In 1795 Admiral Hugh Cloberry Christian mounted an expedition to the West Indies.[1] The expedition sailed on 6 October, 16 November, and 9 December, but weather forced the vessels to put back. The fleet finally successfully sailed on 20 March to invade St Lucia, with troops under Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby. St Lucia surrendered to the British on 25 May.[2] The British went on to capture Saint Vincent and to put down Fédon's rebellion in Grenada.
Among the transport vessels of the expedition were 16 chartered from the British East India Company (EIC).[3]
| Ship | Master | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Britannia | Barrow | |
| Contractor | Whyte | Sailed from the Cape of Good Hope |
| Duke of Montrose | Burt | |
| Dutton | Sampson | Wrecked on 26 January 1796 at Plymouth |
| Ganges | Pile | |
| General Eliott | Langhorne | |
| Houghton | Robert Hudson | |
| King George | John Fam Timins | |
| Middlesex | Ramsden | Returned via Barbados where she picked up a cargo; wrecked in August 1796 coming up the Thames |
| Phoenix | Wemys (or Wemyss) Orrok | |
| Ponsborne | James Clifford | Wrecked after landing her troops |
| Raymond | Henry Smedley | |
| Rose | Smyth | |
| Sir Edward Hughes | Urmston | James Urmston was Commodore for the EIC contingent |
| Sulivan (or Sullivan) | Sampson Hall | |
| Valentine | Henry Hughes | Sold for breaking up on her return |
In addition to the vessels hired from the EIC, the expedition used a number of vessels belonging to the Transport Board on either long-term or short-term contracts.
- Alexander
- Betsey
- Brothers
- Catherine
- Concord
- Countess of Trautsmansdorff
- Crown
- Eagle
- Elizabeth
- Enterprize
- Fowler
- Galatea[a]
- Golden Grove
- Hardy's
- Hope
- Horn
- Polly
- Rambler
- Sally
- Somerset
- Success
- Swan
- Swansea
- Thomas & Mary
- Three Sisters
- Travellor
- Ulysses
- Vine
- William Beckford
Other
editMentioned in The Times:[4]
- Jane
- Lady Penrhyn
Notes
edit- ^ Galatea, of 332 tons (bm) was launched at Whitby in 1793. She became a West Indiaman. A French privateer captured her in 1801 in sight of Jamaica.
Citations
editReferences
edit- 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.