Cornwallis (1789 ship)
Cornwallis was built probably at Surat around 1789, or possibly Demaun in 1790. Her name was originally "Britannia", but it was changed to "Cornwallis" shortly before her completion. She served for some years in India as a country ship, before transferring her registry to Britain in 1797. She then served in private trade between Britain and India until 1809 or so when she transferred her registry back to Bombay. Thereafter she served as a country ship, though in both 1810 and again in 1817 she performed a voyage to Britain for the British East India Company. Thereafter  she apparently continued to serve as a country ship with homeport of Bombay. She burnt there in June 1841 as she was about to take a cargo of cotton to China. Career. "Cornwallis" was admitted to British Registry on 12 May 1797 as a private vessel employed in the trade between Britain and India. On 24 June 1797 the cost of fitting her out in Britain was £7475 2s 10d. "Cornwallis" entered "Lloyd's Register" in the supplemental pages to the 1800 volume. The entry notes that she had undergone a "good repair" in that year. She served as  a transport or troopship to support Major-General Sir David Baird's expedition in 1800 to the Red Sea. Baird was in command of the Indian army that was going to Egypt to help General Ralph Abercromby expel the French there. Baird landed at Kosseir, on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea. He then led his troops army across the desert to Kena on the Nile, and then to Cairo. He arrived in time for the battle of Alexandria. "Cornwallis" underwent a second good repair in 1802. The cost of her repairs in 1802 was £11,273 7s 3d . Lloyd's Register Captain Robert Robertson died on 26 March 1802 as "Cornwallis" was sailing from India to England. In 1806 and 1808 "Cornwallis" sailed to China. The "Register of Shipping" for 1809 agrees with "Lloyd's Register" for 1809 in almost all particulars, but gives the name of "Cornwallis"s master as R. Eleston. "Cornwallis" then disappears from the registers. She had shifted her registry to Bombay, India. She appears on a list of ships belonging to or sailing out of Bombay as of 1 January 1811. At the time her owner was Nasserwanjee Monackjee. Another source gives the name  of her owner in 1811 as possibly Porcher & Co. In 1810 "Cornwallis" made the first of two voyages for the EIC. She left Bombay on 17 June, reached St Helena on 3 September, and arrived at Long Reach on 16 November. 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. She may have sailed to China either before or after her role in the invasion. She also sailed to Bengal in 1816 from China. During this period  her master was Robert Graham. Her second voyage for the EIC occurred in 1817. Captain Thomas Brown sailed "Cornwallis" from Calcutta on 25 March. She was at Diamond Harbour on 10 May, and Madras on 10 July. She reached the Cape of Good Hope on 27 October, and arrived at Spithead on 17 January 1818. More voyages to China followed in 1818, 1822, 1825, 1826, and 1827 (two). Robert Graham was again her master until 1825, when D. Hardie replaced him. Hardie remained her master into 1829. P. Keys was "Cornwallis"s master between 1831 and 1833. "Cornwallis" was reported as  still sailing out of Bombay in 1838, and in 1841. In 1841 the name of her master was James Clark. Fate. In June 1841 "Cornwallis" was in Bombay harbour with a cargo of cotton for China when she caught fire. There was "a strong impression that this fine old ship was willfully set on fire." Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References