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.
1st EIC voyage (1786–1787): Captain Charles Mitchell sailed from the Downs on 26 March, bound for Madras and Bengal. William Pitt reached Madras on 26 July and Diamond Point on 14 August. She arrived at Cox's Island on 13 December. Homeward bound, she sailed from Cox's Island on 2 January 1787, reached St Helena on 13 March, and arrived back at the Downs on 15 May
2nd EIC voyage (1788–1789): Captain Mitchell sailed from the Downs on 5 April 1788, bound for Madras and Bengal. William Pitt reached Madras on 13 July and Diamond Point on 23 July. Homeward bound, she sailed from Saugor on 15 November, reached St Helena on 20 January 1789, and arrived at the Downs on 23 March.
3rd EIC voyage (1790–1791): Captain Mitchell sailed from the Downs on 19 April 1790, bound for Bengal and Madras. William Pitt arrived at Diamond Harbour on 6 August. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor from 2 January 1791 to 6 February. She reached Madras on 14 February and the Cape on 11 April. She reached St Helena on 2 May and arrived back at the Downs on 30 June.
4th EIC voyage (1793–1795): Captain Mitchell acquired a letter of marque on 25 April 1793.[2] He sailed from Portsmouth on 22 May 1793, bound for Madras, Bengal, and Benkulen. William Pitt reached Madras on 18 September and Diamond Point (probably a mis-transcription for Diamond Harbour), on 2 October. She arrived at Saugor on 29 November.
In late 1793 John Shore, the EIC's Governor-General of India, formed a squadron from the company's own ships to patrol the South-Asia region. The EIC diverted two East Indiamen, William Pitt and Britannia, and the country ship Nonsuch for the service. A vessel of the Bombay Marine, possibly Viper, accompanied them. The reason for the move was the coming together of two problems, the inability of the British Royal Navy to maintain a presence in the area, and intelligence concerning the presence of French privateers and naval vessels in the area.
The EIC appointed Captain Mitchell, captain of William Pitt, Commodore of the squadron.
On 21 January 1794 Houghton joined the British squadron. The next day the squadron engaged two French privateers, Vengeur, of 34 guns and 250 men, and Résolue, of 26 guns and 230 men. Britannia captured Vengeur, and Nonsuch captured Résolu, with the French captains realising that further resistance would be pointless as William Pitt and Houghton came up. Eleven French sailors had been killed and 25 wounded on Vengeur; British losses were one killed and two wounded on Britannia. Casualties were high on Résolue, but no numbers are available.
On 24–25 January, the EIC squadron engaged a French naval squadron from Île de France, consisting of the frigates Prudente and Cybèle, the brig Vulcain and the captured East Indiaman Princess Royal, now renamed Duguay-Trouin. The two squadrons engaged at long range though Houghton and Nonsuch managed to hit Cybèle. The French broke off the engagement and the British did not pursue. The need to man the prizes and to guard the prisoners, who outnumbered their captors, had left the British with just enough men to man the guns. Casualties among the French squadron are not known, but the only loss on the British ships was on Nonsuch, which had a man killed in combat with Cybèle. (4) 1792/3 Madras, Bengal and Benkulen. Capt Charles Mitchell.
William Pitt remained in the area for some seven months. She was at Batavia on 26 January and Benkulen on 4 March. She visited "Onreat" (probably Onrust Island) on 26 March, returning to Batavia on 2 June. She then sailed to Malacca, arriving on 16 July, and Penang, arriving there on 13 August. She returned to Diamond Harbour on24 September. Finally home bound, she was at Saugor on 29 November, leaving there on 8 January 1795. She reached St Helena on 18 March and arrived at the Downs on 23 July.
On Mitchell's return to Britain in 1796 King George IIIknighted him,[4] and presented with £8,000 (the equivalent of £978,000 as of 2023)[5] as reward and compensation for his diversion to the Straits.
5th EIC voyage (1796–179): Captain Sir Charles Mitchel sailed from Portsmouth on 12 April 1796, bound for the Cape, Madras, Bengal, and Bombay. William Pitt reached Simon's Bay on 21 July and Madras on 17 November. She arrived at Trincomalee on 19 December, and returned to Madras on 4 January 1797. She arrived at Kedgeree on 1 February. Bound to Bombay, she was at Mahé on 30 April and Calicut on 2 May. She arrived at Bombay on 26 May. Homeward bound, she sailed from Bombay on 9 August, and reached the Cape on 16 October. She was at St Helena on 3 December and arrived home on 31 January 1798.
6th EIC voyage (1799–1800): Captain Sir Charles Mitchell sailed from Portsmouth on 2 April 1799, bound for Madras and Bengal. William Pitt reached Madras on 4 August and Diamond Harbour 30 August. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 20 November and sailed on 11 December. She reached Madras on 20 December and Colombo on 30 December. She was at Point de Galle on 6 February 1800. She reached St Helena on 27 April and Cork on 29 June. She arrived back at the Downs on 5 July.
Later career and fate
Rice voyage: Weather-induced crop failures in Britain in 1799 and 1800 forced the British Government to import rice from Bengal to counter popular unrest. The wheat harvests of 1799 and 1800 were about one-half and three-quarters of the average, respectively. The price of bread rose sharply, leading to bread riots; some of rioters invoked the French Revolution.[6] Her owners tendered William Pitt.[7] Captain Richard Owen acquired a letter of marque on 29 November 1800.[2]
Pigot was an East Indiaman that made five voyages to India, China, and the East Indies for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1780 and 1794. Oh her fifth voyage, which occurred early in the French Revolutionary Wars, the French captured her during the Sunda Strait campaign of 1794.
Houghton was launched in 1782 and made six voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1794 she was part of an EIC squadron that had some success against French privateers and naval vessels in the Sunda Strait, and then in 1796 she participated as a transport in the British capture of St Lucia. She was sold in 1799 and her owner took her out to India to work in the tea trade between India and China. She foundered in 1803.
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.
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.
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.
City of London was launched in 1800 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1800 and 1814 when she was taken up as a troopship for one voyage. She made one more voyage to India under a license from the EIC and then was broken up circa 1817.
Lord Castlereagh was launched on the Thames in 1802 as an East Indiaman She made seven voyages for the British East India Company (EIC) before she was sold in 1820. She then may have sailed one or twice to Bombay under license from the EIC. Her subsequent disposition is currently obscure.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sovereign was launched at Rotherhithe in 1800 as a West Indiaman. The British East India Company (EIC) then took her up as an "extra" ship on several contracts; in all she made seven voyages as an East Indiaman for the EIC. After she left the EIC's service in 1817 she continued to trade with India, but under a license from the EIC. She was broken up in 1822.
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.
Thomas Grenville was an East Indiaman launched at the Bombay Dockyard for the British East India Company (EIC), and one of only a handful of East Indiamen that it actually owned. She made 14 voyages for the EIC. It sold her in 1834 when it gave up its maritime activities. She was sold for a free trader and burnt in Bombay in June 1843 in a suspicious fire.
Thetis was launched on the river Thames in 1786 as an East Indiaman. She made six voyages for the British East India Company between 1787 and 1800, She then was sold and spent a handful of years as a West Indiaman. She was broken up in 1806.
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.
References
Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN0-905617-96-7.
Hardy, Charles (1800). A Register of Ships, Employed in the Service of the Hon. the United East India Company, from the Union of the Two Companies, in 1707, to the Year 1760: Specifying the Number of Voyages, Tonnage, Commanders, and Stations. To which is Added, from the Latter Period to the Present Time, the Managing Owners, Principal Officers, Surgeons, and Pursers; with the Dates of Their Sailing and Arrival: Also, an Appendix, Containing Many Particulars, Interesting to Those Concerned in the East India Commerce.
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