Richard Spratly
Encyclopedia
Captain Richard Spratly was master of the British whaler
, the Cyrus South Seaman. from at least 1836 until 1844. He is notable for being the namesake of Spratly Island
and the group of islands and reefs in the area known as the Spratly Islands
.
Richard Spratly was born between 1806 and 1811 in Chesham
, England
. He took up his father's profession and became a journeyman
butcher
. He had two brothers, John Spratly and William Spratly
.
He owned a close
of meadow on Chartridge Lane, the highway from Chesham
to Chartridge Green which was mortgaged and sold to William Selby Lowndes
in 1836 before leaving port.
He left port in 1836 and returned to Portsmouth
in October 1837 with goods from India. It can be assumed from documentation that parties interested in his trades met at the George and Dragon, a pub in Chesham
, on 29 May, just prior to his arrival.
He left port again in June 1838 for a much longer journey, stopping and returning to various ports including the Cape of Good Hope, Celebes
and North Island
.
In 1840, Richard Spratly was sailing through an area he called Menado, on Australia's North Island
. He became the witness to an attack by a local sultan on the Erskine Murray's Yacht Young Queen captained by Captain Hait and the Brig Anne captained by Captain Lewis. The account was documented in a letter to one Honorable E. Murray and published in the Sydney Shipping Gazette.
According to accounts by the crew, on 24 February 1841, the Cyrus anchored at Kema Roads, Celebes
with a valuable cargo of oil. The next day the crew went ashore, but returned a few men short. Two of them, Heron and Robson, were spotted and told to return but fled from shore after they were confronted only to return later on the 28th. Crew members Howland and Heron went missing on 2 March. Finally on 3 March, after much searching and drunken antics on the Dutch occupied island, the Cyrus sailed back to England without the missing crew members.
Captain Spratly occasionally submitted navigational routes and survey information to The Nautical Magazine
and the Naval Chronicles.
” and "Ladd Reef". Some sources name him Henry (really the surveyor of Mischief Reef
in 1791) or William (Richard's brother and First Officer), but "Richard Spratly" was the name reported by Captain Doyle of Australia and Captain Campbell of the Hydrographic Office
His sighting was reported in The Nautical Magazine
in the year 1843, issue 697:
"...at 9 h. A.M. a low sandy island was discovered from the masthead, bearing S.E.bE. four leagues. On nearing the beach was visible to the water's edge, the top appearing to be covered with small bushes, and about the height of a Ship's hull, with a black patch dividing the sandy beach in nearly two equal parts to the water's edge... One [of these two dangers ] I call Ladd Reef, after Captain Ladd of the Ship Austen, who appears first to have seen it; the other Spratly's Sandy Island."
The publication of his voyage in Nautical Magazine and the Naval Chronicle popularized his naming of the island, even though the island had previously been named, “Horsburgh’s Storm Island” by Captain James Horsburgh
. The British Admiralty finally agreed that the scattered islands in the area be named, "the Spratly Islands
".
There is also a Captain Richard Spratly listed as master of the Atalanta which landed in Victoria
in 1858 and Sydney
in 1859. There is another entry for a Captain Richard Spratly as master of the Redrose in 1864. These may have been other vessels which he commanded later or possibly a coincidence.
in 1851. Sometime before 1861 he married Fanny Spratly. He died in 1866.
Whaler
A whaler is a specialized ship, designed for whaling, the catching and/or processing of whales. The former included the whale catcher, a steam or diesel-driven vessel with a harpoon gun mounted at its bows. The latter included such vessels as the sail or steam-driven whaleship of the 16th to early...
, the Cyrus South Seaman. from at least 1836 until 1844. He is notable for being the namesake of Spratly Island
Spratly Island
Spratly Island may refer to:* Spratly Islands, a chain of islands, reefs and shoals in South China Sea that is disputed by the Philippines, People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei....
and the group of islands and reefs in the area known as the Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
.
Early life
Beyond official logs and court records, little is known about Richard Spratly's personal life.Richard Spratly was born between 1806 and 1811 in Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. He took up his father's profession and became a journeyman
Journeyman
A journeyman is someone who completed an apprenticeship and was fully educated in a trade or craft, but not yet a master. To become a master, a journeyman had to submit a master work piece to a guild for evaluation and be admitted to the guild as a master....
butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
. He had two brothers, John Spratly and William Spratly
William Spratly
William Spratly was the Second Officer of the British whaler, the Cyrus South Seaman and brother of its Captain, Richard Spratly who is notable for naming Spratly Island and being the namesake of the Spratly Islands...
.
Early Voyages
Spratly sailed the Cyrus, under ownership of one, "Mr. Joe".He owned a close
Close
Close may refer to:*Close In music:*"Close", a song by Rascal Flatts from Unstoppable*"Close", a song by Soul Asylum from Candy from a Stranger*"Close", a song by Westlife from Coast to Coast...
of meadow on Chartridge Lane, the highway from Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
to Chartridge Green which was mortgaged and sold to William Selby Lowndes
William Selby Lowndes
William Selby Lowndes was a United Kingdom Member of Parliament.The Lowndes family were conservative Anglican landowners in the English county of Buckinghamshire. This gentry family was prominent in the county during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries...
in 1836 before leaving port.
He left port in 1836 and returned to Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
in October 1837 with goods from India. It can be assumed from documentation that parties interested in his trades met at the George and Dragon, a pub in Chesham
Chesham
Chesham is a market town in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire, England. It is located 11 miles south-east of the county town of Aylesbury. Chesham is also a civil parish designated a town council within Chiltern district. It is situated in the Chess Valley and surrounded by farmland, as well as...
, on 29 May, just prior to his arrival.
He left port again in June 1838 for a much longer journey, stopping and returning to various ports including the Cape of Good Hope, Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
and North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
.
In 1840, Richard Spratly was sailing through an area he called Menado, on Australia's North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
. He became the witness to an attack by a local sultan on the Erskine Murray's Yacht Young Queen captained by Captain Hait and the Brig Anne captained by Captain Lewis. The account was documented in a letter to one Honorable E. Murray and published in the Sydney Shipping Gazette.
According to accounts by the crew, on 24 February 1841, the Cyrus anchored at Kema Roads, Celebes
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
with a valuable cargo of oil. The next day the crew went ashore, but returned a few men short. Two of them, Heron and Robson, were spotted and told to return but fled from shore after they were confronted only to return later on the 28th. Crew members Howland and Heron went missing on 2 March. Finally on 3 March, after much searching and drunken antics on the Dutch occupied island, the Cyrus sailed back to England without the missing crew members.
Captain Spratly occasionally submitted navigational routes and survey information to The Nautical Magazine
The Nautical Magazine
The Nautical Magazine is a monthly magazine published by Brown Son & Ferguson containing articles of general interest to seafarers. The magazine was first published in 1832 and has variously been known as The Nautical magazine and naval chronicle for ... and Nautical magazine and journal of the...
and the Naval Chronicles.
Voyage in the Spratlys
On 29 March 1843, Captain Richard Spratly, sighted what is now known in English as “Spratly IslandSpratly Island
Spratly Island may refer to:* Spratly Islands, a chain of islands, reefs and shoals in South China Sea that is disputed by the Philippines, People's Republic of China, Republic of China, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei....
” and "Ladd Reef". Some sources name him Henry (really the surveyor of Mischief Reef
Mischief Reef
Mischief Reef or Meiji Reef is a reef in the Spratly Islands in South China Sea. Some rocks above water at low tide. It has a lagoon. The reef is controlled by the People's Republic of China, and claimed by the Republic of China as well as the Philippines and Vietnam.-Chinese Occupation:The...
in 1791) or William (Richard's brother and First Officer), but "Richard Spratly" was the name reported by Captain Doyle of Australia and Captain Campbell of the Hydrographic Office
Hydrographic office
A hydrographic office is an organization which is devoted to acquiring and publishing hydrographic information.Historically, the main tasks of hydrographic offices were the conduction of hydrographic surveys and the publication of nautical charts...
His sighting was reported in The Nautical Magazine
The Nautical Magazine
The Nautical Magazine is a monthly magazine published by Brown Son & Ferguson containing articles of general interest to seafarers. The magazine was first published in 1832 and has variously been known as The Nautical magazine and naval chronicle for ... and Nautical magazine and journal of the...
in the year 1843, issue 697:
"...at 9 h. A.M. a low sandy island was discovered from the masthead, bearing S.E.bE. four leagues. On nearing the beach was visible to the water's edge, the top appearing to be covered with small bushes, and about the height of a Ship's hull, with a black patch dividing the sandy beach in nearly two equal parts to the water's edge... One [of these two dangers ] I call Ladd Reef, after Captain Ladd of the Ship Austen, who appears first to have seen it; the other Spratly's Sandy Island."
The publication of his voyage in Nautical Magazine and the Naval Chronicle popularized his naming of the island, even though the island had previously been named, “Horsburgh’s Storm Island” by Captain James Horsburgh
James Horsburgh
James Horsburgh was a Scottish hydrographer. He worked for East India Company, who mapped many seaways around Singapore in the late 18th century and early 19th century....
. The British Admiralty finally agreed that the scattered islands in the area be named, "the Spratly Islands
Spratly Islands
The Spratly Islands are a group of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays and islands in the South China Sea. The archipelago lies off the coasts of the Philippines and Malaysia , about one third of the way from there to southern Vietnam. They comprise less than four square kilometers of land...
".
Later Voyages
Upon returning to Great Britain in 1844, the crew was summoned to a hearing by William Heron's mother. The incident had not been well documented and there was not enough evidence to suggest one way or the other if Captain Spratly was guilty of abandoning them without a thorough search, therefore no jury trial followed. The account given by the newspapers was starkly different from the crew's accounts recorded by the courts and gave more details of the course of events.There is also a Captain Richard Spratly listed as master of the Atalanta which landed in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
in 1858 and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
in 1859. There is another entry for a Captain Richard Spratly as master of the Redrose in 1864. These may have been other vessels which he commanded later or possibly a coincidence.
Final Days
Captain Spratly was recorded as residing in Chesham with his mother, Martha Spratly (then widowed) and his brother William SpratlyWilliam Spratly
William Spratly was the Second Officer of the British whaler, the Cyrus South Seaman and brother of its Captain, Richard Spratly who is notable for naming Spratly Island and being the namesake of the Spratly Islands...
in 1851. Sometime before 1861 he married Fanny Spratly. He died in 1866.