A fleet of East Indiamen at Sea, by Nicholas Pocock; it is believed to show the Indiamen Lord Hawkesbury, Worcester, Boddam, Fort William, Airly Castle, Lord Duncan, Ocean, Henry Addington, Carnatic, Hope, and Windham returning from China in 1802
Lord Hawkesbury was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages for the EIC before she was sold in 1808 for breaking up.
Captain John Barkley sailed from The Downs on 7 January 1788, bound for St Helena, Bencoolen, and China. Lord Hawkesbury reached St Helena on 26 March, Bencoolen on 8 July, and Whampoa anchorage on 5 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 27 December, reached St Helena on 29 April 1789, and arrived at The Downs on 9 July.[3]
EIC voyage #2 (1791–1792)
Captain Barkley sailed from Plymouth on 29 March 1791, bound for St Helena, Bengal, and Bencoolen. Lord Hawkesbury reached St Helena on 21 June and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 4 October. Homeward bound she was at Kedgeree on 17 January 1792, reached Rat Island (Bencoolen) on 17 February and St Helena on 4 June, and arrived at The Downs on 10 August.[3]
EIC voyage #3 (1794–1795)
War with France had broken out and Captain John Price acquired a letter of marque on 21 December 1793.[2]Lord Hawkesbury was one of 39 Indiamen that the British government held back for a planned, and later canceled, attack on Mauritius. (The Government would pay £2,562 10s for 123 days' demurrage, including 22 days at Spithead.[4])
She finally sailed from Portsmouth on 2 May 1794, bound for Madras and Bengal. Lord Hawkesbury reached Madras on 11 September and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 15 October. Homeward bound, she was Saugor on 15 January 1795, was at Madras again on 3 March, reached St Helena on 24 May.
While Lord Hawkesbury was at St Helena, the 64-gun third rateHMSSceptre arrived with the convoy of HEIC ships sailing to India and China. The assembled vessels at St Helena received word that a convoy of Dutch East Indiamen would pass by, sailing from the Cape back to Holland. Scepter, the Indiaman General Goddard, and some other Indiamen succeeded on 15 June in capturing eight Dutch vessels.
The entire convoy (Sceptre, the British Indiamen returning to England, including Lord Hawkesbury, and the prizes), now some 20 vessels or so strong, sailed from St Helena on 22 August for Shannon, where most arrived on 13 December, though three of the prizes were lost.
Lord Hawkesbury reached the Downs on 16 October.[3] Unfortunately, her Chief Mate had been on one of the Dutch prizes that was lost.[5]
EIC voyage #4 (1796–1798): Captain Price sailed from Portsmouth on 27 June 1796, bound for Madras and Bengal. Lord Hawkesbury reached the Cape of Good Hope on 19 September and Madras on 9 January 1797, and arrived at Kedgeree on 27 February and Diamond Harbour on 2 April.[3]
The British government chartered Lord Hawkesbury, together with numerous other Indiamen and country ships, to serve as a transport in a planned attack on Manila. Lord Hawkesbury was at Saugor on 11 August and Penang on 26 August.[3]
When the British Government cancelled the invasion following a peace treaty with Spain, it released the vessels it had engaged. Lord Hawkesbury was at Diamond Harbour again on 1 November.[3]
She was at Saugor on 19 December, at Madras again on 11 January 1798, at the Cape on 23 April, and St Helena on 26 May. She arrived at The Downs on 2 August.[3]
The EIC charged the British government some £4312 10s for demurrage for the 207 days delay to Lord Hawkesbury's original voyage.[6]
EIC voyage #5 (1799–1800)
Captain William Donaldson acquired a letter of marque on 21 March 1799. He sailed from Portsmouth on 24 April 1799, bound for St Helena and Bengal. Lord Hawkesbury reached St Helena on 10 April and arrived at Kedgeree on 13 December. Homeward bound, she was Saugor on 9 Feb 1800, reached St Helena on 15 June, and arrived at The Downs on 23 September.[3]
EIC voyage #6 (1801–1802)
Captain Donaldson sailed from Portsmouth on 31 March 1801, bound for Bombay. Lord Hawkesbury arrived at Bombay on 23 July. Homeward bound, she was at Tellicherry on 23 November, 5 Jan 1802 Quilon on 5 January 1802, and St Helena on 5 April. She arrived at The Downs on 8 June.[3]
EIC voyage #7 (1804–1806)
Captain James Timbrell acquired a letter of marque on 16 June 1804. He sailed from Portsmouth on 10 July 1804, bound for Bengal and Madras. Lord Hawkesbury was at Madeira on 23 July and arrived at Kedgeree on 1 December. Homeward bound she was at Saugor on 31 January 1805 and at Madras on 12 February. She was at Ganjam on 13 April and returned to Madras on 1 May.[3]
Lord Hawkesbury reached Fernando de Noronha on 13 December, and arrived at The Downs on 23 February 1806.[3]
EIC voyage #8 (1807–1808)
Captain Samuel Smith acquired a letter of marque on 27 January 1807. He sailed from Portsmouth on 18 April 1807, bound for St Helena and Bengal. Lord Hawkesbury reached St Helena on 13 July and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 28 November. Homeward bound, she was at Masulipatam on 1 February 1808, Madras on 16 February, and Colombo on 6 March. She reached St Helena on 11 June and arrived at the Downs on 14 August.[3]
Fate
In 1808 Lord Hawkesbury was sold for breaking up.[1]
Earl Spencer was an East Indiaman, launched in 1795 for the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages for the EIC until in 1811-12 the government took her up to transport convicts to Australia in 1813. On her return voyage from Australia she sailed via China, where she carried a cargo back to England for the EIC.
Northumberland was launched in 1805. She made six voyages as an extra ship of the British East India Company (EIC), between 1805 and 1818. In 1810 and 1811 she served as a transport in the British invasions of Mauritius and Java. She was sold for breaking up in 1819.
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.
Lord Keith was launched in 1804 by and for Peter Everitt Mestaer. He chartered her to the East India Company (EIC) for six voyages, and she then went on to make another two voyages for the EIC. On her second voyage, and unusually for an East Indiaman, she participated in the proceeds for the recapture of a former British Royal Navy brig and possibly in a skirmish with a French ship. On her third voyage she participated in a notable action. She was broken up c.1820.
Bengal was launched in 1799 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made four complete voyages but foundered in 1809 with no trace while homeward bound from the fifth.
Preston was launched in 1798 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1805 and 1819. In 1810 and 1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. She was sold for breaking up in 1812 but instead became a transport and a West Indiaman. She disappeared after a gale in August 1815.
William Pitt was launched in 1805 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1805 and 1819. In 1810 and 1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. She was sold for breaking up in 1820.
Lord Castlereagh was launched on the Thames in 1802 as an East Indiaman She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1820. She then may have sailed one or twice to Bombay under license from the EIC. Her subsequent disposition is currently obscure.
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 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.
Europa was launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was probably broken up in 1798.
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.
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.
Deptford was launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made six apparently uneventful voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1807 for breaking up.
Castle Eden was launched in 1800 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she became a transport in 1812.
Calcutta was launched in 1798 as an East Indiaman. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and disappeared while homeward bound from Bengal on her fifth voyage.
Lady Jane Dundas was launched in 1800 as an East Indiaman. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) and was lost in 1809 on the homeward-bound leg of her fifth voyage. She and three other Indiamen parted from the homeward-bound convoy during a gale on 18 March 1809 and were never seen again.
Worcester was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages to India and China for the EIC and participated as a transport in two naval expeditions before she was sold in 1809 for breaking up.
Lord Duncan was launched on the River Thames in 1798 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1813 for breaking up.
References
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
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