Bridgewater (1812 EIC ship)

Last updated

The H.C. Ship Bridgewater Capt J.R. Manderson, entering Madras Roads April 10th 1830 under Jury Masts, after the Gales of the 7th of March RMG PY8464.jpg
The H.C. Ship Bridgewater Capt J.R. Manderson, entering Madras Roads April 10th 1830 under Jury Masts, after the Gales of the 7th of March, William John Huggins, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
History
Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg United Kingdom
NameBridgewater
OwnerJames Sims
BuilderRandall, Brent & Gray, Rotherhithe
Launched5 October 1812 [1]
FateCondemned 1830 and sold 1831 for breaking up
General characteristics
Tons burthen1276, [2] or 127650⁄94, [1] or 1349 [3] (bm)
Length
  • Overall:166 ft 5 in (50.7 m)
  • Keel:135 ft 8+5⁄8 in (41.4 m)
Beam42 ft 2+1⁄2 in (12.9 m)
Depth of hold17 ft 0+1⁄1 in (5.2 m)
Sail plan Full-rigged ship
Complement129 [3]
Armament26 × 18-pounder guns + 12 × 18-pounder carronades [3]
NotesThree decks

Bridgewater was launched in 1812 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages to India and China for the EIC. A hurricane dismasted her as she was homeward bound on her ninth voyage. She was surveyed at Calcutta in 1830, condemned, and sold for breaking up in 1831.

Contents

Career

EIC voyage #1 (1813–1814)

Captain Philip Hughes acquired a letter of marque on 30 October 1812. [3] He sailed from Portsmouth on 29 January 1813, bound for Madras and China. Bridgewater reached the Cape of Good Hope on 7 May and arrived at Madras on 7 July. She was at Penang on 17 August and Malacca on 8 September before arriving at Whampoa Anchorage on 25 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 21 February 1814, reached St Helena on 26 May, and arrived at Long Reach on 11 August. [2]

EIC voyage #2 (1815–1816)

Captain Hughes sailed from Portsmouth on 28 February 1815, bound for Madras and China. Bridgewater reached Madras on 22 July, was at Penang on 1 September and Malacca on 21 September, and arrived at Whampoa on 29 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 24 December, reached St Helena on 26 March 1816, and arrived at Long Reach on 15 May. [2]

When Bridgewater arrived back at London she discharged her crew, including her Chinese sailors hired in Canton. Princess Amelia repatriated 19 to Canton, together with 361 others, leaving the Downs on 20 July 1816. [4]

EIC voyage #3 (1817–1818)

Captain Hughes sailed from Portsmouth on 14 March 1817, bound for Madras and China. Bridgewater reached Madras on 26 June, was at Penang on 6 August, and arrived at Whampoa on 26 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 3 December, reached the Cape on 12 March 1818 and St Helena on 28 March 1816, and arrived at Long Reach on 4 June. [2]

EIC voyage #4 (1819–1820)

Captain Charles Sheldon Timins sailed from the Downs on 22 April 1819, bound for St Helena and China. Bridgewater was at St Helena on 4 July and Penang on 30 September. She arrived at Whampoa on 6 December. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 30 January 1820, and was at Macao on 16 February. She reached St Helena on 19 April and arrived at Long Reach on 23 June. [2]

EIC voyage #5 (1821–1822)

Captain William Mitchell sailed from the Downs on 28 April 1821, bound for China. Bridgewater was at Penang on 11 August, Malacca on 2 September, and Singapore on 5 September. She arrived at Whampoa on 5 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 14 January 1822. She left China on 22 March, reached St Helena on 24 June, and arrived at Long Reach on 18 August. [2]

EIC voyage #6 (1823–1824)

Captain Mitchell sailed from the Downs on 27 February 1823, bound for St Helena, Bombay, and China. [2] While Bridgewater was at sea on 29 April she was at 18°42′S4°0′W / 18.700°S 4.000°W / -18.700; -4.000 when a small mutiny broke out that Mitchell and his officers suppressed. [5] Bridgewater arrived at St Helena on 30 April. [2] There the Governor mounted a court of inquiry that in May found that a mutiny had indeed occurred and ordered that the ringleaders be sent back to England for trial. [5] Bridgewater arrived in Bombay on 8 July. She reached Singapore on 13 September and arrived at Whampoa on 6 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 7 December, reached St Helena on 10 March, and arrived at Blackwall on 6 May. [2]

EIC voyage #7 (1825–1826)

Captain John Rennie Manderson sailed from Portsmouth on 27 January 1825, bound for Bengal and China. Bridgewater arrived at Balasore on 24 May. She was at Penang on 15 August, Malacca on 29 August, and Singapore on 4 September; she arrived at Whampoa on 26 September. She left Whampoa on 18 November, reached St Helena on 2 February 1826, and arrived at Long Reach on 4 April. [2]

EIC voyage #8 (1827–1828)

Captain Manderson sailed from the Downs on 4 January 1827, bound for Bombay and China. Bridgewater arrived at Bombay on 7 May, reached Singapore on 29 July, and arrived at Whampoa on 10 August. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 12 October, reached St Helena on 24 January 1828, and arrived at Blackwall on 16 March. [2]

EIC voyage #9 (1829–1831)

Captain Manderson sailed from the Downs on 11 January 1829, bound for Bengal and China. She reached Saugor on 30 April. She was at Penang on 10 July, and arrived at Whampoa on 16 August. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 23 November, and was at Macao on 31 January 1830. [2]

She was caught in hurricane at 20°S90°E / 20°S 90°E / -20; 90 between 5 and 8 March that dismasted her and left her in a leaky state. During the hurricane the crew threw three quarterdeck guns over board, and 50 chests of tea. Manderson called a council of his officers and some passengers. The decision was that Bridgewater could not survive another hurricane and that she could not risk attempting to reach Île de France; the only option was to try to reach Ceylon, or the nearest Indian port. After the hurricane, they threw another 16 guns overboard, as well as another 50 chests of tea. [6]

On 3 April Bridgewater encountered Atlas, which chaperoned Bridgewater to Madras. Bridgewater reached Madras on 11 April, with the crew, somewhat reduced by injuries suffered during the hurricane, continuing to man the pumps. [6] She then made her way to Calcutta, which she reached on 8 May. [2]

Fate

Bridgewater was surveyed in dock at Calcutta and condemned. [6] On 31 May 1831 she was sold for breaking up. [1]

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 Hackman (2001), p. 71.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "British Library: Bridgewater (5)". searcharchives.bl.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Letter of Marque, p.53 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  4. ↑ Van Dyke (2017), p. 174.
  5. 1 2 Biden (1830), pp. 86–89.
  6. 1 2 3 Biden (1830), pp. 146–150.

Related Research Articles

<i>Warley</i> (1796 ship)

Warley, launched in 1796, was one of the British East India Company's (EIC), larger and more famous East Indiamen. She made nine voyages to the East between 1796 and 1816, most direct to China. In 1804 she participated in the Battle of Pulo Aura. In 1816, the company sold her for breaking up.

<i>Charles Grant</i> (1810 EIC ship)

Charles Grant was built at Bombay 1810. Between 1810 and 1833 she made 12 voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). Her owners sold her in 1834. She then sailed for new owners until 1838 when they had her broken up. Alternatively, she may have been sold to India and burnt there in 1847 at Bombay.

Albion was an East Indiaman of the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages for the EIC before she was sold to the British government in 1810 for service as a troopship. She was lost at sea in 1816.

Perseverance was launched in 1801 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), before she was sold in 1819 for breaking up.

<i>Henry Addington</i> (1800 EIC ship)

Henry Addington was launched in 1800 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages for the EIC before she was sold in 1815 for breaking up. She was one of the vessels at the Battle of Pulo Aura in 1804.

Wexford was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman in the service of the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages to India, Persia, and China for the EIC, on the first of which she participated in the battle of Pulo Aura. Her last voyage ended in 1817 and she was broken up c. 1819.

Hope was launched in 1797 on the Thames River. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold for breaking up in 1816. She was one of the East Indiamen at the battle of Pulo Aura.

<i>Taunton Castle</i> (1790 EIC ship)

Taunton Castle was launched on the River Thames in 1790 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was broken up in 1813. In 1797, on her third trip, she was one of a fleet of six East Indiamen that bluffed a squadron of six French frigates into fleeing.

Bridgewater was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC), which engaged her for six voyages. She then made two more as an "extra ship", that is, under voyage charters, and was lost at sea in 1805 while homeward bound from Bombay on her eighth voyage.

<i>Ceres</i> (1797 EIC ship) 1797 ship owned by the British East India Company

Ceres was launched in 1797 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), before she was hulked in 1816.

<i>True Briton</i> (1790 EIC ship)

True Briton was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost without a trace in 1809 during her eighth voyage.

Nottingham was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman. She made only eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) in the 23 years before she was sold for breaking up.

<i>Winchelsea</i> (1803 EIC ship)

Winchelsea was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made 11 voyages for the EIC before she was broken up in 1834.

<i>Atlas</i> (1812 EIC ship) UK merchant ship 1812–1831

Atlas was launched at Kingston upon Hull in 1812 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages to India or China for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1831 for breaking up.

Walmer Castle was launched in 1796 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made nine voyages for the EIC before she was sold in 1815 to sail as a troopship and supply ship for the British Army. She was broken up in 1821.

Thames was launched on the Thames in 1796 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold for breaking up in 1816.

Essex was launched on 7 February 1803 by Perry, Blackwell as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) until on 20 August 1821 her register was cancelled as she had been demolished.

David Scott was launched on the Thames in 1801 as an East Indiaman. Between 1801 and 1816 she made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1816 for hulking.

Marquis of Huntly was launched at Rotherhithe in 1811. She made 11 voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1812 and 1834, when she was broken up.

<i>Castle Huntly</i> (1812 EIC ship) Sailing ship of the East India Company launched in 1812

Castle Huntly was launched at Calcutta in 1812. She then made 11 voyages for the British East India Company as an East Indiaman. After the EIC ceased its shipping business in 1833, new owners continued to sail her between the United Kingdom and China until October 1845 when she was wrecked in the South China Sea.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.