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Britannia(1772 EIC ship)

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For other ships with the same name, seeBritannia (ship).

History
East India Company EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameBritannia
Owner
  • 1772:Watson
  • 1775: East India Company
BuilderBombay Dockyard
Launched1772
FateWrecked November 1805
General characteristics
Tons burthen747,[2]or 770,[1][3][4]or 77087⁄94,[5](bm)
Length
  • Overall:137 ft 4 in (41.9 m)[1]
  • Keel:110 ft0+1⁄2in (33.5 m)[1]
Beam36 ft3+1⁄2in (11.1 m)[1]
Depth of hold14 ft 7 in (4.4 m)[1]
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement
Armament
  • 1793 (1): 26 × 12&9&6-pounder guns + 4swivel guns[3]
  • 1793 (2):26 × 12&9&6-pounder guns[3]
  • 1795:26 × 12&6-pounder guns + 9 swivel guns[3]
  • 1803: 40 × 12-pounder guns[3]
NotesThree decks

Britanniawas launched by theBombay Dockyardin 1772, and was rebuilt in 1778. The BritishEast India Company(EIC) apparently acquired her in 1775. Between 1779 she made eleven complete voyages as anEast Indiamanfor 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.

Origins[edit]

There is ambiguity concerningBritannia's launch year. Reports include 1772, 1775,[1]1777,[5]or 1778.[2]The source of the 1772 year is a list that of vessels built at theBombay Dockyardthat shows her owner as Mr. Watson. The same list shows aBritanniabeing rebuilt in 1778. These are the only two mentions of aBritanniabeing built between 1736 and 1840.[6]

Britanniawas built of teak and her long life as an East Indiaman sailing between England and India and China demonstrated both the utility of teak, and the skill in ship construction of Eastern shipyards.[5]She was also one of only a handful of merchant ships that the EIC actually owned. (Almost without exception the EIC leased and chartered its merchant ships.)

Career[edit]

Britannia's career before the EIC acquired her is obscure. Captain Newman Mallack sailed her fromBombaytoCalcutta,where she arrived on 1 September 1779. On the 5th, Captain George Hutchinson ofStafford,his officers and crew, took overBritanniato sail her to England. (Staffordhad been lost on theHooghly Riveron 29 August.)[5]

EIC voyage #1 (1779-1781)[edit]

Captain George Hutchinson was at Ingeli (a point on the west side of the Hooghli Estuary), on 18 November. From there he sailedBritanniato Bombay, South East Asia, China, and England. On 28 December she was atCochin,on 1 January 1780 atTellicherry,on 13 January atOnore,and on 27 January Bombay. She sailed up toSurat,where she arrived 5 February, and then on toMangalore(15 February), Tellicherry again (9 May), andMadras(20 May).BritanniareachedMalaccaon 19 July and arrived atWhampoa anchorageon 5 September. Leaving for England, she crossed theSecond Baron 13 December, reachedSt Helenaon 19 May 1781, and arrived atThe Downson 21 October.[1]

EIC voyage #2 (1782-1783)[edit]

Captain Edward Cumming sailed from Portsmouth on 5 May 1782, bound for St Helena andBencoolen.Britanniareached St Helena on 24 July and arrived at Bencoolen on 27 November. She cruised the coast of Sumatra between Pring (12 January 1783) and Pulau Pisang (11 February), both at the time pepper ports, before returning to Bencoolen on 7 March. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 12 July and arrived at The Downs on 6 October.[1]

EIC voyage #3 (1784-1786)[edit]

Captain Cumming sailed from Portsmouth on 29 December 1784, bound for Madras and China.Britanniareached theCape of Good Hopeon 27 March and Madras on 28 May. She reached Malacca on 3 August and arrived at Whampoa on 15 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 2 January 1786, reached St Helena on 5 April, and arrived at The Downs on 24 June.[1]

EIC voyage #4 (1787-1788)[edit]

Captain Cumming sailed from The Downs on 6 January 1787, bound for Bengal.Britanniawas atMadeiraon 18 January and the Cape on 3 April Cape; she arrived atDiamond Harbouron 11 June. Homeward bound, she was atCox's Islandon 14 January 1788. She reached St Helena on 25 April, and arrived at The Downs on 7 July.[1]

EIC voyage #5 (1789-1790)[edit]

Captain Cumming sailed from Portsmouth on 11 February 1789, bound for St Helena and China.Britanniareached St Helena on 7 May andBataviaon 3 September. She arrived at Whampoa on 28 November. Homeward bound, she left Whampoa on 2 February 1790, reached St Helena on 30 May, and arrived at The Downs on 18 August.[1]

EIC voyage #6 (1791-1792)[edit]

(6) 1790/1 Bombay and China. Captain Cumming sailed from Torbay on 2 February 1791, bound for Bombay and China.Britanniareached Bombay on 1 June and arrived at Whampoa on 22 September. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 14 November, reached St Helena on 25 February 1792, and arrived at The Downs on 22 April.[1]

EIC voyage #7 (1793-1795)[edit]

By the timeBritanniasailed againwar with Francehad broken out. Captain Thomas Cheap, Jr. acquired twoletters of marque,the first on 4 March 1793, and the second on 21 March.[3]

Captain Cheap sailed from Portsmouth on 5 April 1793, bound for Madras and Bengal.Britanniareached Madras on 14 August and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 8 September.[1]

In late 1793John Shore,the EIC'sGovernor-General of India,formed a squadron from the company's own ships to patrol the Sea of Bengal and Southeast Asia. He diverted two East Indiamen,William PittandBritannia,and the country shipNonsuchfrom their regular route for the service. A vessel of the Bombay Marine, possiblyViper,accompanied them. The reason for the move was the coming together of two problems, the inability of the BritishRoyal Navyto maintain a presence in the area, and intelligence concerning the presence of French privateers and naval vessels in the area.

The EIC appointed Captain Charles Mitchell, ofWilliam Pitt,Commodore of its squadron.Britanniaset out on her naval mission and was atSagar Islandon 5 December. She reached Malacca on 29 December.[1]

Main article:Sunda Strait campaign of January 1794

On 21 January 1794Houghtonjoined the squadron. The next day the squadron engaged two French privateers,Vengeur,of 34 guns and 250 men, andRésolue,of 26 guns and 230 men.BritanniacapturedVengeur,andNonsuchcapturedRésolue,with the French captains realising that further resistance would be pointless asWilliam PittandHoughtoncame up. Eleven French sailors had been killed and 25 wounded; losses onRésoluewere heavy. British losses were one killed and two wounded onBritannia.

Britanniacontinued her naval role for some months. After the engagement she sailed to Batavia, arriving on 26 January. She then visited Benkulen on 4 March, before returning to Batavia on 2 June.[1]Captain Cheap died of an illness in June.[5]Britanniasailed to Malacca (16 July), Penang (5 August), andAcheh(3 September). She ended her naval role and returned to Diamond Harbour on 25 September. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 29 November, reached St Helena on 18 March 1795m, and arrived at The Downs on 25 July.[1]

West Indies expedition (1795–1796)[edit]

Captain Thomas Barrow acquired a letter of marque on 16 October 1795.[3]

In 1795 AdmiralHugh Cloberry Christianmounted and expedition to the West Indies. The EIC chartered 16 vessels to the British Government to augment the NavyTransport Board'sown transports.[7]

The expedition sailed on 6 October, 16 November, and 9 December, but weather forced the vessels to put back.[8]Britanniasailed from Portsmouth on 29 January 1796,[1]but had to put back. The fleet finally successfully sailed on 20 March to invadeSt Lucia,with troops under Lieutenant-GeneralSir Ralph Abercromby.

See also:Transport vessels for the British expedition to the West Indies (1795)

Britanniawas at Barbados by 14 April, Martinique on 24 April, and St Lucia on 28 April.[1]St Lucia surrendered to the British on 25 May.[9]The British went on to captureSaint VincentandGrenada.

Britanniareturned to Martinique on 5 June and was atSaint-Pierre, Martinique,on 13 June. She arrived back at The Downs on 8 August.[1]

EIC voyage #8 (1797-1798)[edit]

Captain Barrow sailed from Plymouth on 22 February 1797, bound for St Helena, Madras, and Bengal.Britanniawas at Saint Helena on 8 May St Helena and reached Madras on 1 August. She then cruised the coast, before returning to Madras on 30 September. She arrived at Diamond Harbour on 5 November. Homeward Bound, she was at Saugor on 13 March 1798, reached the Cape on 19 June and St Helena on 5 August, and arrived at The Downs on 25 October.[1]

EIC voyage #9 (1799-1801)[edit]

Captain Barrow sailed from Portsmouth on 24 April 1799, bound for Madras, Bengal, Bombay, and China.Britanniareached Madras on 26 August andVizagaptamon 2 October, and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 22 October. Continuing her voyage, she was at Saugor on 19 December, reachedColomboon 13 February 1800, and arrived at Bombay on 5 March. She left Bombay but soon returned on 18 September because she was overcrowded. Resuming her voyage, she was at Mangalore on 5 October,Cannanoreon 13 October, and Tellicherry on 28 November; she arrived at Whampoa on 15 March 1801. Homeward bound, she was at theBocca Tigrison 7 July, reached St Helena on 21 September, and arrived at The Downs on 2 December.[1]

EIC voyage #10 (1802-1803)[edit]

Captain Barrow sailed from The Downs on 5 May 1802, bound for Madras.Britanniareached Madras on 1 September, left on 20 October, and four days later returned to Madras. She reached St Helena on 15 January 1803 and arrived at The Downs on 22 March.[1]

EIC voyage #11 (1803-1805)[edit]

By the timeBritanniasailedwar with France had resumed.CaptainJonathan Birchacquired a letter of marque on 3 October 1803.[a]He sailed from Portsmouth on 26 October, bound for St Helena and Madras.Britanniareached St Helena on 5 March 1804 and arrived at Madras on 5 October. Homeward bound, she reached St Helena on 31 December and arrived at The Downs on 19 March 1805.[1]

Fate[edit]

Captain Birch sailed from Portsmouth on 27 July 1805, bound for Madras and Bengal on her twelfth voyage for the EIC. She was one of the EIC vessels that were part of the expedition under General SirDavid Bairdand Admiral SirHome Riggs Pophamthat would in 1806 capture theDutch Cape Colony.[10]They would carry supplies and troops to the Cape, and then continue on their voyages.Britanniawas atCorkon 27 August and Madeira on 29 September.[1]

See also:Transport vessels for the British invasion of the Dutch Cape Colony (1805-1806)

BritanniaandKing Georgewrecked on 1 November 1805 onRocas Atollat3°51′27″N33°48′57″W/ 3.85750°N 33.81583°W/3.85750; -33.81583.HMSLedasighted the danger at 3:30 a.m., and fired a gun, the signal to tack, herself barely missing the danger.King Georgewas unable to tack and wrecked. AsBritanniawas on the point of tacking she ran afoul ofStreathamand lost her bowsprit and foretopmast. She then drifted on to the atoll where she lost her rudder and bilged.[11]

During the nightBritanniawas gotten off the rocks but took on so much water that she sank quickly,[12]having drifted some seven miles from where she struck. In the morning, before she sank,Comet,Europe,andVarunasent their boats and were able to rescue about 400 people fromBritannia,including Brisk, his crew, and recruits for the EIC's armies.[11]

Although the only cargo saved consisted of 12 chests of dollars (out of some 160[11]), fromBritannia,the only deaths were General Yorke and a soldier fromKing Georgeand a seaman fromBritannia.[10]The EIC charged her cargo to the British government.[4]

Popham hiredVarunaatSt Salvador Bayto carry the survivors on.[10]The British fleet, includingVaruna,arrived inTable Bayon 5 January 1806 and anchored offRobben Island.[13]

EIC records showBritanniawrecking at the Brazils on 4 December,[1]but the date is more than a month too late.Lloyd's Listreported another incorrect date, 4 November, and an incorrect location, theParaiba River.[14]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^The number of guns is high for a merchantman of 700 tons (bm), and the number of men is double what one would expect on a vessel twice her burthen. The reasons are currently unclear.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyBritish Library:Britannia(4).
  2. ^abPhipps (1840), p.164.
  3. ^abcdefghij"Letter of Marque, pp.53-4 - accessed 25 July 2017"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 20 October 2016.Retrieved5 May2018.
  4. ^abReports...(1830), Vol. 2, p.977/
  5. ^abcdeHackman (2001), p.72.
  6. ^House (1840), p.609.
  7. ^Hardy (1800), p.225.
  8. ^Lloyd's List№2790.
  9. ^"No. 15265".The London Gazette.7 June 1800. p. 623.
  10. ^abcTheal (1899), pp.253-4.
  11. ^abcGrocott (1998), pp.202-3.
  12. ^Theal (1899), p.252.
  13. ^Theal (1899), p.330.
  14. ^Lloyd's List№4294.

References[edit]

  • Grocott, Terence (1997).Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras.London: Chatham.ISBN1861760302.
  • 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.(Charles Hardy)
  • House of Commons (1840)Parliamentary Papers: 1780-1849.Vol. 8. (H.M. Stationery Office)
  • Phipps, John, (of the Master Attendant's Office, Calcutta), (1840)A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships... Built in India to the Present Time....(Scott).
  • Reports from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to enquire into the present state of the affairs of the East India Company, together with the minutes of evidence, an appendix of documents, and a general index,(1830), Vol. 2.
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