| History | |
|---|---|
 Great Britain | |
| Owner | Abel Chapman |
| Operator | East India Company |
| Builder | Perry, Sons & Green, Blackwall |
| Launched | 22 April 1796 |
| Fate | Broken up in 1816 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 1432, [1] or 143215⁄94, [2] or 1487 [3] (bm) |
| Complement | |
| Armament | |
Thames was launched on the Thames in 1796 as an East Indiaman. She made eight voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold for breaking up in 1816.
1st EIC voyage (1796–1798): Captain Robert Williams acquired a letter of marque on 20 June 1796. [3] He sailed from Portsmouth on 11 August 1796, bound for St Helena and China. Thames reached St Helena on 16 October and Amboina on 8 January 1797, before arriving at Whampoa Anchorage on 21 March. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 June, reached the Cape on 23 October and St Helena on 3 December, and arrived back at the Downs on 30 January 1798. [1]
2nd EIC voyage (1798–1801): Captain Williams sailed from Portsmouth on 4 October 1798, bound for Bombay and China. [1] She had put in at Portsmouth in August and developed a leak. She had to unload part of her cargo before the leak could be found and fixed. [4] Thames reached the Cape on 5 January 1799 and Madras on 21 April. She arrived at Bombay on 21 July. She sailed from Bombay on 4 February 1800 and arrived at Whampoa on 6 May. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 11 August, reached St Helena on 1 February 1801, and arrived in the Downs on 10 April. [1]
3rd EIC voyage (1802–1803):] Captain Williams sailed from Portsmouth on 12 February 1802, bound for Bombay and China. Thames arrived in Bombay on 11 June and Whampoa on 25 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 3 January 1803, reached St Helena on 7 March, and arrived in the Downs on 24 April. [1]
4th EIC voyage (1804–1805): Captain John Skottowe acquired a letter of marque on 23 January 1804. [3] Thames sailed from Plymouth on 26 February 1804, bound for St Helena and China. She reached St Helena on 19 May and left on 9 July. She arrived at Whampoa on 13 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar 1 January 1805, reached St Helena on 2 April, and left on 11 July. She arrived back at the Downs on 10 September. [1]
5th EIC voyage (1806–1808): Captain Matthew Riches acquired a letter of marque on 4 April 1806. He sailed from Portsmouth on 14 May, bound for China. Thames reached Penang on 14 October and arrived at Whampoa on 19 January 1807. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 3 April, reached the Cape on 19 September and St Helena on 13 October, and arrived back at the Downs on 28 December. [1]
6th EIC voyage (1809–1810): Captain Riches sailed from Portsmouth on 5 April 1809, bound for China. Thames arrived at Whampoa on 25 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 25 February 1810, reached St Helena on 21 May, and arrived back in the Downs on 28 July. [1]
7th EIC voyage (1812–1813): Captain Riches sailed from Torbay on 4 January 1812, bound for St Helena, Bencoolen, and China. Thames reached St Helena on 20 March, the Cape on 7 May, Bencoolen on 29 June, Penang on 22 August, and Malacca on 13 September. She arrived at Whampoa on 18 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 17 January 1813, reached St Helena on 5 April, and arrived at the Downs on 5 June. [1]
8th EIC voyage (1814–1815): Riches sailed from Portsmouth on 9 April 1814. She reached Penang on 19 August, and Malacca on 15 September. She was off Lintin Island on 19 October, and arrived at Whampoa on 11 December. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 February 1815, reached St Helena on 12 May, and arrived at the Downs on 19 August. [1]
In 1816 she was sold for breaking up. [2]
Citations
References
Albion was an East Indiaman of the British East India Company (EIC). She made eight voyages for the EIC before she was sold to the British government in 1810 for service as a troopship. She was lost at sea in 1816.
Woodford was launched in 1790 and made nine voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1797 her captain was commodore of a small group of East Indiamen that managed to bluff a French squadron of warships into sailing away to avoid an engagement. In 1812 Woodford was sold for breaking up.
Boddam was built by William Barnard at Barnard's Thames Yard at Deptford and was launched on 27 December 1787 on the River Thames. She made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). Her fourth voyage was particularly notable as she participated in an encounter between six Indiamen and six French frigates in which the Indiamen succeeded in bluffing the French into withdrawing. During that voyage she also survived several typhoons. Her owners sold her in 1803 and her subsequent deployment and fate is currently unknown.
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.
Scaleby Castle was launched in 1798 at Bombay. She made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) under charter. At the end of the first she changed to British Registry. Her owners sold her in 1806 to William Moffat, who then entered into a four-voyage contract with the EIC as a regular ship. The EIC purchased Scaleby Castle outright in 1816. She proceeded to make 10 more voyages for the EIC. In all, she made 17 voyages for the EIC, a record. In 1833-35 the EIC ended its commercial activities and sold its vessels. New owners continued to sail Scaleby Castle to China and India. She was last listed in 1841. In 1847 her owners sold her as a hulk.
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.
Lord Macartney was launched in 1782 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC0 before she was sold in 1798. She then traded across the Atlantic to North America and was last listed in 1811.
Carnatic was launched in 1787. She made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold for breaking up in 1802.
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.
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.
Duke of Buccleugh was an East Indiaman launched in 1788. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1802.
Walpole was launched on the Thames in 1779. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) and was sold for breaking up in 1799.
Walmer Castle was launched in 1796 as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She made nine voyages for the EIC before she was sold in 1815 to sail as a troopship and supply ship for the British Army. She was broken up in 1821.
Essex was launched on 7 February 1803 by Perry, Blackwell as an East Indiaman. She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) until on 20 August 1821 her register was cancelled as she had been demolished.
David Scott was launched on the Thames in 1801 as an East Indiaman. Between 1801 and 1816 she made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1816 for hulking.
Glatton was launched in Rotherhithe in 1796. Between 1796 and 1815 she made eight voyages to South-East Asia, China, and India as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1815 her owners sold her for use as a hulk.
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.
Cirencester was launched in 1795 at Rotherhithe. Between 1795 and 1813 she made eight voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). She was sold in 1813 for a hulk.
Marquis of Huntly was launched at Rotherhithe in 1811. She made 11 voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1812 and 1834, when she was broken up.