Thomas Sturge and his fleet of South Sea whalers

Abstract

The literature on British South Sea whaling tends to focus on the vessels involved, with relatively little written about the ship-owners in the trade. Thomas Sturge the younger (1787–1866) was a Quaker ship-owner in London who had at least 22 vessels, most of which were involved in South Sea whaling. He took a close interest in how they operated and ensured that they were in good repair and well provisioned for their long and arduous voyages. He advised his captains on where to ‘fish’, and gave them instructions on how to treat their crewmen. Sturge was also part owner of two vessels that made significant voyages of discovery to the Antarctic. He was involved in a number of other commercial ventures and active in the wider community as a social reformer and philanthropist.