History | |
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Name | Melville Castle |
Namesake | Melville Castle |
Owner |
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Builder | William Barnard, Deptford |
Launched | October 1786 |
Fate | Sold 1802 |
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Name | Vreede or Vryheid |
Acquired | 1802 by purchase |
Fate | Wrecked 23 November 1802 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Tons burthen | 799, [2] 806, [1] or 80623⁄94 [3] (bm) |
Length |
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Beam | 36 ft (11.0 m) |
Depth of hold | 14 ft 9 in (4.5 m) |
Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
Complement | |
Armament |
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.
EIC voyage #1 (1787-1788): Captain Philip Dundas sailed from The Downs on 6 January 1787, bound for Bombay and China. Melville Castle reached Bombay on 22 May and arrived at Whampoa anchorage on 21 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 11 January 1788, reached St Helena on 17 April, and arrived at The Downs on 24 June. [1]
EIC voyage #2 (1789-1790): Captain Dundas sailed from The Downs on 26 February 1789, bound for Bengal. Melville Castle arrived at Diamond Harbour on 27 June. Homeward bound, she was at Culpee on 7 December, reached St Helena on 29 March 1790, and arrived at The Downs on 31 May. [1]
Dundas brought back with him a rhinoceros, a present from the "King of Laknaor" (Lucknow?) to Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. Dundas had no real use for a rhinoceros so he sold it to Thomas Clarke for £700 for exhibition at the Essex Change. The rhinoceros died in 1793. [4]
EIC voyage #3 (1792-1793): Captain Dundas sailed from The Downs on 8 March 1792, bound for Madras and Bengal. Melville Castle was at Johanna on 17 June, reached Madras on 21 July, and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 15 August. On 15 September she was at 'Broken Ground' and on 8 October at Masulipatam; she returned to Diamond Harbour on 14 December. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 18 January 1793, reached St Helena on 14 April, and arrived at Long Reach on 6 July. [1]
Captain John Alexander Haldane: War with France had broken out while Melville Castle was returning from her third voyage. Captain John Alexander Haldane acquired a letter of marque on 19 November 1793. [2]
However, the British government was contemplating an invasion of Île de France (Mauritius), and detained a large number of East Indiamen in England to serve as transports. It cancelled the planned expedition and released the vessels in May 1794. It paid Melville Castle's owners £ 2,562 10s for 123 days of demurrage for the delay in her voyage. [5]
While Melville Castle was at Spithead, a mutiny broke out among the crew of the similarly detained Dutton after her captain had sent for a boat from a nearby warship to press some unruly members of his crew. Haldane rowed over to Dutton. He went on board where he talked with the mutineers, convincing them to return to work. [6]
Also while he was waiting to sail, Haldane started reading the Bible. This had a profound effect on him and he decided to resign his command. Fortunately, he was able to find a replacement who was both acceptable to the EIC and as was the practice at the time, who could afford to purchase the command from Haldane. [6]
EIC voyage #4 (1794-1795): It was Captain John Lambe who sailed Melville Castle from Portsmouth on 2 May 1794, bound for Madras and Bengal. She reached Madras on 11 September and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 15 October. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 28 January 1795, Madras on 1 April, and Trincomalee on 4 May. She reached St Helena on 13 August and arrived at Long Reach on 29 November. [1]
EIC voyage #5 (1796-1797): Captain Lambe acquired a letter of marque on 20 April 1796. [2] He sailed from Portsmouth on 27 June 1796, bound for Madras. Melville Castle reached the Cape of Good Hope on 19 September, and Madras on 9 January 1797. Homeward bound, she was at Trincomalle on 12 April and Simon's Bay on 12 July. She reached St Helena on 11 September and arrived at The Downs on 13 December. [1]
EIC voyage #6 (1798-1799): Captain Lambe sailed from Portsmouth on 29 April 1798, bound for Bombay. Melville Castle reached Rio de Janeiro on 6 July and arrived at Bombay on 30 September. She visited Cannanore on 13 November before returning to Bombay on 31 December. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 1 May 1799 and arrived at The Downs on 13 July. [1]
David Webster sold Melville Castle to William Hamilton. on 17 March 1800 the EIC chartered her for one voyage at a rate of £25/ton (bm), plus £7 15s per ton surplus. [7]
EIC voyage #7 (1800-1802): Captain Lambe sailed from Portsmouth on 28 June 1800, bound for Bengal. Melville Castle reached St Helena on 22 September and arrived at Kedgeree on 4 January 1801. She then sailed for Bombay. She was at Saugor on 7 March and at Anjengo on 24 April. She arrived at Bombay on 7 May. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 8 November and arrived at The Downs on 19 January 1802. [1]
The "United Company of Merchants of England trading to the East Indies" offered 28,966 bags of rice for sale on 25 March. The rice had come in on Travers, Melville Castle, Skelton Castle, and Mornington. [8]
Her owners sold Melville Castle to Dutch owners who renamed her Vreede (or Vryheid). She was repaired and the Government of the Batavian Republic chartered her to carry troops to the Cape of Good Hope and Batavia, Dutch East Indies. She sailed from Amsterdam on 21 November 1802. On 23 November she was wrecked near Hythe, Kent. There were only 20 survivors (eight soldiers and 12 seamen), from her total complement of 474 crew and passengers. The dead numbered 312 soldiers, 12 officers, 22 women, 20 passengers, seven children, and 61 seamen. [9]
Henry Dundas was an East Indiaman launched in 1786 that made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was broken up in 1804.
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.
Bridgewater was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC), which engaged her for six voyages. She then made two more as an "extra ship", that is, under voyage charters, and was lost at sea in 1805 while homeward bound from Bombay on her eighth voyage.
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.
Britannia was launched by the Bombay Dockyard in 1772, and was rebuilt in 1778. The British East India Company (EIC) apparently acquired her in 1775. Between 1779 she made eleven complete voyages as an East Indiaman for the EIC. She also participated in three naval campaigns, during the first of which she was deployed as a cruiser off Sumatra. There she engaged and captured a French ship. In the other two she served as a transport. She set out for her twelfth EIC voyage but was lost in 1805 during the third naval campaign.
Princess Amelia was launched in 1786 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made four voyages to India for the EIC and was lost in April 1798 to a fire off the Malabar Coast.
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.
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.
Duke of Montrose was launched in 1785 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then briefly became a troop transport, sailing to the West Indies. She was sold in 1811 for breaking up.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Minerva was launched as an East Indiaman in 1786. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one carrying rice from Bengal for the British government. She is last listed in 1805 but with stale data from 1802.
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.
Walthamstow was launched in December 1799 in Rotherhithe. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1814 for breaking up.
William Pitt was launched on the River Thames in 1785 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). During her fourth she served as an ad hoc warship in a naval campaign during which she saw action. Thereafter she served as a transport, including one voyage in 1801-1802 transporting rice from Bengal to Britain. She was sold for breaking up in 1809.
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.