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.
Captain James Monro was Houghton's captain for her first four voyages.[2] He purchased the command from his maternal uncle Captain William Smith.
EIC voyage #1 (1783–1784)
While Monro and Houghton were at Portsmouth, Monro witnessed the mutiny of the 77th Regiment of Foot, who refused to go to India, maintaining that their term of enlistment had expired. Houghton may have been one of the vessels scheduled to transport the regiment.
Houghton sailed from Portsmouth on 11 March 1783, bound for Madras and China. She reached São Tiago on 4 April, and Madras on 19 July. She was at Malacca on 12 August and arrived at Whampoa on 22 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 6 January 1784, reached St Helena on 27 April, and arrived at the Downs on 27 June.[2]
EIC voyage #2 (1784–1786)
Houghton sailed from the Downs on 15 December 1784, bound for Madras and China. She reached Madeira on 7 January 1785, Madras on 26 May, and Malacca on 10 July, before arriving at Whampoa on 9 August. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 15 October, reached St Helena on 24 February 1786, and arrived at the Downs on 14 May.
EIC voyage #3 (1787–1788)
Houghton left the Downs on 19 February 1787, bound for Madras and China. She reached Madras on 3 June and Penang on 18 August, and arrived at Whampoa on 20 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 12 December, reached St Helena on 17 April 1788, and arrived at the Downs on 22 June.[2]
EIC voyage #4 (1789–1791)
Houghton sailed from Portsmouth on 30 April 1789, bound for Madras and Bengal. She reached Madeira on 22 May and Madras on 3 September, arrived at Diamond Harbour on 22 September. Leaving Calcutta, she was at Saugor on 25 January 1790, Madras on 11 March, and Masulipatam on 6 May.[2] On 8 April she was near Budge Budge, below Calcutta. Several of her crew were in a sloop when a squall caught them and upset her. The men from Houghton, the lascars, and others on board all jumped into the river and made it ashore without anyone suffering material injury.[5] Between March and April she may have transported British troops from Madras to Bengal.
Houghton was again at Diamond Harbour on 25 May. Homeward bound, she was at Madras on 13 September, and St Helena on 21 November, before arriving at the Downs on 22 January 1791.[2]
In spring 1792 Monro sold his captaincy for £8000. In October 1796 the General Court of the EIC petitioned Parliament to pass a law abolishing the practice of captains, or their widows, buying or selling commands.[6]
EIC voyage #5 (1793–1795)
Captain Robert Hudson received a letter of marque on 21 May 1793. The next day he sailed from Portsmouth, bound for Madras and Bengal. Houghton was part of a convoy that also included HMSGlatton, and the East Indiamen Prince William, Lord Thurlow, William Pitt, Barwell, Earl of Oxford, Ostereley, Fort William, London, Pigot, Marquis of Landsdown, Hillsborough, Ceres, and Earl of Abergavenny, amongst numerous other vessels, merchant and military, most of the non-Indiamen travelling to the Mediterranean.[7]
In late 1793 John Shore, the EIC's Governor-General of India, formed a squadron from the company's own ships to patrol the region. Two East Indiamen, William Pitt and Britannia, and the country ship Nonsuch were diverted from their regular route for the service. A vessel of the Bombay Marine, possibly Viper, accompanied them. The reason for the move was the coming together of two problems, the inability of the British Royal Navy to maintain a presence in the area, and intelligence concerning the presence of French privateers and naval vessels in the area.
The EIC appointed Charles Mitchell, captain of William Pitt, Commodore of the squadron. On 21 January 1794 Houghton joined the squadron. The next day the squadron engaged two French privateers, Vengeur, of 34 guns and 250 men, and Résolue, of 26 guns and 230 men. Britannia captured Vengeur, and Nonsuch captured Résolu, with the French captains realising that further resistance would be pointless as William Pitt and Houghton came up. Eleven French sailors had been killed and 25 wounded on Vengeur; British losses were one killed and two wounded on Britannia. Casualties were high on Résolue, but no numbers are available.
On 24–25 January, the EIC squadron engaged a French naval squadron from Île de France, consisting of the frigates Prudente and Cybèle, the brig Vulcain, and the captured East Indiaman Princess Royal, now renamed Duguay-Trouin. The two squadrons engaged at long range though Houghton and Nonsuch managed to hit Cybèle. The French broke off the engagement and the British did not pursue. The need to man the prizes and to guard the prisoners, who outnumbered their captors, had left the British with just enough men to man the guns. Casualties among the French squadron are not known, but the only loss on the British ships was on Nonsuch, which had a man killed in combat with Cybèle.
Houghton returned to her moorings in Britain on 25 July 1795.[2]
West Indies voyage (1796)
In late 1795 and early 1796, Houghton sailed as part of Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian's expedition to the West Indies.[8] The EIC chartered some ten vessels to the Navy to serve as transports. Captain James Urmston, in Sir Edward Hughes was the Commodore for the EIC contingent.
After numerous false starts aborted by weather issues, the fleet sailed on 26 April to invade St Lucia, with troops under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby. St Lucia surrendered to the British on 25 May.[9] The British went on to capture Saint Vincent and Grenada. Although it is not clear when Houghton returned to Britain, Sir Edward Hughes returned to Britain in September 1796.[10]
Hudson sailed Houghton from Portsmouth on 6 April 1797, bound for Madras and Bengal. She reached Madras on 27 July, and Diamond Harbour on 20 September. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 16 November, reached the Cape on 15 February 1798 and St Helena on 20 March, Cork on 24 June, and the Downs on 8 July.[2]
Merchantman
Captain James Rees purchased Houghton in 1799 to engage in the tea trade between Canton and Bombay.[1] Rees received a letter of marque on 22 May 1799.[3] On 6 September he sailed from Portsmouth for the Far East, to remain.[2]
In October 1800 Earl Talbot struck the reefs around Pratas Island in the South China Sea and foundered with the loss of all hands. Houghton sighted the wreckage as she was sailing from Canton and reported the news when she arrived at Bombay. The EIC sent two ships from Bombay to search for survivors.[11]
Fate
Houghton foundered in 1803 in a typhoon in the China Sea.[1] One report gives the month as August, and the casualties as about 120 persons.[12][13] A letter from China dated November 1803 simply reported that it was believed that Houghton, a country ship, had encountered bad weather and foundered.[14]
The EIC valued the cargo it had lost at £2,603.[15]
Pigot was an East Indiaman that made five voyages to India, China, and the East Indies for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1780 and 1794. Oh her fifth voyage, which occurred early in the French Revolutionary Wars, the French captured her during the Sunda Strait campaign of 1794.
Osterley was a three-decker East Indiaman, launched in 1780, that made seven trips for the British East India Company between 1781 and 1800. She was present at two battles, and an engagement in which four Indiamen and a country ship engaged a French frigate. On her last trip a French frigate captured her in a single-ship action, but sent her on her way. Osterley eventually returned to Britain in 1800. Her subsequent fate is unknown.
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.
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.
Boddam was built by William Barnard at Barnard's Thames Yard at Deptford and was launched on 27 December 1787 on the River Thames. She made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). Her fourth voyage was particularly notable as she participated in an encounter between six Indiamen and six French frigates in which the Indiamen succeeded in bluffing the French into withdrawing. During that voyage she also survived several typhoons. Her owners sold her in 1803 and her subsequent deployment and fate is currently unknown.
Brunswick was launched in 1792 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made five complete voyages for the EIC before the French captured her in 1805. Shortly thereafter she wrecked at the Cape of Good Hope.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Essex was launched in 1780 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). On her first voyage she was present at an inconclusive battle with the French, and later at a second inconclusive engagement with a French frigate. In 1798 she was sold to be hulked or broken up.
Valentine was launched in 1780 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and was a transport for one military campaign. On her first voyage she was present at an inconclusive battle with the French, but did not take an active part. She was sold in 1796 for breaking up.
True Briton was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost without a trace in 1809 during her eighth voyage.
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.
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.
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 was then 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.
References
Grocott, Terence (1997). Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras. London: Chatham. ISBN1861760302.
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Reports from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to enquire into the present state of the affairs of the East India Company, together with the minutes of evidence, an appendix of documents, and a general index, (1830), Vol. 2, p.977.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
British East India Company 
