Matilda

Posted by Cy on Tuesday 31st of August 2021 07:29

The Three Decks site is primarily concerned with military vessels of various nations and not the assorted merchant fleets. As such this Matilda appears as a privateer, any others do not as they have no known military purpose. Having said that, there is no reason the two vessels you mention could not both be British, there was no requirement for names to be unique at the time.

Posted by Jeffrey on Monday 30th of August 2021 21:55

I would like to (somehow) learn more about this particular ship (Matilda), along with seven other ships. The latter will have to wait for another day, though.

Matilda is suspected as having delivered about 90 soldiers of Colonel Fraser's then-Second Highland Battalion, renamed 78th Regiment, also known as Fraser's Highlanders to North America, departing Cork, Ireland 30 June 1757 for the overseas trip. The reason I say 'suspected' is because, although Fraser's muster list states her name as 'Matilla,' it was Matilda that accompanied the other seven ships back to London a few months earlier. Eigth total ship were originally contracted to ship the battallion to North America. I suspect the British Admiralty simply re-hired the lot to then ferry Fraser's men in June.

While Lloyd's List, 1757-1758, does carry the original return of Matilda from America (11 April), it does not account for the June departure, which is not that big of a deal to me, as I have Fraser's original ship muster.

ThreeDecks lists only one Matilda, but Lloyds List, 1758 (p. 258) lists two different Matildas.

Understanding either one of the ships in Lloyd's could simply be from another country, how can I learn more about both vessels? Do I have to hire a researcher to dig in the transport books at The National Archives, UK (TNA)? Or are there other outlets I can check?

Thanks!