British Merchant packet 'General Wall' (1759)

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John WalkerBritish
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Service 1794-1803
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George Stevenson WintourBritish
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Service 1790-1824
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Excellent (74) 1787-1835
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Edward MarshBritish
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Service 1780-1801
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Charles ProbyBritish
Dockyard Staff
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Service 1794
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Justus ThompsonBritish
Dockyard Staff
Service 1774
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John ThompsonBritish
Dockyard Staff
Service 1787-1794
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William GilbertBritish
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Lord Richard Howe (1^st Earl Howe)British
Naval Sailor
Marine
Service 1736-1799
Richard HillBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1791
Grampus (54) 1795-1799
British 54 Gun
4th Rate Ship of the Line
(1795)
Earl Fitzwilliam (26) 1786-1799
British 26 Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
(1786)
Theseus (74) 1786-1814
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1786)
Tigre (74) 1795-1817
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1795)
Alliance (36) 1795-1802
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1795)
Alliance (36) 1795-1802
British 36 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
(1795)
Theseus (74) 1786-1814
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1786)
Tigre (74) 1795-1817
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1795)
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General Wall
Nominal Guns	Unknown	ref:1651
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Mail
First Mentioned	1759	ref:1651
Home Port	Falmouth - Cornwall	ref:1651
Shipyard	Unknown	ref:1651
Category	Merchant	ref:1651
Ship Type	Packet
Last Mentioned	1761	ref:1651

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
26.9.1759 - 27.4.1761Commanderref:16518.4.1761 - 21.7.1762Commander Transferedref:1651

Service History

DateEventSource
26.9.1759

Commissioned as a packet for New York.

ref:1651
20.3.1761

CO killed, ransomed for £600

ref:722
20.3.1761Taken by ref:722

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ref:1651 Archive

ref:722 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by B. J. Pryor on Monday 3rd of May 2021 12:00

I believe this is the ship that carried Benjamin Franklin to England in June-July, 1757, under captain Walter Lutwidge. It was almost wrecked on the English coast but saved at the last moment by Archibald Kennedy, RN, who was also a passenger.

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Tuesday 16th of June 2026 16:00	Jon Miller	Lord Richard Howe (1^st Earl Howe)British Naval Sailor Marine Service 1736-1799
Tuesday 16th of June 2026 15:41	Jon Miller	Richard HillBritish Naval Sailor Service 1778-1791
Tuesday 16th of June 2026 15:37	Jon Miller	British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Grampus' (1795) (54) 1795-1799 British 54 Gun 4th Rate Ship of the Line
Tuesday 16th of June 2026 15:36	Jon Miller	British Merchant east indiaman 'Earl Fitzwilliam' (1786) (26) 1786-1799 British 26 Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Tuesday 16th of June 2026 15:32	Jon Miller	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Theseus' (1786) (74) 1786-1814 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line

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