Scarborough (1740 EIC ship)

Last updated

History
Flag of the British East India Company (1707).svg
NameScarborough
OwnerJohn Raymond
BuilderCarter, Limehouse
LaunchedDecember 1740
FateSold 1753 for breaking up
General characteristics [1]
Tons burthen499, [a] or 545 [3] (bm)
PropulsionSail
Complement99
Armament30 guns

Scarborough was an East Indiaman launched in December 1740 that performed four trips to India and China for the British East India Company (EIC). She is most famous for giving her name to Scarborough Shoal (or Scarborough Reef), which she discovered by grounding there on 12 September 1748. She was sold for breaking up in 1753.

Contents

Repair

In May 1741 Scarborough was at Portsmouth, undergoing repairs that necessitated unloading, repairing her, and reloading her. [4]

Scarborough was under the command of Captain George Westcott, who had already made two trips to India on her predecessor, Scarborough.

Voyages

Voyage #1 (1741-42)

Captain Westcott left Portsmouth on 4 May 1741, bound for Madras and Bengal. She reached the Cape on 14 August and Vizagapatam on 15 December, before she arrived at Culpee (an anchorage towards Calcutta, on 11 January 1742. [1] Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 21 June. The Indiamen Scarborough, Northampton, Queen Caroline, Halifax, Royal George, Kent, and snow Swift left St Helena on 26 June, together with their escorts, HMS Argyl and HMS Lynn. They arrived safe off of Dover on 16 September. [5] Scarborough arrived at Portsmouth on 19 September, and the Downs on 28 September. [1]

Voyage #2 (1744-46)

George Westcott was captain of Scarborough, and she sailed from Torbay on 28 February 1744, and Plymouth on 14 March, bound for Madras and Bengal. She reached Madeira on 27 April and the Cape on 13 August, before arriving at Madras on 11 December. Homeward bound, she passed Rogues River, a section of the Hooghly River, on 24 January 1745. Scarborough reached St Helena on 8 July and Lisbon on 17 October, and arrived at the Downs on 21 January 1746. [1]

Voyage #3 (1748-49) - Grounding on Scarborough Shoal

Captain Philip D'Auvergne left Portsmouth on 25 January 1748, bound for Fort St David and China. Scarborough arrived at Fort St David on 8 June. Continuing on to China, she was at Malacca on 12 August. [1]

Scarborough grounded on one of the rocks of Scarborough Shoal ( 15°11′N117°46′E / 15.183°N 117.767°E / 15.183; 117.767 ) on 12 September. D'Auvergne first tried to lighten her by throwing her guns overboard and emptying water casks, to no avail. Pulling her with anchors and boats also proved futile. Eventually, tides and swells lifted her off. [6] [7]

She arrived at Whampoa on 21 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar (about 20 miles before Whampoa) on 15 December, reached the Cape on 3 March 1749 and St Helena on 1 April, and arrived at the Downs on 20 June. [1]

Voyage #4 (1751-1753)

Captain Philip D'Auvergne left the Downs on 1 February 1751, bound for Madras and Bengal. Scarborough reached São Tiago, Cape Verde, on 27 February and Fort St David on 7 July. She arrived at Madras on 21 July and Culpee on 6 August. Homeward bound, she was at Barrabulla (or Barra Bulla), which is a sandbank that forms near Kedgeree in the Hooghli River, on 23 February 1852. She had to stop at Mauritius on 15 June for repairs, and did not leave until 20 October. She reached St Helena on 2 December, and arrived at the Downs on 10 February 1753. [1]

Fate

Her owners sold Scarborough in 1753 for breaking up. [3]

Notes

  1. ↑ The registered tonnage is incorrect. Following Queen Anne's charter of 1702, between 1708 and 1747 almost every EIC vessel was registered as being of under 500 tons (bm). The reason was that the charter required every vessel of 500 tons or over to carry a chaplain. [2] Apparently the Directors of the EIC did not feel this was a worthwhile expense.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 British Library: Scarborough (2) - accessed 27 July 2015.
  2. ↑ Cotton (1949), p.41.
  3. 1 2 Hackman (2001), p. 190.
  4. ↑ Thomas (1999), pp.187 & 191.
  5. ↑ "No. 854". The London Gazette . 14 September 1742. p. 6.
  6. ↑ Wright (1804), p.480-2.
  7. ↑ Huddart (1801), p.454.

Related Research Articles

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.

Wexford was launched in 1802 as an East Indiaman in the service of the British East India Company (EIC). She made seven voyages to India, Persia, and China for the EIC, on the first of which she participated in the battle of Pulo Aura. Her last voyage ended in 1817 and she was broken up c. 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.

<i>Taunton Castle</i> (1790 EIC ship)

Taunton Castle was launched on the River Thames in 1790 as an East Indiaman. She made nine voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was broken up in 1813. In 1797, on her third trip, she was one of a fleet of six East Indiamen that bluffed a squadron of six French frigates into fleeing.

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.

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.

Middlesex was launched in 1783 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made five voyages for the EIC. Towards the end of the second of these some of her officers unsuccessfully mutinied. In 1795 she participated as a transport in the British military expedition to the West Indies. She stranded and became a total loss in 1796 as she returned from the expedition.

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.

<i>Ceres</i> (1797 EIC ship) 1797 ship owned by the British East India Company

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.

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.

<i>Essex</i> (1780 EIC ship)

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 at a second inconclusive engagement with a French frigate. In 1798 she was sold to be hulked or broken up.

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.

<i>True Briton</i> (1790 EIC ship)

True Briton was launched in 1790 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was lost without a trace in 1809 during her eighth voyage.

Nottingham was launched in 1787 as an East Indiaman. She made only eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) in the 23 years before she was sold for breaking up.

Ganges was launched in 1778 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), and one voyage as a transport for a naval expedition. She was last listed in 1796.

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.

Walpole was launched on the Thames in 1779. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). On the sixth voyage, on her way to China, her captain discovered an island that he named Walpole Island. She was sold for breaking up in 1799.

General Coote was built by John Barnard probably at Barnard's Wharf in Rotherhithe and launched in 1781 or 1782 as an East Indiaman. Between 1782 and 1797 she made six voyages to India or China for the British East India Company (EIC). On the last voyage she participated as a transport in a campaign. She was sold in 1797.

London was launched in 1779 as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC), between 1780 and 1798. She was sold for breaking up in 1799.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.