Sydenham Teast (1755–1813) was a Quaker merchant, fur-trader,

shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

and

shipowner A shipowner, ship owner or ship-owner is the owner of a ship. They can be merchant vessels involved in the shipping industry or non commercially owned. In the commercial sense of the term, a shipowner is someone who equips and exploits a ship, us ...

based in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

, during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Life and career

Teast was a shipowner involved in whaling. He had at least eight South Sea whalers between 1786 and 1801. He was also involved in the

ivory Ivory is a hard, white material from the tusks (traditionally from elephants) and Tooth, teeth of animals, that consists mainly of dentine, one of the physical structures of teeth and tusks. The chemical structure of the teeth and tusks of mamm ...

and timber trade between England and Africa. He constructed Redcliffe Parade in the 1770s, and was also involved in the

slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

, refitting the slaver ''Hector'' in 1776. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, Teast became a significant figure in Bristol's trade with Africa. He was not heavily invested in the slave trade. Teast built two

drydock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

s at Wapping on the Avon in 1755, and a further two at Canon's Marsh on the mouth of the River Frome in 1790. On 9 September 1782, the company launched , a

fifth-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower. Rating The rating system in the Royal N ...

32-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

, the only warship the yard ever built. Ships built by Teast's in Bristol include: * , merchant vessel * ''Lion'' (1744), 220 ton, 32-gun

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

. * ''Hermione'' (1782), 716 ton, 32-gun fifth-rate frigate. * , merchant vessel He held interests in a few other ships that traded on the coast of West Africa including, ''African Queen'', ''Brothers''. , , , and ''Sydenham''. Teast's Docks lasted until 1832 at Canon's Marsh, and 1841 at Wapping, where the housing and flats of Merchant's Wharf now occupy the site. He married Eleanor Buckle in 1786, by whom he had two sons Sidenham (a Magistrate) and Richard Buckle, and Mary Irvin in 1798, by whom he had a daughter Mary Irvin Teast (1796 - 1801).

Citations

References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Teast, Sydenham Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United Kingdom 1755 births 1813 deaths British people in whaling 18th-century British merchants