The directory «Plots of stamps in the catalogue»

Weddell James
(1787—1834)

James, aged nine, joined him as boy, first class, on the Swan, but discharged himself six months later. Charles eventually settled in the West Indies, dying in 1818. James entered the merchant service and was apparently bound to the master of a Newcastle collier for some years. About 1805 he shipped on board a merchantman trading to the West Indies, making several voyages there. However, charged with striking his tyrannical captain, he was handed over to the frigate Rainbow as a prisoner, guilty of insubordination and mutiny.
In Jamaica Weddell once again volunteered for service in the Royal Navy and in December 1810 was appointed master of the Firefly. In December 1811 he was moved to the Thalia, and on her return to England and being paid off he was promoted on 21.10.12 as master of the Hope. He was aboard the Hope when in 1813 in the English Channel she captured the True Blooded Yankee, an American privateer. A few months later Weddell was moved to a brig Avon. The Avon was paid off in March 1814 and Weddell was appointed to the Espoir sloop, sailing to the West Indies and Nova Scotia, from which he was promoted to the Cyndus frigate and later to the Pactolus. With the end of the Napoleonic War he was laid off on half pay in February 1816, and for a while resumed merchant voyages to the West Indies.

After he arrived back home, he got the "Jane's" owners to send him on another expedition - he sailed from England on 17 September 1822 along with another ship, the "Beaufoy". By 13 January 1823, they reached the eastern end of the South Orkneys. Weddell went ashore at Saddle Island and collected six skins of a new species of seal - today this seal is known as the Weddell seal. By 20 February 1823, they reached 74°15'S - 344 km farther south than Cook sailed. Even though he saw open water further south, Weddell decided to return to England. They arrived in July 1823.

British Antarctic Territory, 1973, James Weddell and ship «Jane»

British Antarctic Territory, 1985, James Weddell and Weddell's Seal

British Antarctic Territory, 2008, James Weddel

Falkland Islands, 2008, James Weddel and «Jane»