Paragon was launched at Whitby in 1800. Between 1803 and 1805 she served as an armed defense ship protecting Britain's coasts and convoys. She then served as a transport on the 1805 naval expedition to capture the Cape of Good Hope. Next, she returned to mercantile service and in 1814 a French privateer captured her, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her the next day. She sailed to India in 1818 under a license from the British East India Company (EIC), and was wrecked in March 1819 while inbound to Calcutta.
Paragon first appeared in the registers with an entry in the 1800 Register of Shipping. Her master and owner was Woodcock, and her trade Whitby coaster.[3] Her subsequent trades were Newcastle–Baltic (1801), and London–Hamburg (1801–1802).
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 in some cases a naval officer as captain. The vessels were: Albion, Anacreon, Atlas, Aurora, Chapman, Diadem, Duckenfield, Helder, Indefatigable, Lord Forbes, Lord Nelson, Norfolk, Paragon, Perseus, Robert, Sir Alexander Mitchell, Suffolk, and Triton.[4]
On 21 November 1803 Paragon, of 400 tons (bm) and 16 guns, was ready but yet to be allocated to her station.[4]Paragon was reported at various times at the Humber and Hull. On 29 January 1805 "the Paragon armed ship" was at Deal. One of her boats overturned near Sandown Castle while coming to shore. Soldiers from the castle were able to save all but one man.[5] The Royal Navy returned the armed defense ships to their owners in the second half of 1805.
In autumn 1805 a small naval squadron under the orders of Commodore Sir Home Popham escorted a fleet of transports, including Paragon, and East Indiamen carrying some 5000 soldiers under the command of Major-general Sir David Baird to attack the Dutch at the Cape of Good Hope. The fleet assembled at Madeira and touched at St. Salvador to replenish supplies. The expedition sailed again on the 26 November, and on 4 January 1806, in the evening, anchored to the west of Robben Island, preparatory to taking the Dutch colony.
After the invasion, on 7 February, Paragon sailed for Algoa Bay with troops to load lumber for military works.
Paragon disappeared from the registers between 1811 and 1814, and may have served as a government transport. She reappeared in the 1815 Register of Shipping (published in 1814), having undergone repairs. Her master was R. Miller and her owner Woodcock.[6]
On 22 May 1814 the French privateer Hirondelle captured Paragon, Woodcock, master, near Wight as Paragon was sailing from Malta to Hull.[7] The next day HMSNaiad recaptured Paragon,[8] and sent her into Portsmouth.[7]
The Register of Shipping for 1818 showed Paragon with R. Miller, master, changing to J. Keene, Woodcock & Co., owners, changing to Read & Co., and trade London–Île de France.[9]
A list of ships sailing under license from the EIC showed Paragon, G.B. Keane, master, Read & Co. owners, sailing from England on 31 August 1818, bound for Bencoolen.[10]
Loss
Paragon was wrecked on 24 March 1819,[1] when she was driven ashore at Saugor Sands, while on a voyage from London to the Cape of Good Hope and Calcutta. One crew member drowned, but the pilot vessel Sophia rescued all other crew and passengers. Captain Keene, who had been ill for some time, nevertheless died the next day.[11][12] A later report stated that Paragon, Keene, master, had run aground on the night of the 24th and subsequently sunk; no property had been saved.[13]
Notes
↑ Weatherill reports that Paragon, of 391 tons (bm), was launched at Whitby, but has no other information other than she was still registered there in 1817.[2]
Diadem was a sloop launched in 1798. The Admiralty renamed her HMS Falcon after purchasing her in 1801 to avoid confusion with the pre-existing third rate Diadem. Falcon served in the north Atlantic and the Channel, and then in Danish waters during the Gunboat War. She was sold in 1816. Her new owner renamed her Duke of Wellington and sailed her to the Indies under a license from the British East India Company. She was wrecked in 1820 at Batavia.
Atlas was built in Souths Shields by Temple and launched in 1801 for Temple. She made two voyages transporting convicts from Ireland or England to Port Jackson. On the first voyage she carried cargo for the British East India Company (EIC). On the second she sailed to Bengal after delivering her convicts to New South Wales and was wrecked off India in 1820 while on her way back to Britain.
Perseus was a sailing ship built in 1799 at Stockton-on-Tees, England. She made one voyage transporting convicts to New South Wales, returning to England via Canton. In 1803-1804 she served as an "armed defense ship". Thereafter she served as a transport. She is last listed in 1844.
Indefatigable was a square-rigged, three-decked, three-masted merchant ship launched in 1799 at Whitby for James Atty & Co. for the West Indies trade. In 1804 she served as an armed defense ship and recaptured a merchantman that a privateer had captured. She was a transport in the 1805–1806 British invasion of the Dutch Cape colony. She twice transported convicts to Australia; on the first trip she was chartered to the British East India Company (EIC). She burned to the waterline in 1815.
HMS Scourge was the former merchant sloop Herald, launched in 1799, that the Admiralty purchased in 1803 for service as a convoy escort. The Admiralty had her laid up in 1805, and sold in 1816. Subsequent owners returned her to mercantile service and she sailed until 1835 when she was lost.
Several merchant vessels have borne the name Diadem, after the Diadem, a type of crown:
Diadem was a barque launched in 1800 at Whitby. She served as an armed defence ship between 1803 and 1805. Her owners sold her to the British government in 1818. The year 1818 may be a transcription error for 1808 as that is the last year for which Diadem is listed in either Lloyd's Register or the Register of Shipping.
Camden was built at Whitby in 1813. She served as a general trader for much of her career, though in 1820-21 she made one voyage to Bombay for the British East India Company (EIC). Between 1824 and 1831, Camden sailed under charter to the Hudson's Bay Company. Between 1833 and 1837 she was a Greenland whaler out of the Whitby whale fishery, and was the last vessel from Whitby to engage in whaling. She was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1850.
Latona was launched at Whitby in 1789. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), one as a slave ship in the triangular trade in enslaved people, and one as a whaling ship in the southern whale fishery. She spent the rest of her career as a merchantman. She was wrecked in February 1842.
Several ships have borne the name Caledonia for Caledonia:
Suffolk was launched in 1795 at Newcastle. In 1800 she made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She traded widely as different owners deployed her on one route or another.
Anacreon was launched in 1800 at Sunderland. She initially sailed between London and Minorca and then between 1804 and 1805 she served as an armed defense ship for the Royal Navy. She next became a London-based transport, and eventually traded from Liverpool to the Baltic and Canada. She was wrecked in 1823.
Duckenfield was launched in 1792 on the Thames. She was primarily a West Indiaman but between 1803 and 1805 she served the Royal Navy as an armed defense ship. She was last listed in 1819.
Lord Forbes was launched at Chester in 1803 as a West Indiaman. She soon became an "armed defense ship", but by 1805 had returned to being a West Indiaman. She made two voyages as an "extra" ship for the British East India Company (EIC). She continued trading with India until 1817 when she sustained damage on her way to Bengal. There she was surveyed, condemned and sold.
Robert was launched at Newcastle upon Tyne in 1800 as a West Indiaman. In 1804 she may have served as an armed defense ship before reverting to the West Indies trade. She was last listed in 1825.
Norfolk was built in France in 1784 under a different name. The British captured her c. 1800 and she made some voyages as a West Indiaman. She also made a cruise as a privateer. Between 1803 and 1808 she served the Royal Navy as an armed defense and hired armed ship on the Leith Station. She spent her time escorting convoys in the North Sea and captured one French privateer. After her naval service, between 1808 and 1814 Norfolk was a London-based transport. From 1814 to 1820 she made four voyages as a whaler in the British southern whale fishery. She was last listed in 1823.
Several vessels have been named Paragon:
HMS Vulture was launched in 1801 at South Shields as Warrior. The Royal Navy purchased her in 1803 as a sloop and renamed her. From 1808 through 1813 she was a floating battery at Jersey,. The Navy sold her in 1814 and she returned to mercantile service as Warrior. She was last listed in 1820, but does not seem to have sailed again after returning from east of the Cape in 1817.
Blenheim was launched in 1790 as West Indiaman, and spent almost all of her career as a West Indiaman. In 1818 she made one voyage to Bengal under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). On her return from Bengal she reverted to the West Indies trade. Later she traded between London and Quebec. She was wrecked in November 1836 and refloated. She was last listed in 1837.
Sappho was launched in Whitby in 1813, and moved her registration to London in 1814. Thereafter she traded widely. She made a voyage to Bombay and one to Bengal, sailing under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC). She was last listed in 1833.
References
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Weatherill, Richard (1908). The ancient port of Whitby and its shipping. Whitby: Horne and Son.
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