Thornton (1793 ship)

Thornton was a cutter launched in 1793 at Southampton that the Sierra Leone Company purchased to assist in their activities. A French squadron destroyed her at Sierra Leone in September 1794.

History
Great Britain
Name:	Thornton
Owner:	Sierra Leone Company
Builder:	Southampton[1]
Launched:	1793[1]
Captured:	1794
General characteristics
Tons burthen:	31[1] (bm)
Sail plan:	Cutter[1]

Lloyd's Register (1794) showed Thornton, cutter, with F.Syford, master, Sierra Leone Company, owner, and trade Cork–Sierra Leone.[1] The Sierra Leone Company had been established in March 1791 and had purchased several vessels. These vessels supported the colony the Company had established in Sierra Leone and that its settlers, free blacks from Canada that the company had transported there, named Freetown. Lloyd's List for 4 May 1792 reported that Amy, Patterson, Lapwing, Robinson, Harpy, Wilson, and 15 ships from Halifax, Nova Scotia.[2] (It was this fleet of 15 vessels that brought the settlers.)

In September 1794 a French naval squadron comprising the razee Experiment under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Arnaud, Vigilance, Félicité, Pervie, and Mutine was cruising the West African coast, destroying British factories and shipping.[3] Among many other vessels they captured two Company vessels, Harpy and Thornton, Sayford, master. They retained Harpy but destroyed Thornton.