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Caldicot Castle (or Caldecot Castle, or Caldecott Castle) was built in 1794 at Caldicot, Monmouthshire. The French captured her twice; the second time she engaged her captor in a single ship action. She also survived the perils of the sea in 1803, 1807, and 1819. She was wrecked in October 1828 and was last listed in 1832.
Caldicot Castle appears in the 1794 volume of Lloyd's Register with P. Driscoll, master, and trade Bristol—Quebec.[1]
On 18 March 1795, as Caldecot Castle, Driscol, master, was sailing from Barcelona to Guernsey, a French squadron of six ships-of-the-line, two frigates, and a corvette captured her off Cape St. Vincent. However, on 30 March, Robust, of Admiral Colpoy's squadron, recaptured her and took her into Falmouth.[4][5] Ten British warships, Astraea, London, Colossus, Robust, Hannibal, Valiant, Thalia, Cerberus, and Santa Margarita, shared in the proceeds of Caldicot Castle's recapture on 28 March.[6][7]
In January 1803 Caldicot Castle was returning to Liverpool from Quebec when she had to put in at Crookhaven. She had lost her mizzen mast and rudder, and sustained other damage.[8]
Lloyd's List reported on 4 May 1804, that privateers had captured Sarah, Cannell, master, Caldicot Castle, Skerrett, master, and Hector, Williams, master, and taken them into Guadeloupe.[9][b] Captain Richard Sherrat wrote a letter from Barbados on 14 April in which he described the attack. He had sailed Caldicot Castle from Demerara on 27 February, and by 8 March was about 200 miles east of Guadeloupe when at 8 pm two privateers, a schooner and a ship, came up and opened fire. After about 15 minutes, the schooner had sustained damages and had sheered off. By 9:20 the ship also sheared off but remained in sight. Next morning at 6am the ship recommenced the engagement. After about 15 minutes Sherrat had to strike. Caldicot Castle's rigging had been cut to pieces and he and two other men had been wounded, one mortally. The privateer was Grand Decide, which was armed with twenty 9-pounder and two 12-pounder brass guns, and had a crew of 160 men.[10][c]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Thompson | M'Iver | Bristol—London London—Jamaica |
10 × 4-pounder guns |
| 1797 | Thompson Oxton |
M'Iver Timperon |
London—Jamaica | Captain Thomas Oxton acquired a letter of marque on 24 April 1797[3] |
| 1798 | Oxton | Litt & Co. | Liverpool—Jamaica | 8 × 6-pounder guns + 8 × 4-pounder guns |
| 1799 | T. Oxton John Williams |
Timperon | Liverpool—Jamaica | Captain John Williams acquired a letter of marque on 25 February 1799 |
| 1800 | Williams | Timperon | Liverpool—Jamaica | |
| 1801 | Williams Smith |
Timperon | Liverpool—Jamaica | Captain William Smith acquired a letter of marque on 18 October 1800 |
| 1802 | W. Smith | Timperon | Liverpool—Jamaica | |
| 1803 | W. Smith Sherret |
Timperon Jones & Co. |
Liverpool—Jamaica | |
| 1804 | R. Skerrett | Jones & Co. | Liverpool—Barbados | |
Caldicott Castle returned to British hands, though how is not clear. Her entry in Lloyd's Register for 1805 is marked "captured", but also shows a change of master.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1805 | R. Sherrad D. M'Neil |
Jones & Co. | Liverpool—Barbados | Six guns |
| 1806 | A. M'Neil | Dowson & Co. | London transport | |
On 18 November 1817 Lloyd's List reported that Caldicot Castle had arrived at Portsmouth, having sailed from Malta via Gibraltar in company with several other transports until heavy weather had separated them.[12]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1816 | Carr | Dowson | London transport | |
| 1817 | Lloyd's Register unavailable/not published | |||
| 1818 | Carr | Dowson & Co. | London transport | |
| 1819 | Carr J. Hait |
Dowson & Co. | London transport Hull—"Klnda" |
|
On 4 December 1819, Caldicott Castle ran aground and was severely damaged at Sunderland, County Durham.[13]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820 | J. Hart | Capt. & Co. | Hull-"Kanda" | Large repair 1820 |
| 1821 | J. Hart | Capt. & Co. | Hull-"Kinda" | |
| 1822 | J. Hart Charlton |
Captain & Co. | Hull—"Kinda" Plymouth-Quebec |
|
| 1823 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1824 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1825 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1826 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1827 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1828 | Charlton | Laings | Plymouth-Quebec | |
| 1829 | Hicks | S. Keene | Dublin—Dantzig | |
| 1830 | Hicks | S. Keene | Dublin—Dantzig | |
It was reported on 20 October 1828, that Caldicot Castle had struck a rock and sunk at Milford but by 15 October, had been raised and pulled up on Laurenny Beach.[14] Caldicot Castle was last listed in 1832.
- Lloyd's Register for 1794 gives a launch year of 1792.[1] However, she does not appear in either 1792 or 1793, and subsequent entries say 1794.
- Sarah and Hector were slave ships. Hector had disembarked her captives and was returning to Liverpool when she was captured. Sarah was captured on her way from Africa to Demerara.
- Grand Décidé was a privateer under Mathieu Goy, commissioned in Guadeloupe in January 1804. She had a crew of 220 men and was armed with twenty-two 8-pounder guns.[11]
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