Career
Captain Francis Patrick carried troops from the 56th Foot to Madras from within India in 1809. On 5 June 1810 Bheemoolah returned from China.
Captain David Chauvet sailed from Calcutta from 4 July 1810. She was at Diamond Harbour on 7 September. She reached Mauritius on 6 December. [7]
Beemoolah was one of the vessels that participated in the British invasions of Île Bourbon and Île de France.
She then sailed back to Madras, which she reached on 15 March 1811, and Calcutta which she reached on 6 May.
Beemoolah, Edward Brightman, owner, appeared on a lit of vessels registered at Calcutta on January 1811.
On 28 July she was at Saugor, and Mauritius again on 29 September. She reached St Helena on 15 November, and arrived at Blackwall on 29 January 1812. [7]
She was sold soon after she arrived in England and her new owners renamed her Woodbridge. She was admitted to the British Registry on 28 March 1812 under that name. Captain George Henry Tweedy acquired a letter of marque on 11 March 1812. [4]
Tweedy sailed Woodbridge from Calcutta on 20 December 1813, bound for England. She reached St Helena on 5 March 1814. [9] On 25 March the USS Adams captured Woodbridge but had to give her up when the weather cleared and British warships were observed approaching. HMS Dannemark and HMS Albacore arrived on the scene while escorting a convoy to the Brazils. [10] [11] Woodbridge arrived at The Downs on 1 June. [9]
On 8 December 1815 Lloyd's List reported that Woodbridge, Smith, master, which had come from Batavia, was adrift off Margate having lost all but her foremast. [12] Four days later it reported that she had been driven aground on the Main in Popes Bay, about five miles from Margate. [13]
On 7 January 1817 Lloyd's List reported that Woodbridge had been driven ashore in October at the Cape of Good Hope. [14] Three days later it reported that a gale had driven her aground in Table Bay on 5 November, the day after she had arrived. The same gale had also driven Concord, Scott, master, ashore there. Concord had been completely destroyed. There was concern that Woodbridge could not be refloated. The crews and passengers on both vessels had been saved. Part of the cargoes too had been saved, but much damaged. [15] On 4 March Lloyd's List reported that Woodbridge had been refloated and that in December she would be fitted for sea. [16]
On 13 January 1823 Woodbridge came into Terceira Island because she was taking on water at a rate of 3.5 feet per hour. On the 18th she commenced discharging her cargo. It was expected that it would take two weeks to unload her. She was also in need of sails. [17]
Woodbridge arrived at London on 3 October 1828 from Sierra Leone under the command of her chief mate. Her master, second mate, and six seamen had died on the way. The rest of the crew were weak from illness and fatigue. [18]
Woodridge arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 21 July 1838 and left on the 26th. In January 1839 she was at Manila, having come from New South Wales, and was loading for London. [19] She left Manila on 8 February and Anjer on 5 March. She reached St Helena on 15 May, and was at Falmouth in late July. [20]
In 16 October 1839, Woodbridge, William B. Dobson, master, sailed from London as a convict transport. She sailed via the Cape of Good Hope and arrived at Sydney, New South Wales, on 26 February 1840. She embarked 230 male convicts, and disembarked 229, having had one convict die on the voyage. On 18 May 1840 she was at Sourabaya. [22]
Then on 3 September 1843 Captain Dobson again sailed with convicts from London, however this time they were bound for Van Diemen's Land. Woodbridge arrived at Hobart Town on 23 December. She had embarked 204 female convicts and she disembarked them all, having suffered no convict deaths en route.
Providence was a merchant ship built at Calcutta, India, and launched in 1807. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), on one of which she delivered convicts to New South Wales. The ship was scuttled at St Martin's, Isles of Scilly in 1833 after grounding while on a voyage from London to Bombay, India.
Betsey, was launched in 1801 at Calcutta, India. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) as Betsey. Around 1814 she sailed to England and was sold to English owners who renamed her Marquis of Wellington. As Marquis of Wellington she made a second voyage for the EIC after transporting convicts to New South Wales. She was returning to England in 1818 when she was wrecked near Margate.
Bengal Merchant was a sailing ship built of teak in Bengal and launched there on 26 May 1812. Between 1812 and 1829, Bengal Merchant was in private trade as a licensed ship. She served the East India Company (EIC) in 1813 and from 1830 till 1834. She also twice transported convicts from Britain to Australia before she was hulked in 1856.
Albion was a sailing ship of two decks and three masts, built at Bristol, England, and launched in 1813. She made three voyages transporting convicts to Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales. She also traded with Jamaica, India, and Quebec. For two of the voyages to India she was an "extra" ship to the British East India Company (EIC).
Countess of Harcourt was a two-decker, teak merchant ship launched at Prince of Wales's Island in 1811, and sold in Great Britain in 1814. An American privateer captured her in 1814, but the British recaptured her in 1815. Later, she made five trips transporting convicts to Australia. Between the third and fourth of these, she undertook a voyage to China and Nova Scotia while under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She was wrecked in late 1830.
Eliza was a merchant ship built in British India, probably in 1804. Between 1819 and 1831 she made five voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia. In between, she also made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). Her crew abandoned her at sea in 1836 as she was leaking uncontrollably.
Hooghly was a full-rigged merchant ship built on the Thames, England, and launched in 1819. She made two voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC), four voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia, as well as voyages transporting emigrants to South Australia between 1839-1856. Around 1858 she was re-rigged as a barque. She sank off Algiers in 1863.
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.
Claudine was launched at Calcutta in 1811. She made two voyages transporting convicts to Van Diemen's Land in 1821 and New South Wales in 1829. In between, she made one voyage under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). Her captain deliberately grounded her in November 1840 to survive a storm, but she was able to return to service. She was broken up in 1849.
Lady Nugent was built at Bombay in 1813. She made four voyages under contract to the British East India Company (EIC). She then made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, one to New South Wales and one to Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania). She also made several voyages with emigrants to New Zealand under charter to the New Zealand Company. She foundered in May 1854 with the loss of some 400 persons, most of them soldiers that she was carrying from Madras to Rangoon.
Peggy was built at Calcutta in 1793 and initially sailed in the Indian coastal and Far East trade. In 1801 she assumed British registry and her name was changed to Juliana. Her owners sold her to the Transport Board but in 1804 the government resold her and she was sailing as a West Indiaman between London and Antigua. She then made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage to Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, transporting convicts. On her return from this voyage she wrecked in 1821 on the English coast.
Larkins made ten voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), all as an "extra ship", i.e. under contract. On two of these voyages she first transported convicts to Australia. She also made one convict voyage independently of the EIC. She traded extensively between England and India or China, and in this twice suffered serious but not fatal maritime mishaps. In 1853 she became a coal hulk at Albany, Western Australia, and remained there until she was broken up in 1876.
Maitland was launched at Calcutta in 1811. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1812 and 1830. She also made three voyages transporting convicts to Australia between 1840 and 1846. Thereafter she traded widely before she was wrecked c.1869.
Minerva was launched at Lancaster, Lancashire, in 1805. Following trading with Central and South America, she made two voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC) between 1811 and 1814. She also made four voyages transporting convicts to Australia between 1818 and 1824, one to Van Diemen's Land and three voyages to New South Wales. She was broken up in 1826.
Portsea was launched at Calcutta in 1807. She was a country ship; that is, she primarily traded east of the Cape of Good Hope. She participated as a transport in the British invasion of Mauritius. She then carried French prisoners of war to France. She also made one voyage to St Helena from Bengal under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). In 1814 a storm dismasted her and she was lengthened, but it is not clear whether before or after the dismasting. She made two voyages as a South Seas whaler between 1828 and 1835. In 1838 she made one voyage transporting convicts to New South Wales. She carried coal to Valparaiso in 1840 and there her owners turned her into a coal hulk. Her final fate is not known.
Boyne was launched at Calcutta in 1807. In 1809 she sailed to England. She was sold to the Danes, but by 1811 was under English ownership under the name Moffat. She then made seven voyages as a "regular ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). After the EIC exited its maritime activities in 1833–34, Moffat made four voyages transporting convicts to Australia: one voyage to Port Jackson and three to Van Diemen's Land. She also made at least one voyage carrying immigrants to South Australia, and later regularly traded between Liverpool and Bombay. She was last listed in 1856.
Fairlie was launched at Calcutta in 1810 and sailed to England. There she became a regular ship for the British East India Company (EIC). Including her voyage to England, she made four voyages for the EIC. From around 1821 on she became a Free Trader, continuing to trade with India under a license from the EIC. She also made two voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales (1834), and Tasmania (1852). She made several voyages carrying immigrants to South Australia, New South Wales, and British Guiana. She foundered in November 1865.
Barrosa was launched in 1811 at Cossipore. She sailed to England and then made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC); during this period she also made one voyage carrying immigrants to South Africa. After the EIC gave up its maritime activities in 1833-1834, Barossa became a transport. She made three voyages transporting convicts to Australia. She was lost in 1847, without loss of life, while transporting coolies from Madras to Jamaica.
Runnymede was a barque–rigged sailing ship built in London in 1825. She traded between Britain and India, sailing under a license from he British East India Company (EIC). She made one voyage to Tasmania in 1839–1840 transporting convicts. She also carried immigrants to New South Wales. She was wrecked in 1844.
Prince of Orange was launched in Sunderland in 1814. She originally sailed as a West Indiaman but then became an East Indiaman, sailing to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, the first in 1820–1821 to New South Wales, and the second in 1822 to Van Diemen's Land. Between 1830 and 1840 she made nine voyages as a whaler to Davis Strait. She was lengthened and rebuilt in 1846. In December 1852 she grounded and it took some months to get her off. She then need major repairs. She also suffered damages in 1854. She foundered in 1858.
