Le Duc d'Orléans

Posted by adam langlands on Friday 24th of May 2024 22:21

see 'The London Gazette' #4378 23-27 Oct 1707 with a 30th Aug. report from Newfoundland of Captain Underdown's 'expedition'.

Posted by Grammont on Wednesday 20th of March 2019 17:16

From The Naval History of Great Britain: From the Earliest Times to the Rising of the Parliament in 1779. Describing, Particularly, the Glorious Atchievements in the Last War. Also the Lives and Actions of Illustrious Commanders and Navigators, Volume 3 Page 213

In North-America the French were more successfully attacked in the year 1707. Captain John Underdown, commander of her majesty's ship the Falkland, having received advice, on the 25th day of July, that the enemy had several ships employed in the Newfoundland fishery, he proceeded from the harbour of St. John's, having with him the Nonsuch and the Medway. These three ships sailed to the bay of Blanche, and arrived off the harbour of Fleur-de-lis, where the commodore sent in his own pinnace, and that belonging to the Nonsuch: on board of the first was major Lloyd, who went on this expedition as a volunteer; and the lieutenant of the Falkland on board the other. They found several stages and other necessaries for the fishery, which they destroyed, and then returned to the ships. The next day they made prize of a ship from St. Maloes, of three hundred and sixty tons, thirty guns, and one hundred and ten men, called the Duke of Orleans. Another ship of twenty guns, and eighty men, belonging to St. Maloes, was likewise taken two other ships, one of thirty-two guns, and the other of twenty-six, from the fame port, were attacked, but their crews abandoning them, set them on fire, and escaped on shore.

Posted by Cy on Wednesday 20th of March 2019 16:05

It seems likely that, as she was recorded as a privateer, she was sailing under a 'Letter of Marque'. Doesn't necessarily make her a privateer though, as that would imply her primary purpose was to capture enemy vessels. However there are lots of merchant vessels who's primary purpose was trade that took 'Letters of Marque'. Three Decks always errs on the side of caution and leans towards a privateer classification given a lack of definitive evidence to prove otherwise.

Posted by Ray Dempsey on Wednesday 20th of March 2019 14:45

Hi,
Are you certain that the Le Duc d'Orléans was a privateer. She was seized by the Nonsuch (Captain Underdown) on 4 August 1707 on the Petit Nord of Newfoundland. The evidence indicates that she was a Malouin codfishing ship (not a privateer) fishing out of Canarie [modern-day Canada Harbour].
Ray