Introduction to the shipping transcripts taken from the British Consular registers at Buenos Aires

Transcripts from the Register Books of the British Consulate in Buenos Aires
The British Consulate in Buenos Aires opened for business in 1824 with the arrival of Woodbine Parish the first British Consul and Charles Griffiths the Vice-Consul. The earliest Register Books held by the British National Archives in Kew are FO446/3 1826-1831, and FO 446/4 1831-1841.
Selected Transcripts: 1827 - 1828 - Brig "Florida" William Lumsden - captured by a Privateer and recovered, then wrecked on the Outer Roads of BsAs - a year later the Brig "Triton" wrecked on the anchor of the "Florida". 1827 - Brig "Concord", Stewart Leith - Captured by the "Vencedor de Ituzaingo", Buenos Ayrean privateer and rescued by HMS Ranger. The Captain held prisoner and released in Rio Salado to make his own way to Buenos Aires. 1827 - 1828 - Brig "Huskisson" Thomas Clarke - Captured by the privateer "Vencedor de Ituzaingo" and sent to Rio Negro as a prize. A Prize Court in Buenos Aires liberated the vessel and the innocent part of her cargo. 1828 - "George And James" Andrew Carey - Captured by the Buenos Ayrean Privateer "Triunfo Argentino" and run on shore about 5 leagues south of Cabo San Antonio [Mar del Tuyu?]. 1829 - Brig "Albuera" Charles Borthwick - Captured by the "General San Martin", Buenos Ayrean privateer off Bahia and taken as a prize to Rio Negro in Patagonia. 1829 - Steamer "Druid" - Power of attorney for sale of vessel - This was the first steam vessel in the Rio de la Plata. Boarded by Brazilian Navy March 1826.	1829 - Schooner "Hope" Matthew Brisbane - "The British schooner Hope, from London, has been lost at South Georgia: of the crew 10 remained on the Island, and 10 including the Captain, got to Patagonia in a cutter which they had constructed." British Packet 2 May 1828. 1834 - Brig "Iceni" Robert Lacy - Because this vessel ran aground in the River Plate and had to jettison part of her cargo we have a list of the merchants that had cargo consigned to them and can see how the losses were allocated. 1835 - Brig "William the 4th" George Milne - On a voyage from Liverpool to Valparaiso they struggled for 2 months to round Cape Horn and finally the vessel was so damaged that they decided to run for the nearest port, Montevideo. They ran aground at night about 18 leagues south of Cabo Corrientes (Mar del Plata). 1836 - Schooner "Louisa Maria" Thomas Gamble - The schooner entered the River Plate and during the night ran aground on the Ensenada Spit. The letters sent to their agents in Buenos Aires, Lafone Barker & Co., describe the efforts to save cargo and ship. We also have the accounts of the expenses, a list of the merchants and payments due from each. 1840 - Barque "Henriettia" - Destroyed by fire near Bahia Blanca - letter to their agent Samuel Fisher Lafone in Buenos Aires.
Suggested Reading: Hanon, Maxine. *Diccionario de Britanicos en Buenos Aires* / Buenos Aires, 2005 Reber, Vera Blinn. British mercantile houses in Buenos Aires, 1810-1880 / Cambridge : Harvard University Press, 1979. Vale, Brian. A war betwixt Englishmen : Brazil against Argentina on the River Plate, 1825-1830 / London ; New York : I.B. Tauris, 2000. Spanish translation: Una Guerra entre Ingleses / BsAs, Instituto de Publicaciones Navales, 2005