| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Name | Berwick |
| Namesake | Berwick-upon-Tweed |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | David Glass & John Wood, Calcutta |
| Launched | 21 September 1795 [1] |
| Fate | Wrecked 30 June 1827 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 420, [2] [1] or 426, [3] or 454 [4] (post 1821 repair) (bm) |
| Complement | 60 [5] |
| Armament | 8 × 4-pounder guns [5] |
| Notes | Teak-built |
Berwick was launched at Calcutta in 1795. She made three voyages for the British East India Company. On her maiden voyage, which was under the auspices of the EIC, she carried rice from Bengal for the British government to alleviate grain shortages in England. When she arrived in England she changed her registry to that of Great Britain. Between her second and third voyages for the EIC Berwick was a West Indiaman, sailing primarily to Barbados. In the 1820s she sailed to Van Diemen's Land. She made her third voyage for the EIC in 1825. She was wrecked in 1827 on a return voyage from India.
Captain John McTaggart sailed from Calcutta on 23 November 1795. Berwick was at Diamond Harbour on 20 January 1796. She reached St Helena on 25 April, Falmouth on 19 June, and Plymouth on 24 June. She arrived at Long Reach on 8 July. [6] She carried rice on behalf of the British government which was importing grain to address high prices for wheat in Britain following a poor harvest.
Berwick first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) with McTaggart master and owner, with her master changing to Wauchope, and trade London–India. [7]
Captain William Wauchope acquired a letter of marque on 28 June 1796. [5] Berwick was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain on 29 August. [2] Captain Wauchope sailed from Portsmouth on 21 October 1796, bound for Madras. Berwick arrived at Madras on 2 February 1797. She was at Trincomalee on 13 April and the Cape of Good Hope on 7 July. She reached St Helena on 3 August and arrived at Gravesend on 28 October. [6]
On her return from India, Berwick became a West Indiaman. [2] Lloyd's Register for 1798 showed her master changing from Wauchope to William Welch, her owner from McTaggart to P.Daniel & Co., and her trade from London–India to London–Barbados. [8]
Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 13 December 1805 that Berwick, Welsch, master, had sunk in Ramsgate harbour. [9] A report about six weeks later stated that she had grounded, but had been gotten off and had returned to the Thames. [10]
Lloyd's Register for 1810 showed Berwick's master changing from Wason to Griffith. Her owner was still Daniel & Co., and her trade London–Barbados. She had undergone a thorough repair in 1806. [3]
On 21 March 1809 Lloyd's List reported that Berwick, Griffiths, master, had not been heard from since separating on 18 December from the fleet from Barbados. A week later Lloyd's List reported that Berwick, Griffiths, master, had been captured and taken into Guadeloupe. [11] Several weeks after that, Lloyd's List reported that she had arrived at Jamaica on 13 February 1809. [12]
On 22 December 1810 Berwick put into Portsmouth. She had been bound for Barbados but had sprung a leak. [13]
Lloyd's Register for 1820 showed her master changing from S. Compton to W. Tyler. She had undergone a repair in 1811. Her owner was still Daniel & Co., and her trade London–Barbados. [14]
On 4 February 1821 Berwick, Tyler, master, was at 48°N24°W / 48°N 24°W having lost her rudder, boats, bulwarks and maintopmast. She was proceeding with a jury-rigged rudder. [15] She was sailing from Demerara to London. She underwent repairs in 1821.
Lloyd's Register for 1825 showed Berwick with R. Jeffrey, master, W.C. Hurry and Co., owner, and trade London–Van Diemen's Land. [16] She had been making the run between London and Van Diemen's Land for some time. She had left Gravesend on 6 December 1822 and had arrived in Hobart Town on 21 June 1823. She carried passengers, and delivered some Merino sheep.
The Oriental Herald and Colonial Review reported that Captain Jeffrey and Berwick had stopped at Tristan da Cunha on 25 March 1823 on her way to Van Diemen's Land. She had found it now had a population of 17, or 22 men and three women (accounts differ), and the leadership of a former British artillery corporal. It was well supplied with domestic animals and grew its own produce and potatoes. Its leader traded with the Cape of Good Hope in a small schooner, delivering seal skins and elephant-seal oil. [17] [18]
On 7 July, after her arrival, several steerage passengers sued Jeffrey for inadequate accommodations, lack of access to the deck, and water shortages. The court found in their favor and required Jeffrey to pay damages ranging from £8-£20 relative to a per person charge for the voyage of around £40. [19] [18]
Lloyd's Register for 1826 showed Berwick with T. Eilbeck, master, J. Grieg, owner, and trade London–India. [4]
Berwick left the Downs on 7 June 1825. She arrived at the New Anchorage on 9 November and at Calcutta on 17 November. [20]
Berwick was wrecked on 30 June 1827 at Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, as she was sailing from Tellicherry and Bombay for London. Captain Eilbeck, the Second Officer, the carpenter, and twelve seamen drowned. [21] [1]
Citations
References
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)| Shipwrecks |
|
|---|---|
| Other incidents |
|
Ocean was launched in 1802 at Quebec. She made five voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC) between 1804 and 1814. Her owners then sold her and she continued to sail between Britain and India under a license issued by the EIC. In 1815–1816 she made one voyage transporting convicts to Australia. She was last listed in 1825.
Fame was built at Bristol in 1779 as a West Indiaman. Between 1797 and 1799 she made one or two voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made two voyages to Africa as a slave ship. On her return from Africa she resumed her trading with Jamaica. She is last listed in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1807.
Welton was launched at Hull in 1809. She first traded between Hull and Quebec and then later with South America and the Caribbean. Lastly, she traded with India. She was lost in 1817 at Bengal.
Busiris was launched at Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1814 as a West Indiaman. She made one voyage as an East Indiaman and then returned to the West Indies trade. She was wrecked in May 1826.
Ceres was launched at Kolkata in August 1793 as Lutchmy and renamed in 1794. She sailed to England in 1798 and became a West Indiaman. She was condemned at Barbados in 1806. New owners returned her to service, first as a West Indiaman and then as an East Indiaman. She was damaged at Mauritius in 1818 and although she was listed until 1824, it is not clear that she sailed again after the damage she sustained in Mauritius.
Thames was launched in 1818 as an East Indiaman, trading with India and Ceylon under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made one voyage transporting convicts to Van Diemen's Land. She became leaky and was condemned at Swan River in 1830 as she was sailing to Île de France from having delivered her convicts at Hobart.
Glenmore was launched in 1806 at Elgin. She was initially a West Indiaman. She made one voyage to Bengal in 1813–14. She became a Greenland whaler in 1818 and made four full whaling voyages. She was lost in the White Sea in 1822.
Aberdeen was launched at Quebec in 1811. She sailed to England and then traded between Quebec and Britain. She made two voyages to India under license from the British East India Company (EIC). After her return from the second, in 1820, she was no longer listed.
Lord Wellington was launched in 1810 at Rochester, or equally, Chatham, as a West Indiaman. She made at least one voyage to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She then made a voyage to New South Wales transporting female convicts from England and Ireland. She was lost in December 1822 off Denmark while sailing from Saint Petersburg to London.
Lord Wellington was launched in 1811 in Montreal. She became a London-based transport that made one voyage to India in 1819 under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). Afterwards she continued to sail to the Baltic and North America. She was last listed in 1829.
Adrian was launched in 1819 at Newcastle-on-Tyne. She initially sailed between London and Canada but then in 1822 she started sailing east of the Cape of Good Hope under a license from the British East India Company. She made voyages to Bengal and Batavia. In between, she transported convicts to New South Wales. She foundered in 1833.
Stakesby was launched at Whitby in 1814. She carried immigrants to Quebec, traded with Batavia and Bombay, transported convicts to Van Diemen's Land, and made a voyage to Calcutta for the British East India Company (EIC). She disappeared in 1846 on a voyage from London to Quebec.
Sesostris was launched at Hull in 1818. She traded with India, the Baltic, and Russia, carried troops for a Chilean military expedition against Peru, and transported convicts to New South Wales. She was broken up in 1843.
Waterloo was launched in 1815 at Plymouth. She made two voyages to India. Heavy seas in October 1820 so damaged her that her crew had to abandon her in the North Atlantic.
Security was launched at Nova Scotia in 1824. She sailed to England and then traded with Australia and India. She was wrecked in December 1827.
Harriet was launched at New York in 1810. She was captured and sold as a prize in 1813 to British owners. She was wrecked at Fanning's Island in late 1831 or early 1832.
Jane was launched in 1813 at Fort Gloucester. She transferred her registry to Britain and sailed between Britain and India or Batavia. She was last mentioned in 1820, though the registers continued to carry her until 1826.
Medina was launched in 1811 and quickly became a West Indiaman. Ten years later she started sailing to the East Indies under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, first to Sydney and then to Hobart. She also brought immigrants to the Swan River Colony. On that voyage she sustained damage that caused her to be condemned in July 1831.
Jupiter was launched in 1805 at Shields. In addition to sailing generally as a transport, she made one voyage to Bengal sailing there under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). She also made one voyage to Australia in 1823 carrying a small number of migrants. She was condemned in 1829 as unseaworthy.
Three Sisters was launched in 1788 as a West Indiaman. In 1795 she made one voyage to Bengal for the British East India Company (EIC). She then returned to the West Indies trade and was lost in February 1799 on her way to Barbados from London.
