the lower part of Gravesend reach
Thursday
Southerly
First part hard frost middle and later part clear with a
light breeze from the Southwards at 9 AM weighd from the
lower part of Gravesend reach at three came to with the
small bower at the Nose.
Nose light
bearing West distance 1 ½ mile.
Friday
Southerly
At 7am weighd from the warp and made sail at Noon
throug the Queens Channel
[8]
at 4 Came with the small bower in Margate Roads in 7 fathoms water.
North Foreland
bearing SE Margate Mill SbyE —
gale the ship 45 faths
Cable.
Saturday
SSE
Fresh breeze from the SSE at 11 weighd & made sail
from Margate Roads under single Reef Topsails and Courses
[9]
Sunday
Southerly
At 7 made a signal for a boat from shore at Noon Receivd
on board 3 whale boats 24 Knees
[10] 24 Timbers 4 Gunwhale boards. PM hove short
[11]
— At 5 wore away to half Cable.
Ship Pomona towards Portsmouth
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
Decr 1794 Monday
SSE
Throughout these 24 hours fresh breeze at 4am hove short
and at 6 weighd without convoy. employd plying
[12] to windward At 10 bore up for the Downs. found we
could not get round the foreland. At 3PM the Commodore
made the signal for weighing. At 4 made sail employd
beating
[13] round the foreland. At 11 little wind and strong
flood found we lost ground fast bore up for the downs
Tuesday
Variable
East
Running for the Downs at 2am came too with the small
bower in 7 fathoms water. South Foreland SW.
Sandown Castle
NWbyW At noon the Commodore made the signal to
weigh. at 1 pm weighd and made sail in Company with
three Ships and several Brigs. At 6 in Top galt sails
Jib and staysails. Dungeness bearing N½W
dise 2 or 3 Leagues – At 10 fresh
breeze At 12 hard gale of wind close Reefd
the main topsails
[14] double reefd the fore topsail and
hauld up the foresail up in the brails
[15]
Wednesday
East
Hard gale of wind and a heavy sea shiped a great
Quantity of water in between decks At 4 AM the Goodwin's
light bearing NWbyW hove too head sails to the mast At
daylight bore up under close reefd main
topsail At 8 saw
Dunnose
At 11 set the foresail fore and mizen staysail. At
1 came too with the small bower 14 fathoms water in
Stokes Bay
Wore away 2/3 of a cable and clap'd on a
leather service
[16] got down the top Galt yards
and unbent
[17] the sails.
Pomona in Stokes Bay & Portsmouth Harbour.
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
Decr 1794 Thurday
North
Throughout these 24 hours fresh breeze with snow at
times AM sent John L Breton on shore for a harbour
pilot. at Noon hove cable to the Windward service got
out a whale boat and put Mr Hutchinson
[18] the Pilot on shore hoisted the boat up
Friday
NNE
ENE
Throughout these 24 hours moderate breeze and for the
most part snow At 10am Mr. John Atkinson pilot came on
board and took charge of the ship to carry her into the
Harbour the tide being too far advanced could not move
her today
Saturday
ENE
Fresh and most part moderate breeze
with snow. latter part light airs and clear at 6 AM
began to heave on the small bower & at 8 weighd and
made sail to the Eastward at 3 moored in Portsmouth
Harbour sent 2 whaleboats on Shore got the Jibb boom in
Sunday
Northerly
Throughout these 24 hours delightful weather pm sent a
whaleboat onshore to be hauld up –
Monday
do
Fine pleasant weather throughout AM got up the
Davit and loosed all the sails to
dry Received on board fresh beef vegetables etc pm
Unbent part of our sails and began to hoist out
provisions below to the cargo
Tuesday
Calm
Throughout these 24 hours delightful weather pm landed
20 parts of Pease and flour
belonging to Government
Pomona in Portsmouth Harbour.
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
Decr 1794 Wednesday
Easterly
Fine pleasant weather throughout AM sent on shore for
the Pilot unmoord & at 9 hove short &
at 10 weighd and began to warp up the Harbour
at 2 moored below small Creek
January 1795 Thursday
Easterly
Throughout these 24 hours fine hard weather got out a
new Jibb boom Receivd on board
16? of bread employd on
sundry other Jobs
Friday
do
Fine pleast weather employd delivering staves
[19] – Loaded 2 Craft but
could not get them up to the wharf for want of water.
Saturday
do
m
H
Q
s
1=
6=
2=
0=
Hogshead
Staves
0=
5=
0=
0=
Pipe
do
AM Delivered on Wevell Quay
[20] - - -
Employd delivering in to the Craft
Sunday
do
m
H
Q
s
1=
6=
0=
0=
Pipe
staves
0=
1=
0=
0=
Hogshead
do
Fine pleast weather throughout
AM Delivered on shore - - -
Monday
do
m
H
Q
s
0=
8=
0=
0=
Pipe
staves
1=
3=
0=
0=
Hogshead
do
Throughout these 24 hours delightful weather
employd delivering staves
AM delivered - - -
Tuesday
do
m
H
Q
s
0=
6=
2=
0=
Pipe
staves
0=
4=
0=
0=
Hogshead
do
employd delivering staves pease flour etc
AM Delivered on shore - - -
PM Delivd to the Town Quay
30 Hogsheads Sugar
40 do Pease
12 Barrels Flour
Pomona in Portsmouth Harbour.
Days of Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
January 1795 Wednesday
Easterly
Throughout these 24 hours foggy weather
employd discharging provision
AM Delivered
61 Hogsheads Pease
3 Hogsheads Sugar
2 Barrells do
Thursday
do
m
H
Q
s
1=
0=
0=
0=
Hogshead
Staves
0=
1=
0=
0=
Pipe
do
Fine pleast weather AM hove up the bower
anchor and let him go more in the stern
Landed - - -
Friday
NE
m
H
Q
s
2=
7=
0=
0=
Pipe
Staves
0=
6=
2=
0=
Hogshead
do
Fine pleast weather throughout. employd
Discharging staves recurring on board Ships stores
Deliverd on shore - - -
Saturday
Easterly
m
H
Q
s
1=
2=
0=
0=
Pipe
Staves
0=
9=
0=
0=
Hogshead
do
Delightful weather throughout. employd
Delivering staves receiving on board Ships stores
Deliverd on shore - - -
m
H
Q
s
1=
2=
2=
12=
Pipe
Staves
0=
3=
1=
20=
Hogshead
do
Deliverd into a craft alongside the ship
Sunday
do
Fine pleast weather throughout PM landed the last staves.
Monday
do
Fine weather throughout Received on board 12 Leaguers
[21] got the pump over the side and began to fill salt
water.
[22]
Tuesday
do
Throughout these 24 hours fine weather Employd
Taking in water and empty casks Received one long boat
load f. wood
Pomona in Portsmouth Harbour
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
January 1795 Wednesday
Easterly
Throughout these 24 hours fresh breeze with frost and snow
employd taking in water and empty cask
Thursday
NE
Fresh breeze and hard frost employd taking in water and
empty cask and stowing the hold
Thursday
Northerly
Throughout these 24 hours fresh gale of wind employd
stowing provisions in the After hold. blowing to hard to
fech off water
Saturday
do
Moderate weather receivd on board one long boat load of
empty cask and one boat load water
Sunday
NE
Throughout these 24 hours disagreeable weather
AM in the Queen charlotte
[23] whent
out of Harbour
Monday
do
Throughout these 24 hours moderate wind but hard frost
Tuesday
Northerly
Hard frost throughout employd taking in empty cask and water
Wednesday
do
Throughout these 24 hours hard frost employd receiving
on board water and empty cask
Thursday
Easterly
Hard frost employd acceeding on board sundry Articles
empty cask cordage and Potatoes.
Friday
do
Hard frost with snow receiving onboard empty cask and
staves. finishd filling salt water
Saturday
Southerly
Delightful weather receiving on board sundry stores
at Noon Mr Collins came from the Custom house
and musterd the Ships Company
Pomona Portsmouth Harbour
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
Jany 1795 Sunday
Southerly
Most part of these 24 hours fresh breeze brought the
topsails and courses to the yard: bent top Gt sails and
got the yards a thought
[24]
Monday
SW
Most part of these 24 hours snowwy employd
employd [sic] stocking up the hold and receiving
on board sundry stores.
Tuesday
Westerly
Throughout these 24 hours nasty dirty weather
employd occasionally got out the Jib boom
Wednesday
do
Throughout these 24 hours variable wind and weather
employd on sundry ships duty.
Thursday
Easterly
Fine pleast weather employd receiving on
board a number of ships stores. AM unmoored ship
at Noon could not purchase the Anchor. having hookd the
Kings Moorings at 2 PM set sail on the ship then cut the
Cable and run out to
spithead
At 4 came too with the small bower. bent the best bower
cable to the waist Anchor
[25]
Friday
Easterly
AM employd clearing ship for sea at 10 receivd a bower
anchor on board then weighd and made sail at Noon
employd plying round
bembridge ledge
Saturday
Southerly
Running down channell at 6 PM
St Catherines point
bore NbyW disd 3 Leagues. the Needles
light EbyN– at 10 Portland lightNEbyN in steering
sails at 2 in top Gt sails at 8 AM in
single height ye topsails –
at Noon passed the Grand fleet under
Earl How
Feby 1795 Sunday
Variable Southerly Westerly
Throughout these 24 hours very disagreeable weather
running down channell shortned and made sail
occasionally at 2 AM the
Lizard
lights bore NW disd 4 or 5 Leagues. at 8
the Lizard bore NbyE disd 8 or 9 Miles at
9 hard squall in topsails and Mainsail split the
Mainsail
[26]
at 10 Bore up for Falmouth.
Pomona in Falmouth Harbour
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Occurrences
Feby 1795 Monday
Westerly
Running a long to the Eastward for Falmouth. got down Top Gt yards
at 1 a breast the Lizard and at 3 came too with the
small bower Anchor in
Carrick Roads
. at 6 drifted foul of a Vessle and stove the
Quarter boat AM employd fitting new Topsail Tyes sent
the stoven boat on shore to get Repaired unbent the
Mainsail. These Remarks contain 36 Hours
Tuesday
Variable
Moderate weather employd on sundry needful Jobs about
the rigging. brough the best Mainsail to the Yard
Wednesday
Westerly
Latter part of these 24 hours a fresh westerly gale
PM struck a drift brought up with the best bower
hove him up again employd occasionally
Carpenter employd fitting the boats davit
Thursday
Variable and calm.
AM weighd and dropd further up the Harbour
Carpenter employd fitting the boats
davit
Friday
Southerly
Most part of these 24 hours fresh gale with hard
rain employd making gasketts repairing the
Low unsteering sail and fitting
Rowsing Jackets for the topsail yard
Saturday
Variable
Throughout these 24 hours variable wind and weather with
rain AM receivd our Whale boat on board which was
Repairing at Noon Receivd instructions from a Sloop of
War
Sunday
Variable
Throughout these 24 hours moderate breeze with drisling rain.
Monday
Westerly
Throughout these 24 hours hard Gale of wind struck top
Gt Mast. PM let go the best bower under
forth
Tuesday
Westerly
Most part of these 24 hours hard gale with constant
rain AM hove up the best bower.
Pomona Falmouth
Days of the Week
Mo.
Winds
Remarks
February 1795 Wednesday
-
Most part of these 24 hours squally with rain at times AM hove
up the small bower and shifted our berth.
Thursday
Easterly
Throughout these 24 hours variable employd on sundry needful
jobs got out the jibb boom and put new coats to the pumps
[27]
Friday
NE
AM. fresh breeze from ye NE at 7 unmoored ship and xxxided the top Galt. mast.
at 10 weighd and made sail to double Reef topsails and
foresail. secured the Anchors and got the Quarter boats in,
these Remarks Contain 12 hours -
The Friday above is the penultimate log entry by Charles and the
last he made in the abbreviated format used during coastal
navigation. When a ship left sight of land it became necessary
to record greater detail, including an astronavigational fix.
This page continues -
Here Charles' log entries stop. He has filled in the column
headings for the Sunday but has made no entry against them.
3) Muster List (French)
To produce a transcription from an indifferent photocopy is
not necessarily trivial. Double the difficulty if the
original is in hurriedly scribbled and blotted longhand and
the ink has been fading for 200 years. Double it once more
if every other word is obscure nautical jargon, reduced to
an abbreviation, absent from today's dictionaries, disused
for centuries. You will understand my failure here when, in
addition to the preceding hurdles, the document is in a
foreign language: French.
'O' Level Parisienne doesn't cut it.
Rolle Déguiyvage
Des hommes mis a bord dehors puiser La
Pommonne faite ys
La Vengeance
.
[32]
The log continues in the hand of George Holmes, First
Officer of the Susannah, who
reports (in a somewhat breathless fashion) -
Ship Pomona at Sea
Friday 20th February 1795
At noon in
Lattd 45° 20’ North,
Longd 14° 00’ West
of London the wind moderate ENE fine pleasant
weather, the Ship
Susannah of Liverpool Captn
Robert Burn, fell in with, in the grey of this
morning, & her Mate George Holmes & two
of his People Farday Stephenson & Charles
Langdon by his desire boarded the Ship Pomona of London lying in a
very awkward situation, her
yard
flying about & her rudder from such
winds, no boats on her Quarters her decks all
covered with hair & Shoes, Sugar, Tea,
broken glass bottles of Beer, Wine, Rum, broken
jars of Oils Paints, black varnish, Tar, old
Cloaths, Sails, Canvas old & new, Ropes her
hatches broke open which had been seald down
&
mast Lizzellier[40]
& Casks of bottled beer molasses & Rum
store in her Cabin & steeridge covered the
same as the decks with books Charts & the
windows all broke found several french
Cockades
on board with some french books & romish
reliques, a Dog, two
Cats
, & a Rabbit alive, all the Papers which could
be found belonging to the Ship is this Log book The
ships Protection
[41] by which it is found Charles Clarke was
master & bound from London to the South Seas & a
Certifycate from the Commissioner for victualling his
Majesty's Navy with a muster roll supposed to be in the
french Language we suppose she has been Captured by the
French, on Sunday 15th Instant
[42] as this Log book is filld up on Saturday
& no further & that they have abandoned
her first having Plundered her of everything
portable & took all her boats away.
N/B I am ordered by Captn Burn verbaly to proceed for
the nearest Port
[43] there to get assistance & proceed
to Liverpool should the Vessel not be detained.
Holmes' initial entry fills the entire first page. I
group his remaining entries also by log page.
Ship Pomona towards Ireland
At 8 AM parted company with the
Susannah with a fresh
Gale at SW to W steering North carrying aprylling sail distance run
supposed 77 miles
Latd-46° 06'
Longd-14° 36'
.
Had excessive hard gales at west with heavy squalls and
rain steering NEbN but not having a time glass
[44] have the Log by the beat of the Pulse &
suppose the distance run 114 miles with much ado
got the Mizn Top sail handed &
Courses hauld up.
Latd-Observd 47'
45°[sic]
Longd13° 40' West
N/B The
ship is a very fine sea boat & steers very
well we are all very much fatigued for want of
rest.
For the first half had strong gales from
SWbNoVery
much fatigued lay by all night. AM wind
NW made sail & turnd NEbN. pleasant &
cloudy Pumpd the ship out having 2 foot water in
her
Lattd-Observd 48°
30' Longd12° West
For the first part had pleasant Gales at NW
& Cloudy carrying all possible sail the
middle & latter part blows hard with mostly
dirty weather & a high sea running each sail
to NEt at 8 AM saw a large ship
standing to the Eastward -
Lattd & Acct 50° 10' North
distance run 180 miles.
Through out the whole had first Gales N West
& turning ENE Cloudy weather &
squally with some showers of rain we are very
much fatigued for want of rest loaded our great
guns & small arms dist run 100 miles
Latd 51°-07' North at noon the
wind easd
sounded 86 fathoms fine sand with black specs
saw the wrack of a vessels bower mast with Jib & rigging on it.
Ship Pomona towards Ireland
The whole of these 24 hours blows very strong
from SE to ENE with Cloudy
hazy weather & a great sea on
standing to the NE at 7 AM made the Fish Land
[45] about the Dorseys
[46]. South 3 Leagues off
now & stood at the Soward
all night AM arose
& stood to the Noward at noon the
Land ENE 5 Leagues no observations saw a frigate
standing to the Soward & a ship
standing after us - - -
The first part blows hard from ENE & Cloudy
standing in for the Land at 4 PM the Dorseys
SEbE & the
Skellocks
NEbE about 3 Leagues of shore the middle and
latter part pleasant breezes & variable
SEterly with fine clear weather
employed putting some of our running rigging
on then bending a
Cable got our boat over the starboard Quarter at
Noon Latd-Observd 51°
11' North
Cape Clear
from the masthead bore EbS¼S dist 12
Leagues -
For the first & middle parts Pleasant gales
from SE to west & NW but nasty dirty weather
steering ESE to EbS the Latter part part Cloudy
weather wind Ed at 11AM
finding the wind freshen up to the Ed to
Noward a
Kinsale
boat being near took a pilot for Kinsale
for three Guineas & 2 men to assist bringing
the ship in at half Crown
/ Day while on board Indeed we are so
much fatigued that we are glad to have
assistance Merd the
Old head of Kinsale
NNW 4 Leagues
Ship Pomona Cork Harbour
For the first half had fresh Gales at EN & N with Cloudy
weather easiy ing a
stiff sail & Strong occationally but in the
tide of Ebb so strong could not fetch in to
Kinsale the latter half variable wind from
No to SSW & So with
fine weather at 8 AM bore up for Cork Harbour
& at noon came too below the barracks in 5
fathoms water with small bower reported the ship to the
survyor at
Cove
& had 4 Custom house officers bourded
upon us had mizling
[47] rain Wind SW to SE blowing hard this days
reccord contains 36
hours NB about 4 hands assisting bringing the
ship to anchor.
Our intrepid trio has now spent over a week battling wind,
wave, exhaustion and a less than shipshape vessel to bring
the Pomona to safety.
[48] Little do they realise that this is just the fun
part.
5) Legal proceedings
Even had George Holmes an opportunity to think about it,
he would have been insufficiently naïve to expect
that he could breeze into Cork with the Pomona and leave immediately with a
huge reward in salvage money.
However, poor George can hardly have anticipated just
how differently the
Admiralty
would view any such plan. Instead, he is hit by a
relentless series of broadsides written in the densest
solicitor's legalese. It forms, indeed, the greater
part of the log. How an honest salt might be expected to
defend himself against such an attack is beyond
comprehension. Entries continue in George's hand until
the
[49]A transcriber with remaining will to live is not yet
found, but the following supplies the flavour of the
broadsides aforesaid -
In the Admiralty Prize Court Pomona,
Charles Clarke Mr
1st May 1795
The Claim of John Philip DeGruchy of Fenchurch Street
London Merchant one of the partners in the House trading
under the Name of Fiott De Gruchy and Co. of the same
place merchants respectively Subjects of our
Sovereign Lord the King
For and on behalf of
previously of John Fiott of Fenchurch Street
aforesaid and of Lewis Gilson and Thomas Clarke
[50] of
Tower Dock
. John Ellile of Cannon Street Robert Sparrow
[51] of Portland Place. James Poingdestre of Fenchurch
Street aforesaid and the said Charles Clarke the master
of the said Ship Pomona - respectively likewise Subjects
of our Sovereign Lord the King the trice lawful and sole
Overseers and proprietors of the said Ship her Tackle
Apparel and Furniture and all and singular the Goods
Wares and merchandizes Stores and Effects laden and on
board same at the time when in the prosecution of her
Voyage from the Port of London destined on the Southern
Whale Fishery she was Captured by Subjects of the French
Republic and also at the time - when she was found
derelict by the Master and Crew of the English Merchant
Ship or Vessel called the Susanna Robert Burne
Mr. and was afterwards to wit on or
about (room for three words left
blank) East past
deserted by them and so found on the High Seas by the
English Merchant Ship Susanna Robert Burne Master and
taken possession of by her and brought to the Port of
Cork in the Kingdom of Ireland And he the Appearer
further says that no person or persons belonging to
France being a Subject or Subjects of France their
Factions or Ajents nor any other Enemies of the Crown of
Great Britain had at any of the periods aforesaid or now
have any Right Title or Interest in the said Ship or her
Stores or Cargo but that they are the trice lawful sole
and content property of this appearance and the
aforesaid other persons respectively british Subjects
and will be such their property if replased and would
have so been in case they had not been captured And he
lastly says that he verily believes the Claim hereunto
annexed to be a true and just Claim in every respect and
that he shall be able if neccessary to make full proof
and specifications thereof.
Same day The said John Philip De Gruchy was duly sworn
to the truth of this attestaion Before me
