''Lively'' was launched at Saint-Malo in 1765 as ''Duchesse d'Aiguillon''. She spent her first years cod-fishing at Newfoundland. She was renamed ''Abeille'' after the French Revolution and became a transport in the service of the government. HMS ''Hebe'' captured her in 1795. A. Dixon purchased her, and Daniel Bennett purchased her from Dixon in 1798. He then employed her as

whaler A whaler or whaling ship is a specialized vessel, designed or adapted for whaling: the catching or processing of whales. Terminology The term ''whaler'' is mostly historic. A handful of nations continue with industrial whaling, and one, Jap ...

on some six complete voyages. She was lost c.1808 on her seventh voyage.

Early career

On 15 April 1765 ''Duchesse'' sailed to Newfoundland. She returned to Saint-Malo via Marseille on 17 February 1766. After the Revolution ''Duchesse d'Aiguillon'' became ''Abeille''. ''Abeille'', Jean-François Mabeas, master, sailed from Binic on 21 April 1792 to fish for cod off Newfoundland. From January 1793 on ''Abeille'' served the Republican Government as a transport.

Capture

Captain René Pierre Terlet, of Binic, sailed ''Abeille'' in

ballast Ballast is dense material used as a weight to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within ...

from Binic to

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo language, Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. The Fortification, walled city on the English Channel coast had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth ...

. He was on his way back to Saint-Malo, still in ballast, on 3 July 1795. On 3 July and intercepted a convoy of 13 vessels off St Malo. ''Melampus'' captured an armed brig and ''Hebe'' captured six merchant vessels: ''Maria Louisa'', ''Abeille'', ''Bon Foi'', ''Patrouille'', ''Eleonore'', and ''Pecheur''. The brig of war was armed with four 24-pounders and had a crew of 60 men. Later she was identified as the 4-gun ''Vésuve''. The Royal Navy took ''Vésuve'' into service as . The convoy had been on its way from Île-de-Bréhat to Brest. British casualties amounted to two men killed and 17 wounded. , , and the cutter shared in the prize and head money.

''Lively''

The High Court of Admiralty condemned ''Abeille'' on 9 January 1796. A. Dixon purchased her and renamed her ''Lively'', but there is no record of his having utilized her. Daniel Bennett purchased her from Dixon in 1798. She underwent a great repair and he then employed her as

on some eight voyages. :Voyage 1: ''Lively'', Magnus Smith, master, returned on 17 May 1799 from South Georgia. :Voyage 2: In March 1800. ''Lively'', Magnus Smith, master, returned from South Georgia. :Voyage 3: Captain Magnus Smith sailed ''Lively'' on 25 April 1800 and returned on 6 February 1801. :Voyage 4: Captain Magnus Smith sailed ''Lively'' on 31 March 1801 and returned on 21 February 1802. :Voyage 5; ''Lively'', Shubael Moore, master, left Britain on 9 April 1803. She was reported at

Delagoa Bay Delagoa is a marine ecoregion along the eastern coast of Africa. It extends along the coast of Mozambique and South Africa from the Bazaruto Archipelago (21°14’ S) to Lake St. Lucia in South Africa (28° 10' S) in South Africa's Kwazulu-Nat ...

in 1804. In mid-1804, escorted a convoy from St Helena back to Britain. The convoy consisted of the

East Indiamen East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European Trading company, trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belon ...

''City of London'', ''Ceylon'', ''Calcutta'', and ''Wyndham'', two vessels from the South Seas, ''Lively'' and ''Vulture'', and the ship , which had transported convicts to New South Wales.''The Times'', 12 October 1804. On the way the convoy ran into severe weather with the result that , which had also left St Helena with the rest, foundered with the loss of all on board; this had been her maiden voyage. ''Lively'' arrived back in Britain on 14 October 1804 with Keaston, master. :Voyage 6: ''Lively'' left Britain on 3 December 1804 with Joseph Whiteus (also Whittens, Withers, Whitess, or Whitehouse), master. She was reported to have arrived at St Helena on 17 January 1806. She returned to Britain on 15 September 1806. :Voyage 7: ''Lively'' sailed on 19 November 1806 in company with and . Joseph Whiteus remained her master.

Loss

''Lively'' was lost in early 1808. She was probably returning in company with ''Ranger'' from whaling in the Moluccas and around Timor when she wrecked. ''Ranger'' apparently rescued Whiteus and his crew, and perhaps her cargo as well.''AAMH Quarterly Newsletter'' No. 141, September-October 2016.
/ref> ''Ranger'' arrived back in London on 18 December 1808. Whiteus sailed as her master on her next voyage. A wreck discovered at Mermaid's Reef (

Rowley Shoals The Rowley Shoals is a group of three atoll-like coral reefs south of the Timor Sea, about west of Broome on the northwestern Australian coast, centred on , on the edge of one of the widest continental shelves in the world. Each atoll covers a ...

) at is believed to be ''Lively''.

Citations

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lively (1796 ship) 1765 ships Ships built in France Captured ships Age of Sail ships of England Whaling ships Maritime incidents in 1808 Shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean