Contractor was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She made one voyage as a transport for a military expedition before her owners sold her in 1800 for use as a transport.
EIC voyage #1 (1780-1782): Captain James Baldwin sailed from Torbay on April 1780, bound for Madras, Bombay, and China. Contractor was at Trindade on 6 June, and reached Madras on 3 September. She made a small excursion to Tumala Punta, where she arrived on 5 October, before she returned to Madras on 14 October. She then visited Tellicherry on 27 November, and left on 2 March 1781. She was at Goa on 16 March Goa and Bombay on 7 April. She returned to Madras on 9 August, and arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 30 September. Homeward bound, she left Whampoa on 31 January 1782, reached St Helena on 14 July, and arrived at The Downs on 24 October.[5]
EIC voyage #2 (1784-1785): Captain William Mackintosh sailed from The Downs on 19 January 1784, bound for Madras and China. Contractor reached Madras on 9 June and arrived at Whampoa on 3 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 25 January 1785, reached St Helena on 5 June, and arrived at the Downs on 1 September.[5]
EIC voyage #3 (1786-1787): Captain Mackintosh sailed from the Downs on 26 March 1786, bound for China. Contractor arrived at Whampoa on 17 August. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 22 December, reached St Helena on 25 March 1787, and arrived at Long Reach on 20 June.[5]
EIC voyage #4 (1788-1789): Captain John Bartlett sailed from The Downs on 9 March 1788, bound for Madras and China. Contractor reached Madras on 25 August and Batavia on 18 November. She arrived at Whampoa on 8 February 1789. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 March, reached St Helena on 19 August, and arrived at Long Reach on 10 December.[5]
EIC voyage #5 (1792-1793): Captain Bartlett sailed from the Downs on 6 April 1792, bound for Madras and Bengal. Contractor reached Madras on 5 August and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 31 August. Homeward bound, she was at Cox's Island on 20 December and Madras again on 15 January 1793. She reached St Helena on 13 April and arrived at Long Reach on 6 July.[5]
EIC voyage #6 (1794-1795):War with France had broken out in 1793, shortly before Contractor had arrived back from her fifth EIC voyage. Captain Bartlett acquired a letter of marque on 21 February 1794.[5]
The British government held Contractor at Portsmouth, together with 38 other Indiamen in anticipation of using them as transports for an attack on Île de France (Mauritius). It gave up the plan and released the vessels in May 1794. It paid £18 19s 4d for having delayed her departure by one day, the least delay of any of the vessels.
Bartlett sailed from Portsmouth on 2 May 1794, bound for China and Bengal. Contractor reached Rio de Janeiro on 4 July and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 15 September. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 28 November, and left on 10 January 1795. She reached St Helena on 18 March and arrived at Long Reach on 25 July.[5]
1795 West Indies Expedition: The Government chartered Contractor and a number of other EIC vessels as transports for Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian 1795 expedition to the West Indies. [6] The expedition sailed on 6 October, 16 November, and 9 December, but weather forced the vessels to put back. The fleet finally successfully sailed on 20 March to invade St Lucia, with troops under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby. St Lucia surrendered to the British on 25 May.[7] The British went on to capture Saint Vincent and Grenada.
The only report of Contractor's participation has her coming from the Cape under the command of Captain "Whyte".[8]
EIC voyage #7 (1798–1800): The EIC chartered Contractor from Robert Wigram on 12 January 1798 for one voyage at £23 10s/ton.[9] Captain Henry Hughes acquired a letter of marque on 14 March 1798. He sailed from Portsmouth on 29 April 1798, bound for China and Bengal. Contractor reached Rio de Janeiro on 6 July and arrived at Whampoa on 7 December. Bengal bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 8 January 1799, reached Malacca on 30 January and 11 Feb Quedah on 11 February, and arrived at Calcutta on 13 March. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 28 September, reached St Helena on 26 January 1800, and arrived at Long Reach on 2 June.[5]
Fate
Her owners sold Contractor in 1800 and she became a transport.[1]
King George was launched in 1784 and made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1785 and 1798. She also participated in the invasion of St Lucia. In 1798 her owners sold her and she became a West Indiaman. An accident in 1800 at Jamaica destroyed her.
Airly Castle, was built by William Barnard at Deptford and launched in 1787. She made eight voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1788 and 1808. In 1795 she participated in the capture of seven Dutch East Indiamen near St Helena. After her eight voyages she may have served briefly as a general transport before she was sold for breaking up in 1810. She was not broken up but instead served as a transport for several years.
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.
Britannia was launched by the Bombay Dockyard in 1772, and was rebuilt in 1778. The British East India Company (EIC) apparently acquired her in 1775. Between 1779 she made eleven complete voyages as an East Indiaman for the EIC. She also participated in three naval campaigns, during the first of which she was deployed as a cruiser off Sumatra. There she engaged and captured a French ship. In the other two she served as a transport. She set out for her twelfth EIC voyage but was lost in 1805 during the third naval campaign.
Middlesex was launched in 1783 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made five voyages for the EIC. Towards the end of the second of these some of her officers unsuccessfully mutinied. In 1795 she participated as a transport in the British military expedition to the West Indies. She stranded and became a total loss in 1796 as she returned from the expedition.
Lascelles was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and then briefly became a West Indiaman. She was sold to the government for use as a storeship, but was broken up in 1807.
Lord Macartney was launched in 1782 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC0 before she was sold in 1798. She then traded across the Atlantic to North America and was last listed in 1811.
Melville Castle was launched in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1802 to Dutch owners and wrecked with great loss of life later that year on her first voyage for them.
Carnatic was launched in 1787. She made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold for breaking up in 1802.
Dublin was launched in 1784 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), to India and China. On her last voyage for the EIC she recaptured a country ship. Her owners sold Dublin in 1800 and she became a West Indiaman, but apparently was lost on her first voyage.
Earl of Wycombe was launched in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1800 she became a general trader, trading across the Atlantic to the West Indies and Canada. She was lost without a trace c.1803.
Europa was launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was probably broken up in 1798.
Rose was launched in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages between 1787 and 1800 for the British East India Company (EIC). She also participated as a transport for a military expedition to the West Indies. She then made one more voyage for the EIC, bringing rice back to England from Bengal. Next she sailed as a general trader, but also made one voyage seal hunting. She was last listed in 1820.
Minerva was launched as an East Indiaman in 1786. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one carrying rice from Bengal for the British government. She is last listed in 1805 but with stale data from 1802.
Worcester was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages to India and China for the EIC and participated as a transport in two naval expeditions before she was sold in 1809 for breaking up.
Duke of Buccleugh was an East Indiaman launched in 1788. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1802.
Walpole was launched on the Thames in 1779. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). On the sixth voyage, on her way to China, her captain discovered an island that he named Walpole Island. She was sold for breaking up in 1799.
Thetis was launched on the river Thames in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company between 1787 and 1800, She then was sold and spent a handful of years as a West Indiaman. She was broken up in 1806.
London was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1780 and 1798. She was sold for breaking up in 1799.
Marquis of Lansdown was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC) before the EIC declared her worn out. Her owners sold her in 1800 and she became a West Indiaman. The French captured her in 1805 when they captured Dominica.
References
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0905617967.
Hardy, Charles (1800). A Register of Ships, Employed in the Service of the Hon. the United East India Company, from the Union of the Two Companies, in 1707, to the Year 1760: Specifying the Number of Voyages, Tonnage, Commanders, and Stations. To which is Added, from the Latter Period to the Present Time, the Managing Owners, Principal Officers, Surgeons, and Pursers; with the Dates of Their Sailing and Arrival: Also, an Appendix, Containing Many Particulars, Interesting to Those Concerned in the East India Commerce. Charles Hardy.
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