Greek corsairs of 1820s

Anything and everything about sailing vessels, be they warships, merchantmen or something completely different
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

I am mainly interested not the idea of armed and brave merchant sailirs and their vessels,
but about real warshisp built and served for the Greeks during the wars.

Extcept two from Marseilles mentiones above and frigate HOPE, there were
- schooners UNICORN and UNION from England
- brig SAUVER built in St.Tropez
- brig ARES built at Venice (i am nearly sure she was built as a warship)
- HERAKLES built in Genva in 1818 of 390 tons
and very probably some others
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

Ares or Aris (Άρης), was also built as a merchant vessel and blockade runner.
reliable info here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_brig_Aris
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

Makis wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 1:55 pm Ares or Aris (Άρης), was also built as a merchant vessel and blockade runner.
reliable info here...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_brig_Aris
You could not arm simple merchant sailor with 16x12-pounder,
only when she was designed at least as privateer - trader (lettre of marque).
Note that later she carried 24pdr guns - not possible for a merchantmen.
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

They had to, for those Captains in that period of extreme insecurity trade and war were not mutually exclusive.
No privateer could challenge them, only true warships.
Unfotrunately there is no thorough historical study of those vessels. Usual historical narratives of the Revolution focus on glorious actions.
It's a promising field for any naval historian.
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

Makis wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:19 pm They had to, for those Captains in that period of extreme insecurity trade and war were not mutually exclusive.
No privateer could challenge them, only true warships.
Unfotrunately there is no thorough historical study of those vessels. Usual historical narratives of the Revolution focus on glorious actions.
It's a promising field for any naval historian.
In South Amerika, some sailors participating in the Indepedence Wars are know as heroes, have monuments,
and others were hanged as pirates.

It seems that in greek waters piracy was still active in 1850s, as I saw restrictions in documents,
limiting number of guns on merchant vessels. On other waters nearyl no merchant vessels were armed.

Generally merchant vessels registers in greece exists, as I have very detailed list form Bouboulina Musem list of Spetsai vessels.
Hydra vessels are also available on line.

A. Chatzianargyrou, The Spetses, PS A- C.
Historical Archive Hydra, Archives Hydra Community, v. 15th (1829-1832).
I. Meletopoulos, "List of Hydra and Spetsai ships in 1821 and 1834", Coast Guard Headquarters, 1972.
D RF I. Lazaropoulos, Master ECO. V.N., The Naval Greece from Independence until Basel Otto. Historical study (naval, military, political, 1821-1833), Ed. "Naval Inspection" 1936.
http://hydra-hydrea-hydroussa.blogspot.de/2012/08/1829-1831.html
https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%95%CE ... CF%85_1821
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

This is info during the Revolution.
For the period 1780-1820, that is for the size and armament of the vessels from Hydra, Spetses, and Psara, which were nominally Ottoman, there must be a good source in the Turkish Archives.
They registered in detail all the vessels passing through Bosporus.
If you have somebody in Turkey...
Basbakanlik Osmanli Arsivi, Bab-i Asafi Divan-i Humayun Kelemleri Ek kodlan, Izn-i Sefine Defterleri I-II-III-IV-V.
They register type of vessel, size, no of crew, armament etc.
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

For a total number of guns available to each Island of the Aegean in 1813
see the book by the French diplomat François Pouqueville, Voyage de la Grece, vol.6, p.294 etc.
available here...
http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k65341833/f326.image
although the numbers seem a bit exaggerated (or not?)
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

Makis wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 3:04 pm This is info during the Revolution.
For the period 1780-1820, that is for the size and armament of the vessels from Hydra, Spetses, and Psara, which were nominally Ottoman, there must be a good source in the Turkish Archives.
I do not believe. In that time no coutry has a national register. Ships were usually registered at harbours, very of by customs, etc.
There were some central registers where all harbours sent their lists, but I saw no any national lists of that time.
Makis
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by Makis »

they do exist
Foreign ships are registered under the heading Duvvel-i Ecnebiye.
They are the so-called firmans that you can read on accounts of Captains who wanted to pass through the straights.
AvM
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Re: Greek corsairs of 1820s

Post by AvM »

Makis wrote: Wed Feb 14, 2018 5:50 pm they do exist
Foreign ships are registered under the heading Duvvel-i Ecnebiye.
They are the so-called firmans that you can read on accounts of Captains who wanted to pass through the straights.
In Sund Registers there are no any data,except those called by pilot
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