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Introduction

THE SPANISH ARMADA

17 th CENTURY

18 TH CENTURY

THE AURORA INCEDENT

THE LIEUTENANT LOTON INCEDENT

THE BLENHEIM INCEDENT

SECTION TWO

BIBLIOGRAPHY

THE BLENHEIM INCEDENT

“In the year 1798, the ship ‘Blenheim’, was returning from the Greenland seas to Hull, was attacked at Whitebooth-roads by the ‘Nonsuch’ and ‘Redoubt’ men of war, stationed there as guard-ships. Two or three boats’ crews, well armed, were sent from these ships for the purpose of impressing the seamen of the ‘Blenheim’; who, armed with large Greenland knives and spears, resolutely opposed their getting on board. The ‘Nautilus’ sloop of war, being in Hull roads at the time, her captain sent a boat’s crew to assist the Nonsuch and the Redoubt men. The guard-ships fired numerous shots at the Blenheim, to bring her to, but without success. The crew of the whaler, determined not to be impressed, secured their master and the pilot in the cabin, to prevent their interference, and then brought the ship to the entrance of the harbour, where she unfortunately took the ground. The boats from the three war ships then surrounded her, and the boat’s crew of the Nonsuch attempted to board her; several shots were exchanged between Blenheim and this boat, and, sad to relate, some of those on board the boat were desperately wounded. The attacking parties despairing of success rowed to the shore, and conveyed their wounded to the hospital, where two of the latter died of their wounds; and the crew of the Blenheim (none of whom were wounded) quickly got on shore also. The South-end, the different ship yards in Humber Street, and Garrison-side, were crowded with spectators during this struggle. The two men who died in the hospital (John Burnick and John Sykes) were interred in Drypool churchyard. Another man belonging to Nonsuch, named Bell, had three fingers cut off, in attempting to board the Blenheim. He remained in Hull afterwards, and was nicknamed ‘Three-fingered Jack’. The captain of the Blenheim was taken to York castle, and at the following assizes was tried for the murder of the man-o-war’s men; but he was acquitted; and on his return to Hull he was received by the populace with great rejoicings, and regularly chaired through the town. The Blenheim belonged to Benjamin Blaydes, Esq., and others together with some other whalers, were afterwards burnt at Davis’ Strait by French frigates, which escaped the vigilance of the English cruisers. The Frenchmen destroyed the English vessels because they could not succeed in capturing and taking them to France.”

[History of the Town and Port of Kingston upon Hull, by James Joseph Sheahan, 2 nd Edition, John Green, Beverley, 1866; pp. 193-4]

www.yorkshirehistory.com is exceptionally grateful to the Wardens and Brethren of the Trinity House at Hull for their generosity in providing and granting their permission to show this unique painting made of the “Hull Whaler Blenheim” as shown on the original caption on the painting. It depicts a full rigged ship in broadside, and two quarter views as was traditional in maritime art. She is however shown flying the Blue Ensign, an ensign usually associated with the Royal Navy, and appears rather more a twenty-plus gun frigate, while the round fortress in the distance has the appearance of something Baltic, rather than the Citadel at Hull, it cannot be denied that it is titled “Hull Whaler Blenheim”. Unfortunately the remainder of the caption is too blurred to read. Sincere thanks again to Trinity House, Hull, for this wonderful gift. Any reproduction of this and the portrait of Captain Michenson (below) must be sought from the Trinity House, Hull, in writing. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of maintaining copyright, which, in these two painting lies exclusively with the Trinity House at Hull.

The official version of the events surrounding the Blenheim are gleaned from the pages of the London Gazette, a bastion of the Establishment, and who’s views reflect those of, one suspects, most of conservative Britain at that date:

LONDON GAZETTE

Issue 15050

From Tuesday August 14, to Saturday August 18, 1798

“Whitehall, August 18, 17.98;

Where-as it hath been represented to His Majesty by the Right Honorable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that on Monday the 30th Ultimo, the Blenheim, Greenland Ship, belonging to she Port of Kingston-upon-Hull, William Mitchenson, Master, on her Arrival in Whitebooth Roads, refused to bring to on the Signal of His Majesty's Ship Nonsuch, and persisted in. such Refusal notwithstanding several Shots were fired for the Purpose of enforcing Obedience; that being afterwards surrounded, on her Arrival at the Entrance of the Haven of the said Port, ly several Boats from His Majesty's Ships Nonsuch, Nautilus, and Redoubt, (sent for the Purpose of boarding her; the Crew of the said Greenland Ship, on One of the Boats coming alongside, sired several Shot into her, and violently threw several Spears, Capstan Bars, Handspikes, and other offensive Weapons, and also, several large Iron Shot, at and among the Crew of the said Boat; in consequence whereof Richard Bell, Master's Mate, and William Burnock and John Sykes, Seamen, belonging to His Majesty's said Ship Nonsuch, were dangerously wounded, and others much bruised; and the Boats being by this outrageous Conduct repulsed, the Crew of the said Greenland Ship got on Shore and absconded ; since which the said William Burnock and John Sykes, have died of the Wounds they received, and the Coroners Inquests have returned Verdicts of Wilful Murder against Persons unknown; His Majesty, for the better apprehending and bringing to Justice the Perpetrators of the atrocious Murders above-mentioned, is hereby pleased to promise His most gracious Pardon to any One or more of the Offenders (except such as actually gave the Mortal Strokes to the said Burnock and Sykes; who shall discover his or their Accomplices therein, so that they or any of them may be apprehended and convicted thereof.

PORTLAND.

And the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty do hereby offer a Reward of ONE HUNDRED POUNDS to any Person or Persons (except such as were actually concerned in the said Murders j who shall apprehend or cause to le apprehended any of the said Offenders, to le paid on the Conviction of any One or more of them by the Treasurer of His Majesty's Navy. EVAN NEPEAN.

N. B. John Brocklesby, Mate, and Richard Pratt

and Walter Sommison, Seamen, belonging to the Blenheim, are strongly suspected of being Three of the Persons who were active in the above-mentioned Outrage and Murders. Brocklesby is 35 years of Age, was born at Hull, is S Feet 4 | Inches high, has Brown Hair, and a Scar on his Chin. Pratt is 46 years of Age; [he] was born at Sunderland, is 5 Feet 7 inches high, [he] has Black Hair and a Scar on his Nose. Sommison is 23 years of Age, was born at Shetland, is 5 Feet 5 Inches high, and has Brown Hair.”

[ http://www.gazettesonline.co.uk ]

For a description of Nonsuch – see above; Redoubt was bought into the navy in 1793, a 20 gun sixth rate, she had a crew of 146; she carried either 20 x 42lb or 20 x 24lb, depending how she was equipped at that particular date; she was sold out of the navy in 1802. Nautilus was a 16 gun sloop launched in 1784, and wrecked in 1799.

[Sailing Navy List 1688-1860 by David Lion, 2001]

To conclude this sad episode, which by any standard got way too far out of hand, there is this final contribution from:

“Professor Pryme of Cambridge stated late in life that he well recollected as a child being an eye witness at Hull, in 1797, of a very determined and, as it proved, effectual resistance which was offered to a pressgang by the mercantile crew of the ‘Blenheim’ a Greenland whaling ship, upon its arrival in that port. That fishery (he said) required a number of hands on each ship; the sailors, armed with their harpoons, knives and lances, resisted the attempt of the pressgang to board them and one of the latter was so severely wounded that he died shortly afterwards. The master of the ‘Blenheim’ was tried for murder at the next assizes, but was acquitted on the proof that his sailors had confined him (probably no unwilling prisoner) to his cabin during the conflict.”

[England and the English in the Eighteenth Century: Chapters in the Social ... By William Connor Sydney; pp. 341]

[ http://www.google.co.uk/books ]

www.yorkshirehistory.com wishes to sincerely thank the Wardens and Brethren of the Trinity House in Kingston upon Hull for their generous permission to include the above portrait of Capt. Michenson, in which is also depicted a small illustration of “Blenheim”. The legend contained within the frame says “Captain Wm. Michenson, Master of the Hull Whaler “Blenheim”.

Subsequent to the brief and ill-fated Peace of Amiens

[see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Amiens ] that effectively ended on the 18 May, 1803, the Impress Service was again prowling the streets of British seaports gathering in those sailors that had been summarily released from service at the commencement of the Peace sometimes only months or weeks previously. One occasion in that same year saw again, violence in the streets of Hull when, in Church Lane, in the Old Town, a public house known by the sign of the “Ship Glory, which had been a rendezvous for the impressment of sailors, was partially destroyed by a mob. There had been a well-known ship called the Glory, 32 guns, launched in 1763. it was a vessel of 679 tons, built by J. Hodgson of Hull. Whether the public house took its name from this Glory or some other one, I cannot presume to say.”

[The transactions of the East Riding Antiquarian Society, vol. XXV, edited by Tom Sheppard, Hull, 1926; pp. 156]