West Africa Study Circle

Vessels at St Helena - 1826, by John Knight PAGE 3
Examples of marine lists: Number 6152 (left), 6154 (top right) and 6173 (bottom right)
Figure 4: The East India Fleet Leaving St Helena, July 1830
The Hon. Company’s Ship Inglis with HCS Windsor, Waterloo, Scaleby Castle, General Kyd, Farquharson and Lowther Castle, escorted by HM Frigate Ariadne
painted by WJ Huggins

(Photo: Trevor Hearl 1993)

Published by Trevor Hearl for The St Helena Link
Although painted in 1830, all vessels depicted above were in service in 1826. Brief details are:

Inglis
1321 tons, size 133ft 7in x 42ft 9in x 17ft 5in, Service 1811-1834, Launched 22.6.1811 by Caleb Martin Taylor, Penang, for Robert Hudson, Managing Owner.
1st Commander Captain William Hay; 8.1.1823 Captain Samuel Serle.
End October 1834 sold for £9150, further private trading to India. 1844 Wrecked.

Windsor
1418 tons, size 133ft 11in x 43ft 3in x 17ft 11in, Service 1818-1833, Launched 1.10.1818 by Frances Barnard Son & Roberts for Felix Clay, Managing Owner.
Captain JR Francis; 25.4.1821 Captain Thomas Haviside.
During November 1834 sold for nearly £8000, further trade with India.
End August 1836 Wrecked.

Waterloo
1403 tons, size 133ft 9in x 43ft 2in x 17ft, Service 1816-1834, Launched 21.10.1816 by Wigram, Blackwall, for East India Company.
Captain J Birch; 1.3.1819 Captain Richard Alsager.
11.6.1834 Broken up.

Scaleby Castle
1241 tons, size 131ft 11in x 42ft 1in x 17ft 8in, Service 1807-1834,
Launched 13.8.1798 in India by Jamsetgee Bomaingee Wadia, Bombay, for Bruce Fawcett & Co.
Between 1798 and early 1807 Licensed ship in private trade with India.
16.2.1807 first voyage for the East India Co.
18.8.1821 Captain David R Navell.
Sold twice during 1834, the second time in excess of £13,000.
December 1847 Hulked.

General Kyd
1318 tons, size 134ft 11in x 42ft 4in x 17ft 1in, Service 1815-1832,
Launched 8.11.1813 in Calcutta by JW Kyd & W Richardson, Kidderpore, for James Walker, Managing Owner. Captain Alexander Nairne.
8.10.1834 Sold for £9100 to John Pirie.
1846 No longer listed in Lloyd’s Register.

Farquharson
1326 tons, size 133ft 10in x 43ft 2in x 17ft 1in, Service 1820-1834, Launched 1.9.1820 by Gordon, Deptford, for JC Lochner, Managing Owner.
Captain William Cruikshank.
23.1.1821 Maiden voyage.
23.5.1834 Initially sold to a J Somes for £6000, however laid up and subsequently sold as a hulk.

Lowther Castle
1507 tons, size 143ft 9in x 43ft 3in x 17ft 6in, Service 1811-1834.
Launched 26.1.1811 by Thomas Pitcher, Northfleet, for John Wordsworth, Managing Owner. Captain W Crowder.
During 1823 sold to John Crosthwaite, Managing Owner. Captain Thomas Baker.
18.6.1834 Broken up.

HMS Ariadne
Built as a ‘Hermes’ class 6th Rate Frigate at Paters Yard, later to become the Royal Dockyard, Pembroke. Keel laid during March 1815, Launched 10.2.1816.
119ft long on the gun deck, 30ft 11in moulded beam, 507 tons.
Initially armed with 9 x 9 Pdr and 18 x 32 Pdr carronades. 1817 as a 20 gun Sloop.
In 1820 after having a forecastle and a quarterdeck with 6 x 18 Pdr carronades, she was again reclassified as a 26 gun 6th Rate.
During 1823-1825 under Captain Moorsom was involved with preserving Masrui rule in Mombasa.
1826 West Africa Station, 1837 Hulked as a coal depot at Alexandria. July 1841 sold.

The following vessels were also licensed sometime during their service career, but not necessarily during the year in focus. Further research will therefore be needed.
Other Naval vessels mentioned:

Albatross
A Merchant Schooner (Slaver?) built in Scotland. Purchased in 1823 as a surveying vessel and involved with the Great African Survey during that year.
Sold out of service during August 1833.
Purchased at the Cape to replace the tender Cockburn which had been wrecked in Simons Bay during further surveys of Africa commanded by a Lieutenant Richard Owen. During 1826 was involved with the First Ashanti War.

Blonde
A 5th Rate Frigate. Armament 28 x 18 Pdr, 16 x 32 Pdr carronades, 2 x 9 Pdr. Built at Deptford Dockyard; keel being laid during March 1816. Launched 12.1.1819. Laid up at Greenhithe until 1824 when finally completed at Woolwich. 155ft on the gun deck, 36ft 8in moulded beam, 1103 tons.
November 1850 hulked at Portsmouth as a receiving ship. Out of service during 1895.

Liffey
Built as an ‘Endymion’ class 4th Rate Frigate by Wigram Wells and Green at Blackwall. Keel laid February 1813. Launched 25.9.1813. 159ft 2in on the gun deck, 41ft 11in moulded beam, 1238 tons. Armament consisted of 28 x 24 Pdr, 20 x 32 Pdr carronades, 2 x 9 Pdr. Built within the year of fir to counter the US Frigates in the war of 1812.
Broken up during 1827.

References
Lords of the East, Jean Sutton, Conway Maritime Press, London 2000.
Ships of the East India Company, Rowan Hackman, World Ship Society, 2001.
Rear Admiral R.O. Morris CB (Navies Historian), World Ship Society.