Transport_vessels_for_the_cancelled_British_attack_on_Manila_(1797)

Transport vessels for the cancelled British attack on Manila (1797)

Transport vessels for the cancelled British attack on Manila (1797)

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In 1797 the British East India Company (EIC) chartered a number of East Indiamen and country ships to serve as transport for a planned attack on Manila.

The vessels gathered at Penang in September and waited there. However, the Government cancelled the invasion following a peace treaty with Spain and the EIC released the vessels it had engaged.

The listing of EIC vessels comes from a report on claims by their captains for payment for their vessels' time.[1] The EIC held several vessels in India to support the expedition. There were eight regular ships: Lord Camden, Busbridge, Minerva, Lord Macartney, Lord Hawkesbury, Sir Stephen Lushington, Phoenix, and General Goddard. There were also three "dismantled ships": Pitt, Lascalles, and Royal Admiral. There were also some EIC "extra ships" on a voyage charter.

The captains of all the vessels sued the EIC for reimbursement for expenses consequent on the delay to their homeward bound journeys, and for the eight regular ships, the additional risks involved in the detours to Penang. In 1800 the court awarded six of the captains of the regular ship £750 each. The court further ordered that the officers of the vessels involved receive some payment.

EIC ships

More information Vessel, Claim for transport services (£sd) ...

Country ships

The list of the names of the country ships comes from a House of Commons Select Committee report.[2] The charter costs and period come from the Bengal Journal (April 1798; p. 614.)[3]

More information Vessel, Burthen (bm) ...

In addition Martha was lost in the Hooghli River in July "going on an expedition".[4]

Notes

  1. Purchased for £38,000 for service as a ship's tender.
  2. Possibly same Eliza Ann as above.
  3. Fireship
  4. Possibly HMS Trident, listed by mistake.

Citations

  1. [1]
    Asiatic Annual Register for the Year 1805 (1807), p.53–60.
  2. [2]
    Select Committee... (1814), p.654.
  3. [3]
    Asiatic Annual Register, Or, A View of the History of ..., Vol. 7, pp.43-4.
  4. [4]
    House of Commons (1830), p. 979.

References

  • House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain (1830). 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. Vol. 2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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