Minerva (1773 ship)
Minerva was a merchantman launched in 1773 in the East Indies. She traded there for more than 20 years before she made three voyages for the British East India Company (EIC). The first EIC voyage was from 1796 to 1798. In 1799 she transported convicts from Ireland to Australia while under charter to the EIC. From Australia she sailed to Bengal, and then back to Britain. She underwent repairs in 1802 and then traveled to St Helena and Bengal for the EIC. She was lost in 1805 or 1806 under circumstances that are currently unclear. EIC voyage  #1 (1796-98). Captain Thomas Blany (or Blamey sailed "Minerva" from Southampton on 22 May 1796, bound for Bengal. She reached Gibraltar on 14 June, Santa Cruz de Tenerife on 8 July, and the Cape on 19 September. She arrived at Diamond Harbour on 10 February 1797. The British government planned an expedition 1797-8 against Manila. The EIC held eight regular ships, and three "dismantled ships" in India to support the expedition, and hired some others. "Minerva", one of the hired vessels, left Calcutta on 25 April, and passed Diamond Harbour on 3 May. However, a peace treaty with  Spain resulted in the British cancelling the planned expedition. "Minerva"s owners claimed demurrage; the amount they claimed was £2,508 6s 8d for 106 days. Homeward bound, "Minerva", reached the Cape on 29 August, and St Helena on 29 September. She arrived at the Downs on 30 January 1798. "Lloyd's List" for 2 February reported that "Minerva", Blaney, master, had run afoul of , Salkeld, master, from Bengal, in the Downs. "Castor" was on shore at Ramsgate, and the cargo was expected to be saved. "Minerva" was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain on 14 April 1798. Convict transport  and EIC voyage #2 (1799-1801). Under the command of Joseph Salkeld (or Stalkeld), "Minerva" left the Downs, on 6 August 1799. The government had compelled the EIC to charter the vessels the government had engaged as convict ships, rather than chartering the EIC's East Indiamen to carry convicts. The EIC had originally refused to charter "Minerva', but under government duress the EIC reversed its original decision, chartered "Minerva" for a voyage from India on her homeward journey from Port Jackson, and waived its usual surveys.