Career
Elizabeth appears in the 1801 volume of Lloyd's Register with S. Haws, master, Charnck, owner, and trade London—Cape of Good Hope. [4]
The EIC chartered Elizabeth for a voyage to the Cape and China. Captain Stephen Hawes sailed from Liverpool on 12 May 1801. [3] He acquired a letter of marque on 29 May 1801. [7] Elizabeth sailed from Portsmouth on 27 June, reached the Cape on 28 October, and arrived at Whampoa Anchorage on 22 January 1802. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 25 March, reached Saint Helena on 11 July, and arrived at the Downs on 5 September. [3]
On her return Elizabeth traded between London—and Amsterdam, presumably during the Peace of Amiens. Between 1804 and 1810, the data in Lloyd's Register and the Register of Shipping is stale dated or missing. It is highly likely that during this period Elizabeth was operating out of India. There are some mentions in passing that suggest as much.
In 1806 the Bombay merchant Framjee Cowajee sent Elizabeth (648 tons (bm)), to Beale & Magniac, in Hong Kong. The London Chronicle mentions "the melancholy particulars of the loss of the East India country ship Elizabeth". [9]
Elizabeth reappeared in the 1810 volume of Lloyd's Register with Hutton, master and owner, and trade London—India. In the Register of Shipping she appeared with Hawes, master, changing to Hutton, Charnock, owner, changing to Capt. & Co., and trade London–India, changing to London–Cape of Good Hope. [2]
Lloyd's Register for 1811 gave the name of Elizabeth's master and owner as Hutton, and her trade as London—India. [5]
Loss
On 27 October 1811, Elizabeth sailed to join the East India fleet at Portsmouth. She was to sail to Bengal for the EIC. She had 382, or 400, or 402 persons aboard. Some 347 of these were lascars that the EIC was returning to India, they having arrived in England as crew on East Indiamen. She also had 30 European passengers (and eight black women servants). [6]
Bad weather forced Elizabeth to put into Cork Harbour. Nine days later she set out again for Madras and Bengal, but continuous heavy gales had repeatedly drove her back up the Channel before managing to anchor on 27 December off South Foreland.
Unfortunately, under the strain of the wind and the constant exertion, the cables broke, causing Elizabeth to drift towards the French coast. She fired off numerous guns and flares, but those watching on the French shore were powerless to assist due to the powerful waves and wind which would have doomed any rescue attempt. Near Calais she lost her rudder on a rock, and sprang several leaks, leaving her totally at the whim of the sea, which dragged her further down the coastline.
Eventually Elizabeth was wrecked on 27 December 1810 on the Breebank, in the North Sea, off Dunquerque, France. Her masts tumbled overboard, smashing the boats, leaving only three, one of which was swamped within moments of launching. Two other boats brought 22 survivors to shore, but there was no chance of them returning to take off more passengers as the sea had become even more formidable. During the ensuing storm, the ship broke into pieces that scattered all along the coastline, along with its entire remaining crew, who were killed. In all, there were only 22 survivors as the weather also prevented the French from sending assistance. [6] Amongst the survivors were six Britons and 15 lascars, including two of the ship's crew.
The French took the survivors prisoner, but apparently more to provide housing than actual incarceration. Shortly thereafter, the French repatriated the survivors, requesting the English to release an equal number of French prisoners. [6] [lower-alpha 1]
A cartel arrived at Dover on 30 January 1811 with the 22 survivors. The British sent the Elizabeth cartel from Chatham with 18 French prisoners but as she approached Calais the batteries there fired on her and she returned to Dover on 4 March.
Mornington was a British merchant vessel built of teak and launched in 1799 at Calcutta. She made three voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). On the first of these her non-European crew suffered a high mortality rate on the voyage back to India. On the third French privateers twice captured her and Royal Navy vessels twice recaptured her. She was a transport for the British invasion of Java in 1811. A fire destroyed her in 1815.
Comet was launched in 1800 on the Thames. In 1801 she made a voyage under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). On her second voyage, in 1803, the French captured her. Still, in 1804 her previous owners were able to reacquire her. She then made another voyage for the EIC. On her return she first served as a troopship and then in the West Indies trade. She apparently was lost in 1815 or 1816.
Baring was launched at Calcutta in 1805 as Alexander Brodie. Her owners sold her to Portuguese interests that named her Asia Felix. They in turn sold her to British owners in 1809. The British owners renamed her Baring. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1811 and 1812.
Suffolk was launched in 1803 at Calcutta and at some point prior to 1810 was renamed General Wellesley. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) but an American privateer captured her in December 1814 on the outbound leg of her second EIC voyage. In January 1815 she stranded on the Charleston Bar and became a total loss.
Exeter was launched at Calcutta in 1793. She made three voyages from Calcutta to England for the British East India Company (EIC). On the way home from england on the second of these voyages she suffered a high mortality rate from disease among her non-European crew. She was lost in August 1806 in a hurricane while returning to London from Jamaica.
Nutwell was launched at Great Yarmouth in 1800. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), bringing back rice from Bengal at the behest of the British government. On her return she became a West Indiaman, trading with Jamaica, until the 1806 Great Coastal hurricane overturned her.
Cornwallis was built probably at Surat around 1789, or possibly Demaun in 1790. Her name was originally Britannia, but it was changed to Cornwallis shortly before her completion. She served for some years in India as a country ship, before transferring her registry to Britain in 1797. She then served in private trade between Britain and India until 1809 or so when she transferred her registry back to Bombay. Thereafter she served as a country ship, though in both 1810 and again in 1817 she performed a voyage to Britain for the British East India Company. Thereafter she apparently continued to serve as a country ship with homeport of Bombay. She burnt there in June 1841 as she was about to take a cargo of cotton to China.
Queen was launched at Quebec in 1795. She made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) and then became a West Indiaman, trading between London and West Indies. She was last listed in 1813.
Peggy was built at Calcutta in 1793 and initially sailed in the Indian coastal and Far East trade. In 1801 she assumed British registry and her name was changed to Juliana. Her owners sold her to the Transport Board but in 1804 the government resold her and she was sailing as a West Indiaman between London and Antigua. She then made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage to Hobart, Van Dieman's Land, transporting convicts. On her return from this voyage she wrecked in 1821 on the English coast.
Milford was built at Bombay in 1786 for Pestonjee Bomanjee and John Tasker. She was a country ship that traded around India and between India and China, though she also traded with England. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost at Calcutta in August 1829.
Cumberland was launched in 1800 and sailed as a West Indiaman until 1807 or 1808 when she was sold to Enderbys. She then made five voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. Enderbys sold Cumberland and she proceeded to sail between England and Australia. In 1827 she sailed from Hobart and was never seen again. It later transpired that pirates had captured her off the Falkland Islands and killed her crew and passengers.
Hind or Hinde was launched at Hull in 1800. After a voyage to Russia she made one voyage for the British East India Company. She then became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in April 1815.
Arran was launched at Calcutta in 1799. In 1800 she sailed to Britain for the British East India Company (EIC). On her return voyage she suffered a major outbreak of illness while between England and the Cape. She then traded between England and India and around India until she was lost in June 1809 while sailing to Basra from Bengal.
Sir John Borlase Warren, was launched in 1800. She traded with the West Indies after having made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). A French privateer captured her in 1808 though she was immediately recaptured. Her crew abandoned her in 1812 but she was recovered. She foundered in 1815.
Lucy Maria or Lucy and Maria was launched at Calcutta in 1801. She made one voyage to England carrying rice from Bengal on behalf of the British East India Company (EIC). She was seized at Amboyna in 1804 and then sailed as the Dutch ship Victoria. The British recaptured her in 1806 and new owners renamed her Troubridge and later renamed her Lucy Maria. As Troubridge she served as a transport for two invasions, that of Mauritius in 1810 and Java in 1811. She was broken up in 1821.
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.
Europe was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made six voyages for the EIC. On her third voyage the French captured her, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her some months later. In 1817 her owners sold her for a hulk but new owners continued to sail her between London and India. She is last listed in 1824.
Varuna was launched at Calcutta in 1796. She made four voyages as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC), and then spent two years as a troopship. She returned to India in 1806. She was lost in 1811, probably in a typhoon.
Cornwall was launched in 1794 as a West Indiaman. In a little more than three years later she had left on the first of three whaling voyages to the Southern Whale Fishery. On her first whaling voyage she captured a Spanish ship and fought off a French privateer. After her third whaling voyage Cornwall returned to the West Indies trade. Around 1817 new owners sent her to India where a Parsi merchant purchased her. She traded in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean, and also participated as a transport in a naval expedition to the Persian Gulf. She was last listed in 1824.
David Scott was launched at Bombay in 1801. She was a "country ship", i.e., she generally traded east of the Cape of Good Hope. Between 1802 and 1816 she made five voyages between India and the United Kingdom as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). Thereafter she traded between Britain and India under a license from the EIC. A fire destroyed her at Mauritius on 12 June 1841.
United Kingdom
