Black Middens, Enterprize

1782 wreck of English privateer which stranded on the Mussel Scarp on entering Shields harbour. Originally French, she was a wooden sailing vessel`For sale to the highest bidder, at the Half-Moon Tavern, Carr's, North Shields, on Monday the 28th of January, 1782, at noon, the hull of the ENTERPRIZE, Capt. William Dennes (late a private ship of war) with her copper sheathing, as she now lies on the Muscle Scarp, with her foremast, bowsprit, and mizzenmast standing.

`After which will be sold her stores, in separate lots, consisting of 3 anchors, from 28 to 31cwt each; 3 cables, from 16 and a half to 17 inches; a quantity of standing and running rigging; some junk; 24 9lb guns, 8 6lb ditto, all bored out of the solid, with carriages, tackles, breechings, etc, some swivels and cohorns; 13 whole barrels, and 2 half ditto, of gunpowder; a quantity of 9 and 6lb cartridges filled; 70 muskets, several bayonets, and boarding pikes, cutlasses and tomahawks; 50 sails, great and small; one chest of colours of most nations; a medicine chest, and box of surgeon's instruments; some tierces and barrels of beef and pork; a quantity of carpenter's stores; an armourer's forge, anvil, etc; upwards of 120 old butts, puncheons, and hogsheads; a sheer mast; some top-masts and top-gallant masts, lower yards, top-sail and top-gallant ditto, and sundry other spars; several steering sailbooms and yards; a large iron hearth, with cook's coppers, etc; sundry ship-chandlery and other stores.

`Inventories, with the terms of sale, will be delivered; and the stores may be viewed some days before the sale, by applying at the Half-Moon, as above mentioned.'

`We are sorry to inform our readers, that on a survey on Tuesday, by several master builders, the ENTERPRIZE privateer of London, lately drove on shore in entering this port, was found so much damaged, that she was condemned, and her hull and stores are advertised to be sold. She was a French prize, and a remarkable swift sailing vessel.'

Built: France
Construction: copper-sheathed; three masts
Armament: 24 x 9pdr; 8 x 6 pdr; swivels; cohorns
Master: William Dennes