Bengal (1815 ship)

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History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameBengal
Owner
  • 1815: Cropper, Benson & Co, Liverpool
  • 1830: Hugh More [1]
BuilderSteele & Carsewell, Greenock [1] [2]
Launched25 February 1815
FateWrecked circa 1847
General characteristics
Tons burthen391, or 402, [3] or 415 [4] (bm)

Bengal was launched at Greenock in February 1815. She was the first vessel built in Scotland for the East India trade. She immediately made three voyages to India, sailing under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). She then traded with the United States, alternating that with other voyages to India. In 1819, on one voyage to India, she was anchored at Calcutta and the venue for a party that resulted in her captain, surgeon, and about a fifth of the guests all dying within days of an unknown disease. She was wrecked in about 1847.

Contents

Career

Messrs. Steele and Carsewell, of the Bay of Quick, Greenock launched Bengal in February 1815. She was the first vessel built in Scotland for the East India trade. [5]

Bengal first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1815. [3]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1815R.J.FayerCropper & Co.Liverpool–Calcutta LR

In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC. [6]

On 12 June 1815, Bengal, Frayer, master, sailed for Bengal and Madras under a licence from the EIC. [7] Bengal, Fayrer, master, was reported to have arrived at Liverpool from Bengal in June 1816.

In February 1817, Bengal, built at Greenock in 1815, Cuthbertson, master, sailed from Britain, bound for Bombay. She arrived in the Hooghly River in March 1818. By late October she had returned to Liverpool.

On 12 June 1819, Bengal, built at Greenock in 1815, G. Woodward, master, sailed for Fort William, India. She was reported as having arrived at Bengal on 9 July. [lower-alpha 1] On 25 August she sailed from Bengal to Liverpool. Around 23 September she returned to Calcutta to effect repairs after having sustained damage in the Hooghli on her way to Liverpool. On 5 October it was reported that she had put back leaky and was expected to have to go into dock. On 5 April 1820 Bengal, "late Woodward", arrived back at Liverpool from Bengal.

George Woodward had died on 14 November 1819, at Calcutta, aged 29. [8] On 14 October he had given a party aboard Bengal that resulted in about a dozen deaths from among the 50 guests. [9] A longer account lists eight dead, including Woodward and Bengal's surgeon, and gives Woodward's age as 40. Several other crew also died. "Effluvia" from the 17,000 buffalo horns that made up her cargo, was suspected, but this suspicion did not arise until after Bengal had sailed and could not be conveyed to her. [10]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1820R.J.Fayer
Emerson		Cropper & Co.Liverpool–Calcutta
Liverpool–Savannah		LR
1821J.Emerson
J.Pearce		Cropper & Co.Liverpool–SavannahLR
1822J.PearceCropper & Co.Liverpool–New YorkLR
1823J.PearceCropper & Co.Liverpool–New York
Liverpool–Calcutta		LR; damages repaired 1823

On 29 September 1823 Bengal, Pearce, master, sailed for Calcutta. On 20 August 1824 Bengal arrived at St Helena from Bengal. The next day she sailed for London. On 18 October she arrived back at Liverpool.

Lloyd's Register's list of licensed voyages reported that on 3 June 1824 Bengal, Pearce, master, had sailed for Calcutta. This appears to be an error.

On 3 February 1825, Bengal, M'Leod, master sailed for Calcutta. On 17 November she arrived at the Cape of Good Hope from Bengal, and sailed for Liverpool on the 20th for Liverpool.

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1826[Norman] M'LeodCropper & Co.Liverpool–CalcuttaLR; small repairs 1825
1828M'Leod
R.Atkins		Cropper & Co.Liverpool–CalcuttaLR; small repairs 1825
1829J.BissetCropper & Co.Liverpool–CharlestonLR; small repairs 1825
1830R.Atkins
J.Bisset		Cropper & Co.Liverpool–Bombay LR; small repairs 1825
1832J.BissetW.MureLiverpool–MobileLR; small repairs 1825 and 1830
1834TulanLR
1836J.Tulan
Teulon		MureLiverpoolLR; new deck 1831, new wales and topsides 1833, & damages repaired 1837
1839Teulon
T.Hicks		MureLiverpool
Liverpool–Maranham 		LR; new deck 181, new wales and topsides 1833, & damages repaired 1837
1842T.Hicks
Gale		Mure
Brown & Co.		Liverpool–Maranham
Liverpool–Quebec		LR; new deck 1831, new wales and topsides 1833, & damages repaired 1837
1846GaleBrown & Co.LR

Fate

The volume of Lloyd's Register for 1846 carried the annotation "Wrecked" by Bengal's name. [11]

Notes

  1. ↑ The departure date is almost surely in error as this would represent an impossibly rapid journey.

Citations

  1. 1 2 Ships built in Scotland: Bengal.
  2. ↑ MacGregor (1984), p. 45.
  3. 1 2 LR (1815), Supple. pages "B", Seq.no.B34.
  4. ↑ Hackman (2001), p. 253.
  5. ↑ Weir (1829), p. 90.
  6. ↑ Hackman (2001), p. 247.
  7. ↑ LR (1816), "Licensed and Country Ships".
  8. ↑ Anon. (1851), p. 171.
  9. ↑ Rainey (1876), p. 187.
  10. ↑ Seton-Karr (1869), pp. 322–324.
  11. ↑ LR (1846), Seq.no.B133.

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References

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