# Transport vessels for the cancelled British invasion of Manila

In 1797, the East India Company (EIC) chartered a number of East Indiamen and "country ships" to serve as transport vessels for a planned British invasion of Manila, the capital of the Spanish Captaincy General of the Philippines. The vessels gathered at Penang in September and waited there. However, the British government government cancelled the invasion following a diplomatic overtures with Spain and the EIC released the vessels it had engaged. After the invasion was cancelled, the captains of the ships engaged sued the EIC for demurrage.
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, and three "dismantled ships": Pitt, Lascalles, and Royal Admiral. Several EIC "extra ships" on a voyage charter were also engaged for the cancelled invasion. The captains of all the vessels sued the EIC for demurrage, citing expenses they had incurred due to the delay to their homeward bound journeys, and for the eight regular ships, the additional risks involved in the detours to Penang. In 1800, British authorities awarded six of the captains of the regular ships £750 each, and further ordered that the officers of all vessels involved receive payment from the EIC.

## EIC ships

| Vessel | Claim for transport services (£sd) | Claim for demurrage (days) | Claim for demurrage (£sd) |
| Atlantic | 7,600 – 7 – 2 | | |
| Busbridge | | 292 | 6,083 – 6 – 8 |
| Ceres | | 59 | 1,597 – 18 – 4 |
| Crown | 6,753 - 18 - 3 | | |
| Duckenfield Hall | 6,401 – 19 – 2 | | |
| Earl Talbot | | 59 | 1,597 – 18 – 4 |
| Eliza Ann | 13,249 – 6 – 6 | | |
| General Goddard | | 179 | 3,729 – 3 – 4 |
| Harriott (or Harriet) | 10,438 – 3 – 2 | | |
| Lascelles | | 272 | 8,440 – 16 – 0 |
| Lord Camden | | 206 | 4,291 – 13 – 4 |
| Lord Hawkesbury | | 207 | 4,312 – 10 – 0 |
| Lord Macartney | | 217 | 4,520 – 16 – 8 |
| Minerva | | 106 | 2,308 – 6 – 8 |
| Phoenix | | 292 | 6.083 – 6 – 8 |
| Pitt | | 229 | 6,655 – 6 – 3 |
| Princess Mary | 10,148 – 13 – 7 | | |
| Princess Royal | 5,819 – 15 – 5 | | |
| Sir Stephen Lushington | | 210 | 3,192 – 0 – 0 |

## Country ships

The list of the names of the country ships comes from a House of Commons Select Committee report. The charter costs and period come from the Bengal Journal (April 1798; p. 614.)
| Vessel | Burthen (bm) | Charter rate sicca rupees | Period |
| Abercromby | 600 | 8,500/mo. | 10 June 1797 to 10 February 1798 |
| Ajax | 460 | 6,000/mo. | 3 June 1797 to 3 February 1798 |
| Calcutta | | 10,000/mo. | 25 May 1797 to 28 February 1798 |
| Charlotte | 350 | £4,000/mo. | Three months advance |
| Chichester | 450 | 6,000/mo. | 20 June to 20 December 1797 |
| Hercules | 450 | 6,000/mo. | 3 June 1797 to 3 February 1798 |
| India | 800 | 10,500/mo. | 25 May to 25 November 1797 + 10 days demurrage@£100/day |
| Munster Lass | 350 | 3,500/mo. | 2 June 1797 to 3 April 1798 |
| Nancy | 705 | 10,0000/mo. | 11 June to 10 December 1797 |
| Triton | 950 | 10,500/mo. | 25 May 1797 to 25 March 1798 |
| Union | 350 | 4,000/mo. | 20 June 1797 to 20 March 1798 |
| Brisk | | | |
| Eliza Ann | | | |
| Goonony | | | |
| Trident | | | |
In addition Martha was lost in the Hooghli River in July "going on an expedition".