Career
EIC voyage #1 (1787–1788): Captain John William Wood sailed from The Downs on 14 March 1787, bound for China. Earl of Wycombe arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 2 August. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 18 December, reached St Helena on 26 February 1788, and arrived at The Downs 26 April. [3]
EIC voyage #2 (1789–1790): Captain Wood sailed from The Downs on 1 May 1789, bound for China. Earl of Wycombe arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 20 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 2 January 1790, reached St Helena on 14 March, and arrived at The Downs on 21 May. [3]
EIC voyage #3 (1792–1793): Captain Wood sailed from Torbay on 9 February 1792, bound for Bencoolen and China. Earl of Wycombe arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 14 May, and reached Bencoolen on 23 July. She arrived at Whampoa on 10 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 January 1793, reached Batavia and St Helena on 6 May, and arrived at The Downs on 1 July. [3]
The EIC inspected the East Indiamen as they arrived and on 15 October fined Wood and eight other captains £100 each for having not stowed their cargoes in conformance with the Company's orders. The money was to go to Poplar Hospital. [Note 1]
EIC voyage #4 (1794–1795): Captain Wood acquired a letter of marque on 8 February 1794. [2]
The British government held Earl of Wycombe at Portsmouth, together with a number of 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 £1,087 1s 4d for having delayed her departure by 62 days.
Wood sailed from Portsmouth on 2 May, bound for St Helena on Bencoolen. Earl of Wycombe reached St Helena on 13 August and arrived at Bencoolen on 20 November. On 25 February 1795 she was at "Pulo Massey", and then she returned to Bencoolen on 4 March. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 22 May and Shannon on 14 September; she arrived at The Downs on 15 October. [3]
EIC voyage #5 (1796–1797): Captain Wood sailed from Portsmouth on 6 March 1796, bound for Madras. Earl of Wycombe reached São Tiago on 5 April and Simon's Bay on 23 July. She arrived at Madras on 23 July. Homeward bound, she was at the Cape on 2 November, reached St Helena on 5 December, and arrived at The Downs on 14 February 1797. [3]
EIC voyage #6 (1797–1800): Captain Dixon Meadows acquired a letter of marque on 19 May 1797. [2] According to Thomas Twining, a passenger, the ship set out from Portsmouth with the convoy on 5 June 1797, but following a collision with Coutts off Eddystone on 8 June, lost part of her bow and forestays, and was forced to turn back.Earl of Wycombe finally sailed from Torbay on 22 September in the next convoy, bound for Madras and Bengal. Twining tells of severe water shortage and an outbreak of scurvy after passing the Cape. She reached Madras on 3 February 1798. She was at Kedgeree on 10 March, Saugor on 12 June, and Calcutta on 26 July. Bound for Bombay, she was again at Saugor on 19 January 1799 and Madras on 21 February. On 9 April she was at Cannanore and on 13 April Tellicherry. She arrived at Bombay on 5 May. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 17 September and Cork on 12 January 1800. She arrived back at The Downs on 1 February. [3]
General merchantman
Lloyd's Register for 1800 showed Earl Wycombe with J. Taylor, master, Hughan, owner, and trade London–Jamaica. Captain James Taylor acquired a letter of marque on 23 June 1800. [2]
The Register of Shipping for 1804 showed Earl Wycombe with J. Meadell, master, Beckwith, owner, and trade Liverpool–Pictou. [6]
Alfred was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages for the EIC before she was sold. She participated in two notable incidents in which East Indiamen bluffed superior French naval forces from engaging. In January 1797, on her third voyage, in the Bali Strait Alfred and five other Indiamen sent off a French squadron of six frigates without a shot being fired. In February 1804, at Pulo Aura, during her sixth voyage she participated in a notable engagement with a French squadron. After her last voyage for the EIC Alfred served as a storeship and a hulk.
Northumberland was launched in 1780 to serve as a regular ship of the British East India Company (EIC). She made six voyages for the EIC between 1780 and 1797. She was sold in 1797 for breaking up.
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.
Retreat was launched in 1801 and briefly sailed as a West Indiaman between London and Jamaica. She then made five voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) as an "extra ship", that is, under charter. She was broken up in 1814.
Admiral Gardner was launched in 1797 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made five voyages for the EIC, during the fourth of which she participated in an inconclusive single-ship action with a French privateer. Admiral Gardner was wrecked in January 1809.
Airly Castle, was 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.
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 served as a transport. She set out for her twelfth EIC voyage but was lost in 1805 during the third naval campaign.
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.
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.
Sir Stephen Lushington was launched in 1796 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). During this period she took part as a transport in two military campaigns, the cancelled attack on Manila in 1797, and the capture of Mauritius in 1810. In 1812 she became a West Indiaman, thought around 1816 she made another voyage to India. Thereafter her ownership and trade becomes ambiguous: she either traded with Spain until 1822, or with South America until 1825.
Lord Hawkesbury was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages for the EIC before she was sold in 1808 for breaking up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
True Briton was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost without a trace in 1809 during her eighth voyage.
Ganges was launched in 1778 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage as a transport for a naval expedition.
Deptford was launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made six apparently uneventful voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1807 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.
