| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | Forth |
| Builder | Robert Menzies & Sons, Leith [1] |
| Launched | 25 February 1826 [1] |
| Fate | Foundered without a trace in 1835 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 369 [2] [1] [3] (bm) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
Forth was built in 1826 at Leith, Scotland. She made two voyages transporting convicts to New South Wales. After disembarking the convicts from her second voyage she sailed to Manila. She sailed from Manila in July 1835 and subsequently foundered without a trace.
Forth first appeared in Lloyd's List (LR), in the issue for 1826. [2]
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1826 | Robertson | Duncanson | Lieth–Merimac | LR |
In 1813 the British East India Company (EIC) had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC. [4] In the late 1820s, Forth, master, sailed between Great Britain and Mauritius.
On her first convict voyage, under the command of J. Robertson and surgeon J. Cook, she sailed from Cork, Ireland on 3 June 1830, and arrived at Port Jackson on 12 October 1830. [5] She had embarked 120 female convicts, all of whom survived the voyage. [6] Forth left Port Jackson on 20 February 1831 bound for London with a cargo of merchandise. [7] She arrived back at England on 13 July 1831.
Forth left London on 31 November 1831 and arrived in Launceston on 6 April 1832. She left Launceston 22 September and arrived back at Dover on 15 February 1833. In 1833–34 she made a second voyage to Van Diemen's Land, returning 24 July 1834.
In December 1834 it was reported in Tasmania that Captain Robertson had resigned the command of Forth to his first officer, Mr. Hutton. [8] [lower-alpha 1]
During her second convict voyage, under the command of Henry Hutton and surgeon Thomas Robertson, she sailed from Cork, Ireland on 21 October 1834, and arrived at Port Jackson on 3 February 1835. [10] She had embarked 196 male convicts, one of whom died on the voyage. [11] One officer and 29 other ranks from the 50th Regiment of Foot, plus a junior officer from another regiment, provided the guard. Forth left Port Jackson on 28 February 1835 bound for Manila in ballast. [12]
Forth departed from Manila on 17 July 1835 for London. She disappeared without a trace and was presumed to have foundered with the loss of all hands. [13] [3]
Minstrel was launched at Hull in 1811. She transported convicts to Australia in 1812 and again in 1825. Between these voyages she traded east of the Cape of Good Hope under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). In 1829 she brought immigrants from England to the Swan River Colony. She then traded widely, including across the Atlantic. Minstrel foundered in March 1851.
Guildford was a two-decker merchant ship launched in 1810. She transported convicts to New South Wales. Of her eight voyages delivering convicts, for three she was under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She underwent major repairs in 1819, her hull was sheathed in copper in 1822; in 1825 she received new wales, top sides and deck, the copper was repaired and other repairs. Guildford was lost without a trace in 1831.
Bengal Merchant was a sailing ship built of teak in Bengal and launched there on 26 May 1812. Between 1812 and 1829, Bengal Merchant was in private trade as a licensed ship. She served the East India Company (EIC) in 1813 and from 1830 till 1834. She also twice transported convicts from Britain to Australia before she was hulked in 1856.
Asia was a merchant ship built by A. Hall & Company at Aberdeen in 1818. She made eight voyages between 1820 and 1836 transporting convicts from Britain to Australia. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC) between 1826 and 1827. At the same time she served in private trade to India as a licensed ship. She also carried assisted emigrants to Australia. She was last listed in 1845.
Albion was a sailing ship of two decks and three masts, built at Bristol, England, and launched in 1813. She made three voyages transporting convicts to Van Diemen's Land and New South Wales. She also traded with Jamaica, India, and Quebec. For two of the voyages to India she was an "extra" ship to the British East India Company (EIC).
Henry Porcher was launched in 1817 at Bristol, England. Between 1818 and 1831 she made three voyages to India for the British East India Company (EIC). On the second she first transported convicts to Sydney, New South Wales. Between these voyages for the EIC Henry Porcher traded privately to India as a licensed ship. She made two further voyages as a convict transport, one to Sydney in 1834–35, and one to Hobart in 1836. She grounded in 1858 and was broken up in 1860.
Asia was a merchant ship launched at Calcutta in 1815 for Charles Hackett. She made four voyages transporting convicts from Great Britain to Australia, and between 1826 and 1830, two voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She was hulked or broken up c.1860.
Clyde was a merchant ship built at Greenock, Scotland in 1820. She made two voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). She then made three voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia. She was last listed in 1845.
Castle Forbes was a merchant ship built by Robert Gibbon & Sons at Aberdeen, Scotland in 1818. She was the first vessel built at Aberdeen for the trade with India. She then made several voyages to India, sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made two voyages transporting convicts from Ireland to Australia. She sustained damage in 1826 on a voyage to India and was condemned at the Cape of Good Hope. However, she was repaired. She was last listed in 1832, and in 1838 in Lloyd's Register (LR).
Captain Cook was a merchant ship built at Whitby, England in 1826. She made one voyage to Bombay under a license from the British East India Company (EIC) in 1828. She then made three voyages transporting convicts from Ireland and England to Australia. In August 1843 she was wrecked on her way with a cargo of coal from Shields to Aden.
England was built at Chepstow, Wales in 1813. She made three voyages transporting convicts from England to Australia. On the first she was under charter to the British East India Company (EIC) and, after delivering her convicts, sailed to Canton where she picked up a cargo for the EIC. She foundered in 1843 in the Channel while on a voyage to Sierra Leone.
Isabella was a merchant ship built on the Thames, England, and launched in 1818. She made six voyages transporting convicts from England and Ireland to Australia. In between, she made one round trip to China for the British East India Company (EIC). From her launch to 1834 she traded with India and the Far East under a license from the EIC. From 1848 on served in the North America trade. She is last listed in 1850.
James Pattison was a merchant sailing ship built in 1828 upon the River Thames, England. She made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC), and two transporting convicts to New South Wales. She also made several voyages carrying immigrants. She burnt to the waterline after her cargo ignited en route from Sydney to England in 1840.
Woodford was launched at Bristol in 1819. She made one voyage as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). She also made two voyages transporting convicts from England to Van Diemen's Land. She sank in February 1829 off Madagascar.
Barrosa was launched in 1811 at Cossipore. She sailed to England and then made six voyages for the British East India Company (EIC); during this period she also made one voyage carrying immigrants to South Africa. After the EIC gave up its maritime activities in 1833-1834, Barossa became a transport. She made three voyages transporting convicts to Australia. She was lost in 1847, without loss of life, while transporting contract labourers from Madras to Jamaica.
Regalia was launched at Sunderland in 1811. In 1819 she made a voyage to Calcutta, sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She also sailed to New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land. From Sydney she engaged in several sealing hunting voyages to the waters around Macquarie Island. In 1826 she transported convicts from Dublin to New South Wales. From 1831 until 1852, when she was wrecked at Davis Strait, Regalia was a whaler in the northern whale fishery.
Medina was launched in 1811 and quickly became a West Indiaman. Ten years later she started sailing to the East Indies under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, first to Sydney and then to Hobart. She also brought immigrants to the Swan River Colony. On that voyage she sustained damage that caused her to be condemned in July 1831.
Mellish was launched in 1819 at Kidderpore, Calcutta as Chicheley Plowden but renamed within the year and sold for a "free trader", i.e, a ship trading between England and India sailing under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She then made two voyages transporting convicts, the first to New South Wales, and one to Van Diemen's Land (VDL). She next made two voyages as a South Seas whaler between 1831 and 1838. She was wrecked on 5 October 1844.
Manlius was launched at Quebec in 1826. She made three voyages transporting convicts: one to Port Jackson and two to Van Dieman's Land. She then started trading between Britain and Canada. She was wrecked, with loss of life, on 9 December 1834.
Layton was launched in 1814 at Lancaster, possibly as a West Indiaman. She twice sailed to India under a licence from the British East India Company (EIC), once as a troopship. The EIC later chartered Layton three times for single voyages to India and Java. She made four voyages transporting convicts to Australia. She also made two voyages carrying emigrants from the United Kingdom to New South Wales. She was lost in 1847.