Johanna (East Indiaman)

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History
British East India Company flag.svg United Kingdom
NameJohanna
Namesake Anjouan
General characteristics [1]
Tons burthen515, [2] or 600 (bm)
Complement110
Armament36
South Africa Western Cape relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Wreck
Western Cape, South Africa

Johanna (or Joanna) was an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC), possibly named for the island of Anjouan, then known as Johanna. She made five voyages for the EIC between c. 1671 and 1681, On her sixth voyage she became the first Indiaman lost on the South African coast when she wrecked on 8 June 1682.

Contents

Career

Captain Hopefar Bendall was her captain for the first five, successful voyages. [1]

Voyage #1 - Madras and Bengal; 1671/2 season.
Voyage #2 - St Helena and Bantam; 9 May 1674 – 30 June 1675.
Voyage #3 - Madras and Bengal; 8 January 1676 – 13 August 1677.
Voyage #4 - St Helena and Bantam; departed 27 Mar 1678.
Voyage #5 - Surat; returned 16 Jul 1681.

Loss

For her sixth voyage, Johanna was under the command of Captain Robert Brown. [1] She left the Downs on 24 February 1682, and wrecked near the Cape Agulhas on 8 June 1682, while in a convoy to India with four other ships. Ten persons lost their lives, while the remaining 104 were able to make their way to Cape Town.

Post-script

A considerable amount of gold was on board. Dutch East India Company Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel immediately despatched a recovery expedition that recovered some of it. Three hundred years later, in 1982, treasure hunters salvaged a further 23,000 coins and several hundred kilograms of silver.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 British Library:Johanna.
  2. Hackman (2001), p. 30.

Related Research Articles

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Lord Melville was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made six voyages for the company before she was sold for a hulk in 1817.

Stafford was an East Indiaman launched in 1769 that made two complete voyages to India and China for the British East India Company. During her third voyage she was wrecked in 1779 at Calcutta.

<i>Lord Macartney</i> (1782 EIC ship)

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<i>Dutton</i> (1781 EIC ship)

Dutton was built by John Barnard at Barnard's Thames Yard at Deptford and launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made five voyages for the British East India Company. She was wrecked in January 1796 while carrying troops for a military expedition to the West Indies.

<i>Essex</i> (1780 EIC ship)

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.

Euphrates was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman. Between 1803 and 1812 she made four voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC). During these voyages she participated as a transport in two military campaigns, the capture of the Cape of Good Hope and of Mauritius. She was wrecked in 1813 towards the end of the outward leg of a fifth voyage to India.

<i>Travers</i> (1800 ship)

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Sarah Christiana was launched in 1798. She made one voyage as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made a voyage to Jamaica. On her return, the EIC engaged her for four more voyages as an East Indiaman. In 1810 she was sold and became a West Indiaman. She was broken up in 1828.

Lady Burges was launched in 1799 as an East Indiaman. She made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1800 and 1805. She was wrecked in 1806 early in her fourth voyage.

Diana was launched in 1799 as a West Indiaman. From 1805 she made four voyages as an East Indiaman under charter to the British East India Company. She made a fifth voyage to India in 1817 under a license from the EIC. She ran into difficulties in the Hooghly River while homeward bound and was condemned in Bengal in June 1818.

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Osterley was an East Indiaman launched on 9 October 1771 by Wells, Deptford. She made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before the French frigate Pourvoyeuse captured her on 21 February 1779 while she was on her third voyage. She then sailed for a few years as a French merchantman.

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 then was sold and spent a handful of years as a West Indiaman. She was broken up in 1806.

Tigris was launched in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 1802. She made six voyages between 1803 and 1815 as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). After her stint as an East Indiaman, Tigris became a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in December 1823.

Marquis of Lansdown was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC) before the EIC declared her worn out. Her owners sold her in 1800 and she became a West Indiaman. The French captured her in 1805 when they captured Dominica.

Asia was launched in 1811 on the River Thames as an East Indiaman. She made 10 voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then continued to sail to India and China after the EIC gave up its trading activities in 1834. She was condemned and hulked in 1840.

Marchioness of Exeter was launched in 1801 as an East Indiaman of the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven complete voyages for the EIC. She then made one more voyage to Java, sailing under a license from the EIC. Her last voyage ended in 1819.

References

See also

34°46′58″S19°40′46″E / 34.78278°S 19.67944°E / -34.78278; 19.67944 (Wreck of the Johanna)