Career
Lord Forbes was launched in 1803. She appeared in Lloyd's Register for 1803 with Moundson, master, W. Forbes, owner, and trade Liverpool–Madeira. [7]
Following the resumption of war with France in early 1803, concern developed in Britain about Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom. The British government's response took many forms including the reactivation of Fencible regiments and the Sea Fencibles, a program of the construction of Martello Towers along the coasts of Britain and Ireland, and the commissioning of a number of armed defense ships.
The British East India Company in November voted to underwrite 10,000 tons (bm) of armed transports to protect Great Britain's coasts. The vessels were existing, but not EIC, merchantmen that would receive an upgrade in armament and that would receive a naval officer as captain. One of the vessels was Lord Forbes; the others were Albion, Anacreon, Atlas, Aurora, Chapman, Diadem, Duckenfield, Helder, Indefatigable, Lord Nelson, Norfolk, Paragon, Perseus, Robert, Sir Alexander Mitchell, Suffolk, and Triton. [5]
On 21 November 1803 Lord Forbes, of 548 tons (bm) and 20 guns, was reported to have been appointed to the Glasgow station. [5] Around late 1804 or 1805 the Navy returned the armed defense ships to their owners.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|
| 1804 | Mouldson | Forbes & Co. | Liverpool transport | Register of Shipping |
|
Lord Forbes returned to the West Indies trade. On 11 March 1805 the sloop-of-war HMS Imogen sprang a leak and foundered in the Atlantic Ocean off the Outer Hebrides while escorting a convoy from Jamaica to London. Lord Forbes and other ships rescued her crew. [8]
On 14 July 1805, Lord Forbes, Lutwick Affleck, master, arrived at Cork from Liverpool. After he left Cork Juno's underwriters in London presented Captain Affleck with a bowl inscribed with the major facts of the engagement. The Liverpool Committee of Underwriters presented him with a bill of exchange drawn on London for £120 for the purchase of piece of plate. Affleck, when captain of Juno, of eighteen 6-pounder guns and 44 men, had resisted French frigate Poursuivante, of twenty-two 24-pounder and twelve 9-pounder guns, and 390 men in a notable action before surrendering to her.
The Register of Shipping for 1806 showed Lord Forbes with M. Sisk, master, Donaldson, owner, and trade London–Jamaica. [1] Captain Matthias Lisk acquired a letter of marque on 25 November 1805. [4]
On 18 May 1807 Lord Forbes, Sisk, master, had to put back to Port Royal. She had struck the ground while leaving from Port Antonio while sailing to London. [9]
On 9 November 1810 the EIC accepted a tender for Lord Forbes for one voyage at £33 8s per ton. The EIC had Tebbutt measure and survey her. [2] The Register of Shipping for 1811 showed Lord Forbes's master changing from M. Sisk to L. Edward, her owner from Donaldson to Card, and her trade from London–Jamaica to London–India. [11] Captain Lewis Owen Edwards's date of appointment was 11 December 1810.
1st EIC voyage (1811–1812): Captain Edwards acquired a letter of marque on 4 May 1811. He sailed from Portsmouth on 21 June 1811, bound for Bengal. Lord Forbes was at Madeira on 2 July. [2] She and the other Indiamen (Minerva, Harleston, William Pitt, and Lady Lushington left on 5 July under escort by HMS Emerald. [13] Lord Forbes arrived at Calcutta on 6 November. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 26 February 1812, reached St Helena on 1 July, and arrived at Long Reach on 18 September. [2]
The EIC accepted on 2 December 1812 a tender for Lord Forbes for a second voyage at a rate of £27 8s per ton.
2nd EIC voyage (1813–1814): Captain Edwards sailed from Portsmouth on 22 May 1813, bound for Bengal. Lord Forbes was at Madeira on 2 June and arrived at Calcutta on 19 November. She was at Saugor on 13 February 1814 and reached Bombay on 25 March. Homeward bound, she was at Tellicherry on 24 April, reached St Helena on 7 July, and arrived at The Downs on 22 September. [2]
The EIC lost its monopoly on the trade between Britain and India in 1814. Thereafter the owners of merchant vessels such as Lord Forbes proceeded to engage in private trade with India under a license from the EIC.
The Register of Shipping for 1816 showed Lord Forbes's master changing from Beatson to Wiseman. [6] Lord Forbes, Captain Wiseman, sailed from England on 2 September 1816 bound for Bengal. [15]
Minerva was a merchantman launched in 1773 in the East Indies. She traded there for more than 20 years before she made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). The first EIC voyage was from 1796 to 1798. In 1799 she transported convicts from Ireland to Australia while under charter to the EIC. From Australia she sailed to Bengal, and then back to Britain. She underwent repairs in 1802 and then traveled to St Helena and Bengal for the EIC. She was lost in 1805 or 1806 under circumstances that are currently unclear.
Tottenham was launched in 1802 and made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). Her owners then sold her and she became a transport. She made one voyage transporting convicts to Botany Bay. She was sold in 1820 for breaking up.
Tyne was launched in 1807 in Rotherhithe. She spent the first part of her career as a West Indiaman. However, in 1810–1811 she made a voyage to India for the British East India Company (EIC) as an "extra" ship, i.e., under charter. Then in 1818 she made a voyage to Port Jackson, New South Wales transporting convicts. Thereafter, with a change of owners, she traded with the Far East under a license issued by the EIC. A fire destroyed her in 1828.
Ocean was launched in 1802 at Quebec. She made five voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC) between 1804 and 1814. Her owners then sold her and she continued to sail between Britain and India under a license issued by the EIC. In 1815–1816 she made one voyage transporting convicts to Australia. She was last listed in 1825.
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.
Perseverance was built in 1797 at Stettin or Sweden and came into British hands in 1799. She made one voyage under charter to the British East India Company (EIC), and was lost in July 1803.
Georgiana was launched in 1791. She served as a merchantman, packet ship for the British East India Company (EIC), a whaler, a warship of the navy of the United States of America, and a merchant vessel again. She was sold after being condemned in 1818 as leaky.
Caroline was launched at Calcutta in 1805. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). Thereafter, she became a London-based transport, sailing between England and India under a licence from the EIC. She was wrecked in 1816.
Nutwell was launched at Great Yarmouth in 1800. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). On her return she became a West Indiaman, trading with Jamaica, until the 1806 Great Coastal hurricane overturned her.
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.
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.
Huddart was launched in 1803 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1803 and 1818. In 1810-1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. In 1818 new owners deployed her in sailing to Canada. She was wrecked there in 1821.
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.
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 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.
Ganges was launched in 1799 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) bringing rice from Bengal for the British government. She then became a West Indiaman until the French navy captured her in 1805.
Lady Lushington was launched in 1808. Then in 1809 the British East India Company (EIC) chartered her. She made four voyages to India for the EIC and several others while under a license from the EIC. She was on a voyage to India under a license from the EIC when she was wrecked on 10 August 1821.
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.
Carmarthen was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman. She made eight round voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC). She then took one more voyage to India, sailing under a licence from the EIC. She was last listed in 1820.
Indus was launched in 1803 at Newcastle on Tyne. In 1804 the British East India Company (EIC) hired her for six voyages to India as an "extra ship". She completed the last of these six voyages in 1814. Thereafter she continued to trade with India, but privately, sailing under a licence from the EIC. She was last listed in 1823.
United Kingdom
