Career
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 the fall of 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 HMS Naiad 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]
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.
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.
Coverdale was launched at Whitby in 1795. She made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then became a West Indiaman. She foundered in 1806 on her way back to England from Jamaica.
Brunswick was launched at Newcastle in 1795. She made one voyage as an "extra ship", i.e., under charter, to the British East India Company (EIC). She then traded generally until she foundered in 1809.
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.
Aurora was launched in 1790 at Calcutta. The first 10 years of her career are currently obscure. In 1801 she made a voyage to England for the British East India Company (EIC), and then was briefly registered in England. She returned to India to continue to sail as a "country ship" until she was sold to Portuguese or Spanish owners in 1811. She returned to British ownership circa 1816 and made a second voyage for the EIC, this time from China to England. She returned to English registry and made one voyage to India under a license from the EIC. She then switched to sailing between Liverpool and Quebec and was lost in the Atlantic around 1822.
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.
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 Southern Whale Fishery. She was last listed in 1823.
Several vessels have been named Paragon:
Cambridge was launched at Whitby in 1797. She traded with New York, and then with Jamaica. In 1805 a French privateer captured her, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her shortly thereafter and she returned to her trade as a West Indiaman. In 1810 she sustained damage while sailing from Jamaica to Liverpool and was condemned at Havana.
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, and was last listed in 1837.
Lord Wellington was launched in 1811 at Whitby as a London-based transport. She made one voyage to India c. 1816. She sank in May 1823 after striking an iceberg in the North Atlantic.
Stakesby was launched at Whitby in 1814. She carried immigrants to Quebec, traded with Batavia and Bombay, transported convicts to Van Diemen's Land, and made a voyage to Calcutta for the British East India Company (EIC). She disappeared in 1846 on a voyage from London to Quebec.
Leda was launched in 1807 at Whitby. She spent most of her career as a London transport, and then a West Indiaman. She was wrecked in May 1819 on a voyage to Bombay while sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC).
