| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Venus |
| Builder | France |
| Launched | 1802 |
| In service | 1815 |
| Fate | Last listed in 1838 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 287,[1] or 288 or 289 (bm) |
| Sail plan | Barque |
Venus was launched in France in 1802, possibly under another name. A Guernsey privateer captured her in 1805, but she first appeared asVenus in 1815. She traded generally until in 1830 she carried cargo toPort Jackson. Between 1831 and 1835, she made several voyages from Port Jackson as awhaler, sailing primarily to New Zealand waters. She returned to England and was last listed in 1838.
A source states that in 1805, a Guernsey privateer captured the vessel that would becomeVenus. It goes on to state that the vessel was condemned in prize and sold to Spurrier & Co., Poole.[1]Venus did not appear under that name inLloyd's Register (LR) until 1815.[2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1815 | T.Gadden | Spurrier | Poole–Newfoundland | LR |
| 1816 | T.Gadden | Spurrier | Poole–Newfoundland | LR |
| 1821 | T.Rowe H.Bristow | Spurrier & Co. | Plymouth–London | LR; thorough repair 1819 |
| 1828 | H.Bristow Harden | Spurrier & Co. | London | LR; thorough repair 1819 |
| 1830 | Harden Harvey | Spurrier & Co. | Liverpool | LR; thorough repair 1819 |
| 1831 | Harvey | Roy & Co. | Liverpool–Cape of Good Hope | LR; thorough repair 1819 |
Reportedly,Venus was sold to Roy & Co., in 1831, for the local Indian and Far East trade.[1] Other information shows that she sailed forNew South Wales with cargo and then made some voyages from Sydney as awhaler.
Venus, Harvey, master, sailed from Liverpool on 1 June 1830, bound for New South Wales.Venus, Harvey, master, arrived at Cape Town on 12 September, and left for Sydney on 1 October. She arrived at Hobart on 19 November, and sailed for Sydney two days later, arriving on the 29th.Venus, Harvey, master, left Sydney on 10 January 1831, bound for the "Sperm fishery".[3] During this voyageVenus sailed below 72° South, becoming the first vessel to enter theRoss Sea and to return from there to Sydney on 31 December 1831.[4] She arrived with 170 tons of "black oil".[5] On 2 May 1832Venus sailed for the sperm fishery again.
Venus, Samuel Harvey, master, Thomas Roy & Co., owners, was reported to be whaling off New Zealand in 1833.[6]
Between 1833 and 1837 or 1838,LR frequently published only minimal information about the vessels listed. Fuller information was available in theRegister of Shipping (RS), in 1833, the last year of publication for theRS. This information may have represented an intent, not a reality.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1833 | S.Harvey | Prowse | London–Swan River | RS; small repairs 1821 and damages repaired 1825 |
However,Venus had relocated to Sydney.Venus, of 288 tons (bm), appeared on a March 1833, list of whalers belonging to and sailing out of Sydney.[7]
In August 1834, there was a report in Liverpool thatVenus, Harvey. master "of this port", was at Bay of Islands on 7 March, with 900 barrels of oil.[8]
On 6 January 1835,Venus, Harvey, master, arrived at Port Jackson with a full cargo of 1700 barrels of whale oil. The article reporting this stated thatVenus was the first whaling vessel fitted out at Liverpool, that she had been out 16 months, and that she would return to her owners after having undergone some trifling repairs.[9] It took some time forVenus to gather a cargo. She left Sydney on 17 May, bound for London with a cargo of colonial produce and a handful of passengers. She was atbay of Islands on 28 May, and left for London on 3 June. She was reported to have arrived safely at Deal on 20 September. In January 1837, a whaler from Scotland put into Bay of Islands; her master was Captain Harvey, late ofVenus. (The whaler was later identified asDiana.)
Venus was last listed inLR, in 1838, with minimal data.