This is the full text of an article appearing in abbreviated form in the WASC journal, Cameo, number 69 (October 2006). The accompanying table, an Excel spreadsheet, is available as a link.

This article concentrates on St Helena as a Port of Call, and the following tabulation (Table 1) shows that 220 vessels dropped anchor there during the year. Details are taken from Lloyd’s Lists Numbers 6079 to 6181 inclusive.

Gravesend is shown as departure port (homeward also) mainly because whilst a fair number of vessels started further up the Thames, it was necessary that a north easterly wind prevailed for them to navigate the bends of the River, otherwise it made the very early part of the voyage slow and sometimes hazardous resulting in up to four to five days delay. (Richard Stanier’s chart produced in the late 18th Century clearly shows these difficulties together with the shoals (shallows) at the estuary which also had to be navigated; this being housed at the National Maritime Museum).

Ascension and Cape of Good Hope are shown when the vessel called at these places. East India Company’s vessels are shown by the letters E/I under the Ship and Captain’s name. Those with (ES) also signify that they were vessels given a Licence by the Company to carry merchandise on their behalf as well as using the Company’s facilities - this being brought about in 1813 when their monopoly of the trade was lost. It was also a requirement that their vessels called at St Helena homeward bound from Mauritius, India, the Far East and China. This order was implemented as far back as 1673 when the Island was acquired by them from the Crown and continued until 22 April 1834 when all Company operations were closed by Parliament. Occasionally, vessels put into Jamestown on the outward voyage. Letters appearing at the column foot refer to the Marine List.