Java (1811 ship)

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Astern of the EIC ship Java in Genoa 1839.jpg
Astern of the Java in Genoa, 1939
History
Civil Ensign of the United Kingdom.svgUnited Kingdom
NameJava
Namesake Java
BuilderBlackmore & Co., Calcutta [1] [2]
Launched17 December 1811 [2]
FateDestroyed 1940
General characteristics
Tons burthen1118, [1] or 1175, [3] [4] or 117519⁄94 [2] (bm)
Length159 ft 2 in (48.5 m) [2]
Beam40 ft 6 in (12.3 m) [2]
PropulsionSail
Sail plan Brig
Complement150 [3]
Armament26 × 12&18-pounder guns [3]

Java was a merchant ship launched at Calcutta, British East India, in 1811. She made one voyage under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She served in the migrant trade between Great Britain and Australia and in Far East trade. She became a coal hulk at Gibraltar circa 1859. She survived until World War II.

Contents

Origins

Supposedly Java was a gift to an officer of the EIC. A group of passengers on an EIC ship traveling to China went ashore at Java for a picnic. Locals attacked the picnickers and carried away a young girl. One of the ship's officers led an armed party that succeeded in rescuing the young girl. In gratitude, the girl's father had Java built, and donated to her rescuer. [5]

Career

Java first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1813 with Dennison, master, Paxton & Co. owner, and trade London–India. [6] she was admitted to the registry of Great Britain on 7 October 1813. [7] Captain Henry Templer acquired a letter of marque on 30 November 1813. [3]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1815DennisonPaxton & Co.London–IndiaLR
1820HodgePaxton & Co.London–IndiaLR; damages repaired 1816
1825HodgePaxton & Co.London–IndiaLR; damages repaired 1816

Between 1824 and 1827 Java made one voyage under charter to the EIC. Her owner, Joseph Hare, who had purchased her in 1825, [2] offered her to the EIC, which chartered her to bring teas from China back from Bengal. It paid £10 18s per ton burthen for 1175 tons. [8] Captain Thomas Driver sailed from the Downs on 26 July 1825. Java was at Saugor on 3 January 1826. She returned to her moorings in England on 13 March 1827. [4]

In 1828 Hare sold her to Fairlie & Co., Calcutta and London. In 1836 Scott & Co., London, purchased her. [2]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource & notes
1830DriverHare & Co.London–IndiaLR; damages repaired 1816
1835T. Driver
1840T. DriverScott & Co.LondonLR

The South Australian Government chartered Java to transport migrants. Java, Captain Alexander Duthie, then sailed to South Australia. Java sailed from London and Plymouth, England, in October 1839 and arrived in Gulf St Vincent off Adelaide, South Australia, on 6 February 1840. From various reports, between 30 and 50 passengers, including 24-28 children, died of disease, malnutrition, and starvation during the journey. [9] [10] The journey was the subject of a Medical Board review on behalf of the South Australian Commissioners that found that Duffie and the medical officer had treated the passengers badly, and ordered that Scott & Co. not be paid. [11]

In 1841 Java was sold to Joseph Somes, London. He chartered her to the British government as a troop carrier visiting North America, the West Indies, South Africa and New Zealand. [5]

YearMasterOwnerTradeSource
1845J.Locke
W.Parker		J.Somes
J&F Somes		London transport
London–S____
London–West Indies		LR; small repairs 1841 & damages repaired 1845
1850GilbertJ&F SomesLondon–East IndiesLR; damages repaired 1848, damages and small repairs 1850
1855RobertsonSomes, B[rother]sLR
1860J.SmithJ.Hall, Jr.LR

In 1857 she was sold to J. Hall, jr., London. Circa 1859 she was sold to W.H.Smith of Smith, Immosi, & Co. of Gibraltar to serve there as a coal hulk. [5]

Fate

In 1939 her owner, [12] an agent for the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation company, sold her for £500 to the Genoese ship breaker, Giuseppe Riccardi from Sampierdarena. He had her towed to Genoa on 26 July 1939 for breaking up. On 20 September 1940 Italian frogmen destroyed her with limpet mines in a training exercise. She was the only vessel ever employed by the EIC to have survived until World War II. [2]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Phipps (1840), p. 103.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hackman (2001), p. 134.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Letter of Marque, p.70 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 British Library:Java.
  5. 1 2 3 Peters (2013).
  6. ↑ LR (1813), Supple. pages "J", Seq.№J118.
  7. ↑ House of Commons (1814), p. 87.
  8. ↑ Hardy (1835), p. 92.
  9. ↑ "KING GEORGE'S SOUND". South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900). 22 February 1840. p. 4. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "THE JAVA". South Australian Record and Australasian and South African Chronicle (SA : 1840 - 1841). 3 October 1840. p. 10. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "BOUND FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA - JAVA 1840 by Diane Cummings". www.slsa.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  12. ↑ "The People of Gibraltar".

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References

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