Mornington (1799 ship)
Mornington was a British merchant vessel built of teak and launched in 1799 at Calcutta. She made three voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). On the third French privateers twice captured her and Royal Navy vessels twice recaptured her. A fire destroyed her in 1815. Career. EIC voyage #1 (1799-1801). Under the command of Captain James Carnegy (or Carnageie), "Mornington" left Calcutta on 30 December 1799. She was at Saugor on 23 January 1800, reached St Helena on 8 June, and arrived at The Downs on 9 September. On 3 December 1800  Mornington sailed from England for Bombay and Bengal. On 14 January 1801 was off Ferrol serving as escort for "Mornington", , and , which were bound for India, and a whaler. They encountered a small Spanish ship that "Argo" captured. EIC voyage #2 (1801-02). Captain George Kelso was in the Hugli River on 19 May 1801. On 23 June "Mornington" was at Kedgeree, and on 19 July Saugor. By 30 October she had reached the Cape of Good Hope, and by 20 November she was at St Helena. She arrived at The Downs on 19 January 1802. The "United Company of  Merchants of England trading to the East Indies" offered 28,966 bags of rice for sale on 25 March. The rice had come in on , "Melville Castle", , and "Mornington". "Mornington" entered "Lloyd's Register" in the supplemental pages to the 1802 volume with "Kelsa", master, and "Fairly", owner. She was listed as being of 750 tons and three years old. EIC voyage #3 (1804). Captain Kelso sailed for Madras on 16 May 1804. She left Bengal on 5 July in company with the country ship , and "Maria", , and "Princess Mary". The French privateer Nicholas Surcouf in captured "Mornington" on 14 August  1804. However, recaptured "Mornington", before Captain Fallonard of the brig "Île de France" recaptured "Mornington". Fallonard took "Mornington", of 600 tons and six guns, into Port Nord-Ouest. The British recaptured "Mornington" yet again. "Mornington" was reported at St Helena on 6 October, and completed her voyage on 18 December 1804. Later career. Captain George Kelso received a letter of marque for "Mornington" on 22 February 1805. The "Register of Shipping" of 1805 carried "Mornington", of 750 tons, built in Calcutta in 1798. It gave her master as Kelsa, and her owners as Fairlie & Co. "Lloyd's Register" had the  same information, except it gave the year of launch as 1799. "Mornington" was reported at St Helena on 23 September 1810. Captain David Dunlop, of "Mornington", was reported to have died at Calcutta on 22 September 1809, but that appears to have been in error as he remains listed as "Mornington"s captain until her loss. From 1810 or so on "Mornington" appears in lists of vessels based at Calcutta. She participated as one of the transports in the British reduction of Java, under the auspices of Lord Minto. She was in the second division, which left Malacca on 7 June  1811. Fate. "Mornington" sailed for Bengal on 24 June 1815. She burnt off Nursapore (Narsapuram: ) in October 1815. On 27 February 1816, "Lloyd's List" reported that "Mornington", Dunlop, master, had been burnt in the Bay of Bengal. The loss of "Mornington" to fire, after the similar loss of and later some other vessels, all on outward bound voyages, led the Calcutta Insurance Office to petition the Bengal government to investigate the matter. The insurers suspected arson by lascars impressed or induced to serve on the vessels. Notes, citations and references. Notes Citations References