Captain Burnet Abercromby left the Downs on 31 March 1784, bound for Madras and Bengal. Earl Cornwallis reached False Bay on 26 July, and Madras on 7 October. She then arrived at Kedgeree on 17 November. On her return voyage to Britain she passed Saugor on 10 March 1785. She reached Port Louis, Isle de France on 16 May, and St Helena on 14 July. She arrived back at the Downs on 2 October.[3]
Voyage 2 (1786–87)
Captain Thomas Hodgson left the Downs 4 March 1786, bound for China. Earl Cornwallis reached Whampoa on 21 August. For her return voyage she crossed the Second Bar on 22 December, and reached St Helena on 22 March 1787. She arrived back at the Downs on 22 May.[3]
Voyage 3 (1788–89)
Hodgson was again Earl Cornwallis's captain and he left the Downs on 28 January 1788, bound for Madras and China. She arrived at Madeira on 20 February and Madras on 6 July. By 5 September she was at Malacca and by 9 October Whampoa. Homeward-bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 27 December. She reached St Helena on 1 May 1789, and the Downs on 9 July.[3]
Voyage 4 (1791–92)
Hodgson left Portsmouth on 7 March 1791, again bound for Madras and China. Earl Cornwallis reached Madras on 19 June and Whampoa on 12 September. She crossed the Second Bar on 26 November, reached St Helena on 14 February 1792, and arrived at the Downs on 30 March.[3]
Voyage 5 (1793–94)
By this time the French Revolutionary Wars had broken out, so Hodgson received a letter of marque on 29 June 1793. Earl Cornwallis then sailed from Portsmouth on 7 July, bound for Bengal. She reached the Cape on 19 September, and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 17 December.[3]
On her way she captured a French brig bound from Negrais to Mauritius and sent her as prize to Vizagapatam. Because there was no Vice admiralty court there, she went on to Madras for condemnation by the Vice admiralty court there.[6]-
The first advertisement for Hodgson's India Pale Ale appeared in the Calcutta Gazette in September 1793, shortly before the arrival of Earl Cornwallis. Whether the brewer George Hodgson was any relation of Thomas Hodgson is an open question.[7]
Homeward-bound, Earl Cornwallis passed Saugor on 28 January 1794 and reached St Helena on 20 July. She then stopped at Galway Bay on 20 July before arriving at the Downs on 27 August.[3]
Voyage 6 (1795–97)
Hodgson left Portsmouth on 24 May 1795, bound for China. Earl Cornwallis was at San Salvador on 7 July. She had sailed with a convoy of Indiamen that were bringing General Alured Clarke and his troops for the invasion of the Cape Colony. She sailed on 13 July, together with some other Indiamen such as Northumberland, and under the escort of Sphinx. However, Sphinx ran into Warren Hastings and both vessels returned to port, accompanied by Exeter.[8]
The fleet, including Earl Cornwallis, reached Simon's Bay on 3 September and Earl Cornwallis reached False Bay on 1 October. Earl Cornwallis arrived at Whampoa on 7 March 1796. When she left, she crossed the Second Bar on 21 June, and her voyage ended on 13 February 1797.[3]
Voyage 7 (1798-1800)
James Tennant was Earl Cornwallis's captain for her seventh and last voyage for the EIC. He received a letter of marque on 26 July 1798.[5] He left Portsmouth on 4 October 1798, bound for Madras and Bengal. Earl Cornwallis reached the Cape on 20 January 1799 Cape and Madras on 12 April. She then visited Celyon on 11 May, before returning to Madras on 18 May. She arrived at Diamond Harbour on 30 May. She passed Saugor on 25 August, reached St Helena on 27 January 1800, and arrived at the Downs on 30 May.[3] On this voyage she carried the 51st Regiment of Foot to Ceylon.
Convict transport
In 1800 her owners sold Earl Cornwallis to Wilson & Co., who hired her out to carry convicts to Australia.
Under the command of James Tennent, Earl Cornwallis sailed from Portsmouth on 18 November 1800, and arrived at Port Jackson on 12 June 1801.[4] She transported 193 male and 95 female convicts, of whom 27 male and eight female convicts died.[9] All had died of dysentery, and many of the survivors were weak and feeble.[10] One officer and 20 men of the New South Wales Corps provided guards.
Earl Cornwallis left Port Jackson on 4 October bound for India.[11] She carried on board 150 tons of coal from Newcastle, New South Wales. This is believed to have been the first export of coal from Newcastle.[10]
In June 1802, i.e., after the Treaty of Amiens she sailed to Île de France having on board a number of French prisoners, who had been detained in Bengal. The prisoners were under the charge of Mr. Campbell, who the Bengal Government had also charged with negotiating with the Governor of Île de France for the release of three vessels, Tay, Highland Chief, and Porcher, that the French privateer Bellone had captured just prior to the signing of the "Preliminaries of Peace". The vessels and their cargoes were estimated to be worth £100,000.[12] Campbell was unsuccessful, at least with respect to Porcher.
Subsequent career
It is not clear what Earl Cornwallis did subsequent to her mission to Île de France. Lloyd's Register carries Earl Cornwallis from 1800 to 1808 with the unchanged information of J. Tennent, master, Wilson & Co., owner, and trade: London to Botany Bay.
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Related Research Articles
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Baring was a three-decker East Indiaman that made six voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1802 and 1814. Her owners then sold her and under new owners she made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia. Her last appearance in Lloyd's Register is in 1820.
Northampton, was a three-decker merchant ship launched in 1801 upon the River Thames, England. She made eight voyages to India as an extra (chartered) ship for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1801 and 1819. During the same period she made one separate trip transporting convicts from Britain to New South Wales, followed by a voyage for the EIC from China back to England. In 1820 she carried settlers to South Africa. She is last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1822.
Tottenham was launched in 1802 and made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). Her owners then sold her and she became a transport. She made one voyage transporting convicts to Botany Bay. She was sold in 1820 for breaking up.
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.
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.
Earl Talbot was launched as an East Indiaman in 1778. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1779 and 1793. She was sold for breaking up in 1793.
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.
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.
Contractor was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one as transport for a military expedition before her owners sold her in 1800 for use as a transport.
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.
Lady Castlereagh was launched in 1803. She made six apparently uneventful voyages to India and one to China for the British East India Company (EIC). She left the EIC's service and made one voyage transporting convicts to Australia. She was returning from having delivered her convicts to Port Jackson and Van Diemen's Land when she was damaged in October 1818 a gale at Madras. She was surveyed there, condemned, and sold for breaking up.
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.
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.
Mangles was built in Calcutta in 1803 and immediately sailed for England. Including that voyage, she made a total of six voyages as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). Between her first as second voyages for the EIC a French privateer captured her. Mangles also made nine voyages transporting convicts to Australia: eight voyages to Port Jackson, one to Hobart Town, and one in which she delivered some convicts to Port Jackson but carried most of her charges to Norfolk Island. She was last listed in 1844.
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