EIC voyages
EIC voyage #1 (1783–1784): Captain William Hall sailed from Portsmouth on 11 March 1783, bound for Madras and Bengal. Lord Macartney reached Johanna on 19 June and Madras on 22 July. She arrived at Kedgeree on 13 September. [2] She was among several chartered ships reported on 23 October 1783 as being detained at Bengal. Four would sail on 10 November, and the remaining 10, including Lord Macartney, after that. [6]
Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 17 June 1784 and arrived at The Downs on 14 September. [2]
EIC voyage #2 (1785–1786): Captain James Way (or Hay) sailed from The Downs on 13 April 1784, bound for China. Lord Macartney arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 17 November. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 20 February 1786 and was at Bantam on 6 April. She reached St Helena on 27 June and arrived at The Downs on 31 August. [2]
EIC voyage #3 (1788–1790): Captain Hay sailed from The Downs on 4 April 1788, bound for Madras, Bengal, Bombay, and China. Lord Macartney was at Madeira on 15 April and Johanna on 19 July. She reached Madras on 15 August and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 28 August. She was at Bencoolen on 27 March 1789 and arrived at Bombay on 29 May. She arrived at Whampoa on 20 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 17 December, reached St Helena on 11 March 1790, and arrived at The Downs on 23 May. [2]
EIC voyage #4 (1792–1790): Captain Hays sailed from the Downs on 17 January 1792 bound for Madras and China. Lord Macartney reached Madras on 10 June, Penang on 30 July, and Malacca on 30 August. She arrived at Whampoa on 27 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 1 January 1793, reached St Helena on 31 March 1790, and arrived at The Downs on 16 June. [2]
EIC voyage #5 (1794–1795): War with France had broken out in 1793 and Captain Hays acquired a letter of marque on 22 February 1794. [3] Lord Hawkesbury was one of 39 Indiamen that the British government held back for a planned attack on Mauritius, later canceled. (The Government would pay £1,292 for 62 days' demurrage, including 22 days at Spithead. [7] )
Captain Hay sailed from Portsmouth on 2 May, bound for Madras and China. Lord Macartney reached Madras on 7 September. She reached Penang on 5 October and Malacca on 15 October, and arrived at Whampoa on 8 January 1795. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 March, reached Malacca on 26 April and St Helena on 24 August, and arrived at The Downs on 25 November. [2]
EIC voyage #6 (1796–1798): Captain Hay sailed from Portsmouth on 12 April 1796, bound for Madras and Bengal. Lord Macartney was at Simon's Bay on 21 July and reached Madras on 16 November. She visited Trincomalee on 20 December and returned to Madras on 4 January 1797. She arrived at Calcutta on 14 February. [2]
The British government chartered Lord Macartney, together with numerous other Indiamen and country ships, to serve as a transport in a planned attack on Manila. Lord Macartney was at Kedgeree on 2 August, Saugor on 19 December, and Madras again on 11 January 1798. [2]
When the British Government cancelled the invasion following a peace treaty with Spain, it released the vessels it had engaged. Homeward bound, Lord Macartney was at the Cape of Good Hope on 22 April. She reached St Helena on 26 May and arrived at The Downs on 2 August. [2]
The EIC charged the British government some £4521 for demurrage for the 217 days delay to Lord Camden's original voyage. [8]
Later career and fate
In 1798 Lord Macartney was sold to Hunter & Co., London. She underwent a good repair that year. By one report, Hunter & Co. placed her in the timber trade on a regular run to Halifax, Nova Scotia. She appeared n Lloyd's Register in 1799 with Robertson, master, Hunter & Co., owner, and trade London–Halifax. [5]
Lloyd's List reported on 9 March 1802 that Lord Macartney, Mackie, master, had been sailing from New Brunswick to England when she became leaky. She therefore put into Halifax, Nova Scotia. [9]
She is last listed in the Register of Shipping in 1811 with Gilchrist, master, Hunter & Co., owner, and trade Greenock–"Wscas" (probably Wiscasset, Maine). [4]
Fortitude was a merchant vessel built in 1780 on the River Thames. A French frigate captured her in 1782 while she was on the return leg of her maiden voyage to India as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). However, the British recaptured her in October 1782. The EIC purchased her and sent her back to England. There, in 1785, George Macartney Macauley purchased her and renamed her Pitt. She then performed five voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1786 and 1798. In between, she made one journey transporting convicts from England to New South Wales. She was broken up in 1801.
King George was launched in 1784 and made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1785 and 1798. She also participated in the invasion of St Lucia. In 1798 her owners sold her and she became a West Indiaman. An accident in 1800 at Jamaica destroyed her.
Earl Talbot was launched as an East Indiaman in 1778. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1779 and 1793. She was sold for breaking up in 1793.
Airly Castle, was 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.
Hugh Inglis was launched in 1799 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1800 and 1817. In 1810 and 1811 she participated as a transport in two British military campaigns. She was sold for breaking up in 1817.
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.
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.
Lascelles was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC}, and then briefly became a West Indiaman. She was sold to the government for use as a storeship, but was broken up in 1807.
Ceres was launched in 1797 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), before she was hulked in 1816.
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 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.
Melville Castle was launched in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1802 to Dutch owners and wrecked with great loss of life later that year on her first voyage for them.
Contractor was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one as transport for a military expedition before her owners sold her in 1800 for use as a transport.
Dublin was launched in 1784 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), to India and China. On her last voyage for the EIC she recaptured a country ship. Her owners sold Dublin in 1800 and she became a West Indiaman, but apparently was lost on her first voyage.
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 as a second inconclusive engagement with a French frigate.
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.
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.
Earl of Chesterfield was launched in 1781 as an East Indiaman. She made four voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1794 for breaking up.
