Eliza Ann (or Eliza and Ann) was launched at Calcutta in 1795. She sailed to England where she was admitted to the Registry. In all, she made five voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), during one of which she participated in a notable action and during the last of which she captured a French privateer. She herself was lost in 1807.
Captain John Lloyd sailed from Calcutta on 4 September 1795. Eliza Ann sailed to Madras, which she reached on 28 September, but then returned to Calcutta on 13 November.
There she loaded rice on behalf of the British government, which was importing grain to address high prices for wheat in Britain following a poor harvest.
Bound for England, Eliza Ann was at Saugor on 25 January 1796, reached St Helena on 11 April, and arrived at Long Reach on 8 July.[3]
Eliza Ann was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain on 31 August.[4] She entered Lloyd's Register in 1796 with R. Hughes, master, J.Sweeder, owner, and trade London–India.[2]
EIC voyage #2 (1796–1799)
Captain Robert Hughes sailed from The Downs on 5 October 1796, bound for Madras and Bengal. Eliza Ann arrived at Madras on 25 February 1797. From there she sailed to Colombo, where she arrived on 18 March, Cochin (10 April), and Telicherry (19 April). She returned to Madras on 6 May, was at Trincomalee on 12 June, and returned to Madras on 31 July. She then sailed to Pondicherry, where she arrived on 14 August, before returning to Madras on 17 August.[3]
The British government chartered Eliza Ann to serve as a transport, one of about 15, in a planned attack on Manila. She sailed to Penang, where she arrived on 5 September,[3] where she joined the other vessels. However, the British Government cancelled the invasion following a peace treaty with Spain and the EIC released the vessels it had engaged.
ELiza Ann then returned for the last time to Madras on 11 December. On 4 January 1798 Eliza Ann was at Trincomalee again, and on 19 January Colombo. She arrived at Calcutta on 16 March. Finally homeward bound, she was at Kedgeree on 30 April and the Cape of Good Hope on 2 September. She reached St Helena on 17 November and arrived at the Downs on 3 February 1799.[3]
On 31 May 1799 Eliza Ann paid £3661 2s 3d for outfitting for her return voyage to Bengal. The amount included all tradesmen's bills, including provisions, but no wages.[5]
Action with Confiance
On 28 May Britannia, Captain Edward Hanoner Palmer, sailed from London for Madras. On 24 September she left the Cape in company with the American armed East Indiaman Atlantic, Captain Waters. The two planned on sailing together as far as "Achun Head" (Aceh). On 8 October a ship came into sight and appeared to be chasing them, but they separated and both escaped.[6]
Then on 13 November Atlantic encountered Eliza Ann, Captain John Barker, just north of the Equator (approx. 00°00′N95°30′E / 0.000°N 95.500°E / 0.000; 95.500). Barker reported that he was short of supplies, and that he had only three officers and seven men capable of working the ship, having lost almost 40 men, and the rest being debilitated by scurvy. He also had 17 cadets aboard that the EIC was training. Waters shared his supplies with Barker and agreed to remain in company on the way to Bengal.[6]
On 11 December,[6] or 25 December,[7]Atlantic and Eliza Ann were off the "Anacan" River (Arracan, so probably the Kaladan River),[6] or the Sandheads[7] when they encountered a strange vessel. As the vessel bore down on them, Atlantic and Eliza Ann prepared for action. The action commenced around 5p.m. and broke off around nightfall. Both sides repaired damaged rigging. Then next morning about 7:15a.m. the action recommenced, though Eliza Ann was almost out of shot. Atlantic was able to out-maneuvered the French vessel, foiling her attempt to come alongside and board. Atlantic then delivered two broadsides, accompanied by small-arms fire. At 8:45a.m., the French privateer sailed rapidly away. Atlantic had sustained damage, but no serious casualties.[6]Atlantic arrived at Calcutta on 29 December.
Many of the crew on Eliza Ann were lascars, who had a reputation for being reluctant to fight for the EIC. However, on this occasion they fought well.[8][9] The EIC awarded money to the ships' companies. It also gave Barker and Waters gold cups as an expression of its appreciation for their leadership.[7]
EIC voyage #3 (1800)
Captain G.G. Richardson sailed from Calcutta on 29 March 1800. Eliza Ann was at Saugor on 3 March, reached St Helena on 18 June, and arrived at the Downs on 9 September.[3]
On 28 November 1800 Eliza Ann paid £3749 14s 1d for outfitting for her return voyage to Bengal.[10]
On 14 January 1801 HMSArgo was off Ferrol serving as escort for Mornington, Exeter, and Eliza Ann, which were bound for India, and a whaler. They encountered a small Spanish ship that Argo captured.[11]
EIC voyage #4 (1801–1802)
Captain John Parsons sailed from Calcutta on 19 July 1801. Eliza Ann was at Culpee on 22 August, reached St Helena on 17 December, and arrived at the Downs on 9 February 1802.[3]
On 22 September 1802 Eliza Ann paid £3864 for outfitting for her return voyage to Bengal.[10]
EIC voyage #5 (1803–1804)
Captain Mungo Gilmore sailed from Calcutta on 31 December 1803. Eliza Ann was at Saugor on 3 February 1804, and reached St Helena on 28 June.[3]
Eliza Ann sailed from St Helena on 9 July in company with the EIC "extra" ships Sir William Pulteney and Union. Gilmore was the senior captain and Governor Colonel Robert Patton (of St Helena), had appointed him to command the group. At daylight on 22 August, the Indiamen sighted a French privateer brig that sailed towards them and engaged Union, which was the leading ship. The engagement lasted about 20 minutes and the French vessel surrendered at 48°5′N13°0′W / 48.083°N 13.000°W / 48.083; -13.000 after Eliza Ann and Sir William Pulteney came up. The privateer was Venus, and she was armed with sixteen 4, 8, & 12-pounder guns. She had a crew of 73 men (of whom five were away on prizes), under the command of Lieutenant Pierre Henri Nicholas Benamy of the French Navy. In the engagement Venus had lost one man killed and had two men seriously wounded. She also had on board five men from a prize crew that HMSWasp had put on a Spanish vessel that Venus had recaptured. The next evening, west of Scilly, Venus parted from the Indiamen and headed for a British port; the French prisoners remained with the Indiamen.[12]
Eliza Ann arrived at the Downs on 2 September.[3]Venus arrived at Deal on 24 September.[13] French sources simply refer to her as "privateer from Nantes known to have been active in October 1804".[14]
On 31 December 1806 Eliza Ann paid £3398 13s 2d for outfitting for a return voyage to Bengal.[10]
Fate
Eliza Ann was lost in 1807.[3] An Eliza Ann was wrecked on Hainan with some loss of life in 1807.[15] The year and location are consistent with the two vessels being the same, but there are no other corroborating details. One source reports that Eliza Ann', of 500 tons and belonging to Calcutta, was lost in 1806.[16]
Notes
↑ On 7 October 1800, Confiance, under the command of Robert Surcouf, captured the East Indiaman Kent. In 1803 the British Royal Navy captured Confiance and took her into service as HMS Confiance.
Earl Cornwallis was a three-decker East Indiaman launched in 1783 on the River Thames. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made one voyage transporting convicts from England to New South Wales. By 1809, she was no longer listed.
Earl Spencer was an East Indiaman, launched in 1795 for the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages for the EIC until in 1811-12 the government took her up to transport convicts to Australia in 1813. On her return voyage from Australia she sailed via China, where she carried a cargo back to England for the EIC.
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.
Phoenix was an East Indiaman, launched in 1785. She made six voyages for the Honourable East India Company (HEIC). On her sixth voyage, while under the command of Captain William Moffat, she captured the French 14-gun privateer Malartic. In 1803 her owners sent her out to India to sail in the coastal trade; her subsequent fate is unknown.
Houghton was launched in 1782 and made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1794 she was part of an EIC squadron that had some success against French privateers and naval vessels in the Sunda Strait, and then in 1796 she participated as a transport in the British capture of St Lucia. She was sold in 1799 and her owner took her out to India to work in the tea trade between India and China. She foundered in 1803.
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.
Monarch was built at Quebec in 1800. She sailed to England, being captured and recaptured shortly before arriving. In England, under new ownership, she proceeded to make five voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) as an "extra ship", that is, under voyage charter. In 1813 she became a transport, and then in 1818 or so a regular merchantman. She was broken up in 1820.
Lord Keith was launched in 1804 by and for Peter Everitt Mestaer. He chartered her to the East India Company (EIC) for six voyages, and she then went on to make another two voyages for the EIC. On her second voyage, and unusually for an East Indiaman, she participated in the proceeds for the recapture of a former British Royal Navy brig and possibly in a skirmish with a French ship. On her third voyage she participated in a notable action. She was broken up c.1820.
Hugh Inglis was launched in 1799 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1800 and 1817. In 1810 and 1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. She was sold for breaking up in 1817.
Union was launched at Calcutta in 1801. She sailed to England and then made five voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1805 and 1814. She was wrecked in late 1815 or early 1816.
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.
Busbridge was launched in 1782 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages for the EIC before she was broken up. In June 1795, during her sixth voyage, she participated in the capture of eight vessels of the Dutch East India Company. She was laid up for several years on her return from her seventh voyage and sold for breaking up in 1805.
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 Camden was launched in 1783 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company. She made five voyages for the EIC before her owner sold her.
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.
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.
Manship was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages as a "regular ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). In June 1795 Manship shared with several other Indiamen and the Royal Navy in the capture of eight Dutch East Indiamen off St Helena. Her owners sold her in 1801 and she then made one voyage for the EIC as an "extra ship" on a voyage charter. Her owners sold her to the British government in 1803 for use as a powder hulk.
Sir William Pulteney was launched in 1803 at Calcutta as a country ship She sailed to England on a voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) and her owner sold her there. The EIC then engaged her as an "extra ship" for six voyages as an East Indiaman to India and back. She was sold in 1817.
Lady Jane Dundas was launched in 1800 as an East Indiaman. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) and was lost in 1809 on the homeward-bound leg of her fifth voyage. She and three other Indiamen parted from the homeward-bound convoy during a gale on 18 March 1809 and were never seen again.
William Pitt was launched on the River Thames in 1785 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). During her fourth she served as an ad hoc warship in a naval campaign during which she saw action. Thereafter she served as a transport, including one voyage in 1801-1802 transporting rice from Bengal to Britain. She was sold for breaking up in 1809.
References
Demerliac, Alain (2003). La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1800 à 1815 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN9782903179304. OCLC492784876.
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Macpherson, David (1812). The history of the european commerce with India.
Parkinson, C. Northcote (2013) [1966]. Trade in Eastern Seas 1793—1813. Routledge. ISBN9780714613482.
Phipps, John (1840). A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India ...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships ... Built in India to the Present Time ... Scott.
House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain (1814). Minutes of the Evidence Taken Before the Select Committee on Petitions Relating to East-India-Built Shipping. H.M. Stationery Office.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Williams, Greg H. (2009). The French assault on American shipping, 1793-1813: a history and comprehensive record of merchant marine losses. McFarland. ISBN9780786438372.
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