Royal Bounty was launched in South Carolina in 1770, probably as George and Sarah. Her owners changed her name to Royal Bounty circa 1786. As Royal Bounty she sailed out of Leith, going on annual whale hunting voyages to the northern whale fishery (Greenland and Davis Strait). She was wrecked in 1819 on her 35th such voyage.

Career George and Sarah George and Sarah first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1779.LR (1779), Seq.No.G251.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1779 G.Watson G.Selby Cork transport LR; lengthened 1774 1784 G.WatsonG.Selby G.Selby LondonLondon–Memel LR; lengthened 1774, and good repair 1784

Royal Bounty Circa 1785 new owners renamed George and Sarah to Royal Bounty; she also underwent a thorough repair. From then on until her loss she was a whaler. Although there is no online copy of LR for 1785, there is a press report that she had returned to Leith from Greenland in August 1785 "clean", i.e., without having caught anything.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1786 R.Liddell J.Scougal Greenland–Leith LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785; former George and Sarah 1787 R.LiddellW.Paton J.Scougal Greenland–Leith LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785; former George and Sarah 1789 W.PatonJ.Wilson J.Scougal Leith–Greenland LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786 1790 C.ReidJ. Boyd J.Scougal Leith–Greenland LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786 1792 J.BoydJ.Newton J.Scougal Leith–Davis Strait LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785 1805 J.NewtonJ. Wright Douglas Leith–Davis Strait LR; lengthened and rebuilt 1778, thorough repair 1785, repairs 1786, 1796, and 1800 1810 J.WrightR.Kelly Douglas Leith–Davis Strait LR; repairs 1800 1810 J.WrightKellie Wood & Co. Leith–Davis Strait RS; small repairs 1806 & 1807 1814 R.KellisDrysdale Douglas Leith–Greenland LR; repairs 1811 1818 J.DrysdalJ.Rich Woods & Co. Leith–Greenland LR; repairs 1811 1819 J.Rich Wood & Co. Leith–Greenland LR; repairs 1811

Whaling voyages The data below for the period 1785 to 1814 comes from press mentions. The data from 1814 on comes primarily from Coltish, augmented by press reports.

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil Butts blubber Notes 1785 Liddell Greenland Clean late in the season 1786 4 1787 Paton Greenland 12 1788 Paton Greenland 1 20 Seven seals, & 1 cwt of whalebone 1789 Reid Greenland Clean 1790 Boyd Davis Strait 1791 Boyd Greenland Clean 1792 No press report 1793 Davis strait 1 1794 Davis Strait 2 1795 Davis Strait 7 1796 Davis Strait 5 1797 Newton Davis Strait 8 Full ship 1798 Davis Strait Clean 1799 Newton Davis Strait 8 Full ship 1800 Newton Davis Strait 7 1801 Newton West coast of Greenland Full ship; Royal Bounty grossed £5463 for the voyage 1802 Newton Davis Strait 10 1803 Newton Davis Strait 1804 Newton Davis Strait 9 400 1805 Wright Davis Strait 6

On 13 April 1806 Royal Bounty lost her mizzen mast and several men but was able to get a new mast and proceed to the fishery.

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil Butts blubber Notes 1806 Wright Davis Strait 3 1807 No press report 1808 Wright Davis Strait 8 1809 Wright Davis Strait 9 1810 Kelley Davis Strait Well fished 1811 Davis Strait 8 1812 Kellie Greenland 19 300 1813 Kelly Greenland 2 70 butts 1814 Drysdale Greenland 6 47.5 260 butts or 291 casks 3.5 tons whale fins 1815 Drysdale Davis Strait 3, 7, or 8 36.5 1816 Drysdale 6, or 15 50 1817 Drysdale Greenland 4 26.5 1818 Ritch Greenland 3 15 1819 Ritch Greenland 3 Lost with her cargo

Fate Royal Bounty, Ritch, master, was wrecked on 16 July 1819. She was one of 10 whalers lost within a few days of each other in the Davis Strait due to gales in the ice fields. Her crew was saved."DAVIS'S STRAITS WHALE FISHERY". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 21 August 1819; Issue 15283. She had taken three whales before she was lost."DAVIS'S STRAITS FISHERY". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 26 August 1819; Issue 15285.

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