Britannia (1794 ship)

Britannia was launched in 1794 at Northfleet. She made two voyages as an "extra ship" for the British East India Company (EIC). On her second voyage a French privateer captured her, but the British Royal Navy recaptured her shortly thereafter. She then became a West Indiaman and was lost c.1801.

For other ships with the same name, see Britannia (ship).
History
Great Britain
Name: Britannia
Owner:
  • 1794:H. Jackson[1]
  • 1799:Timperon[2]
Builder: Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet[3]
Launched: 27 August 1794[3]
Captured: 1798, and recaptured
Fate: Lost c.1801
General characteristics
Tonnage: 384[1][4] (bm)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Brig
Complement: 32[4]
Armament:
  • 1795:10 × 4-pounder guns[4]
  • 1796:12 × 6-pounder guns[4]
  • 1800:10 × 6-pounder guns[2]

Career

1st EIC voyage

Captain Thomas Nixon jnr. received a letter of marque for Britannia on 22 August 1795.[4] He left Yarmouth on 20 September 1795, bound for Bengal. She arrived at Calcutta on 22 February 1796.

There she loaded rice on behalf of the British government which was importing grain to address high prices for wheat in Britain following a poor harvest.

See also: Transport vessels for the British Government's importation of rice from Bengal (1795–1796)

Homeward bound, Britannia was at Culpee on 31 March,[Note 1] and at Saugor on 19 April. She reached St Helena on 22 July, and arrived at The Downs on 15 September.[5]

2nd EIC voyage

Captain James Stewart received a letter of marque on 17 December 1796. He left Britain on 3 January 1797. The French privateer Huron (or Herion) captured Britannia on 22 August 1798 as she returned to Britain.[Note 2] HMS Endymion and Amaranthe were in company when they recaptured her on 27 August at 46°20′N 12°55′W.[8] They took her into Cork.[9] She reached home on 8 October.

Subsequent career

In 1799 Timperon purchased Britannia. Captain J. Mann replaced Stewart and her trade became London-Grenada.[10] She was last listed in Lloyd's Register in 1804, but the Register of Shipping for 1801 has the notation "LOST".[11] Lloyd's List for 25 September 1801 reported that Britannia, from Jamaica to London, was lost at Old Harbour, Jamaica.[12]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. Culpee (or Coulpy or Kulpi) was an anchorage towards Calcutta, and just below Diamond Harbour.
  2. The privateer may have been Huron, named for the Wyandot people, who were allies of the French against the British in North America. A possible candidate is Huron, of Bordeaux, probably commissioned in 1793, 300 tons (French; of load), 18 to 20 guns, with 9 officers and between 112 to 180 men. She was under Captain Pierre Destebetcho in 1793 (dates not clear), Captain Harismedy circa late 1797-1798, Destebetcho (first name not clear) from July 1798 to 1799, and Captain Saint Guiron from 1799 in Bordeaux to May 1800 in Mauritius.[6] HMS Magicienne captured Huron circa January 1801 in the Channel as Huron was returning from Mauritius.[7]

Citations

  1. Lloyd's Register (1796), Seq. №B351.
  2. Lloyd's Register Seq. №B289.
  3. Hackman (2001), p. 225.
  4. Letter of Marque, Archived 2016-10-20 at the Wayback Machine p.54 - accessed 25 July 2017.
  5. British Library: Britannia (6).
  6. Demerliac (2004), p. 266, №2338.
  7. "No. 15333". The London Gazette. 31 January 1801. pp. 140–141.
  8. "No. 15143". The London Gazette. 4 June 1799. p. 557.
  9. Lloyd's List №3029.
  10. Lloyd's Register (1799), Seq. №B264.
  11. Register of Shipping (1801), Seq. №B375.
  12. Lloyd's List №4189.

References

  • Demerliac, Alain (2004). La Marine du Consulat et du Premier Empire: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1800 A 1815 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-903179-30-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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