HMS Cornwallis (1805)

HMS Cornwallis was a Royal Navy 54-gun fourth rate. Jemsatjee Bomanjee built the Marquis Cornwallis of teak for the Honourable East India Company (EIC) between 1800 and 1801. In March 1805 Admiral Sir Edward Pellew purchased her from the Company shortly after she returned from a voyage to Britain. She served in the Far East, sailing to Australia and the Pacific Coast of South America before returning to India. In February 1811 the Admiralty renamed her HMS Akbar. She captured forts and vessels in the Celebes and Amboyna, and participated in the invasion of Isle de France, and the 1811 invasion of Java. She also served in the West Indies before being laid up at Portsmouth in December 1816. She then stayed in Britain in a number of stationary medical and training capacities until the Admiralty sold her in the 1860s.

For other ships with the same name, see Marquis Cornwallis (ship), HMS Cornwallis, and HMS Akbar.

History
British East India Company
Name: Marquis Cornwallis[Note 1]
Namesake: Marquess Cornwallis
Operator: British East India Company
Builder: M/Shipwright Jemsetjee Bomanjee, Bombay
Launched: 1801
Fate: Sold 1805
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Cornwallis
Acquired:
  • March 1805 (by purchase)
  • Registered on 13 August 1806
Renamed: HMS Akbar in February 1811
Reclassified:
  • Storeship in February 1813
  • Frigate in March 1813
  • Troopship in 1817
  • Quarantine ship in 1824
  • Lazarette in 1827
  • Training ship in 1852
  • Quarantine vessel c. 1858
Honours and
awards:		 Naval General Service Medal (NGSM) with clasp "Java"[2]
Fate: Sold 1869 for breaking up
General characteristics [3][4][Note 2]
Class and type: Fourth rate
Tons burthen: 1387​17⁄95, or 1360, or 1363[5] (bm)
Length:
  • 164 ft 4 1⁄2 in (50.1 m), or 171 ft 4 in (52.2 m) (overall)
  • 140 ft 7 7⁄8 in (42.9 m), or 139 ft 7 3⁄4 in (42.564 m)
Beam: 43 ft 1 1⁄4 in (13.1 m), or 42 ft 9 1⁄2 in (13.0 m)
Depth of hold: 15 ft 3 in (4.6 m), or 14 ft 10 1⁄2 in (4.5 m)
Complement: 430
Armament:
  • Frigate
  • Upper deck (UD): 30 x 24-pounder guns
  • QD: 26 x 42-pounder carronades
  • Fc:1 x 18 or 24-pounder gun
  • Troopship
  • UD: 22 x 32-pounder carronades + 2 x 9-pounder guns
  • QD: 8 x 32-pounder carronades
  • Fc:2 x 9-pounder guns

Service with the EIC

The EIC had Marquis Cornwallis built for long-range convoy escort duties. As such, she was a spar-decked frigate.[3] As of 1 January 1802 she was under the command of Captain Thomas Hardie.[Note 3]

In December 1801, she sailed, together with Upton Castle (a country ship), Betsey (an armed HEIC brig), some other vessels, and 1000 troops to Daman and Diu to persuade the Portuguese governor to resist any French incursion. The expedition was under the command of Captain John Mackellar, of the Royal Navy, whose own vessel, Terpsichore, was not ready for sea.[7] The governor accepted the British reinforcements, which, as it turned out, were not needed.

Marquis Cornwallis, under the command of Captain Isaac Godsalve Richardson,[Note 4] left Bombay on 7 Feb 1803, reaching St Helena on 12 May, and arriving at the Downs on 1 August.[4] On 8 May 1804, Marquis Cornwallis sailed from Portsmouth, still under Richardson's command. She sailed via St Helena to Bombay, where the company intended for her to remain.[8] She was convoying Marquis of Ely, Marchioness of Exeter, Lord Nelson, Brunswick, Princess Charlotte, Marquis of Wellesley, and Ann.[Note 5]

Royal Navy service

In 1805 Admiral Pellew purchased her for £68,630, and commissioned her "immediately".[3] Commander Charles James Johnston took command in February 1806.[3] She then served off Bombay and engaged in the long-distance blockade of Isle de France (now Mauritius).

On 11 November 1806, Sceptre and Cornwallis sailed into Saint Paul's Bay, on Île Bonaparte, in an attempt to cut out vessels there, which consisted of the French frigate Sémillante, three other armed ships and twelve captured British ships. (The eight ships that were prizes to Sémillante had a collective value of £1.5 million.) Sceptre and Cornwallis fired on the French and took fire in return. However, when the slight breeze failed, Sceptre and Cornwallis found themselves unable to maneuver. They therefore left without having accomplished anything, but apparently also without having suffered damage or losses.[10]

Pacific cruise

In February 1807, Cornwallis, under the command of Johnston, was ordered on a cruise against Spanish shipping and ports on the west coast of South America. Johnston used Port Jackson as a base for refreshment and re-supply before proceeding on his cruise between May and October 1807. Cornwallis sailed first to Juan Fernandez, then cruised northward along the coasts of Chile, Peru, Panama, and Mexico, capturing 17 vessels, most of them small, two of which were sent as prizes to Port Jackson.[11][12] One of them, the re-captured South Sea whaler Atlantic, was found to be too unseaworthy for a Pacific crossing; her captors scuttled her off Punta Mala (Panama) on 7 September. The brig Rosalía, of 375 tons, was captured at the Peruvian port of Ilo on 13 July. Cornwallis took her to Pisco with other prizes, and then dispatched her to Port Jackson on 17 July with seven men on board under the command of Lieutenant John Garland, Cornwallis's master. Rosalía was wrecked on the Minerva Reefs, 1,300 kilometres from Norfolk Island. The survivors then sailed to Norfolk Island without chart or quadrant. This was a feat of navigation that ranked with that of William Bligh from Tofua to Kupang in Bounty’s launch in 1789, or that of William and Mary Bryant and their companions from Port Jackson to Kupang in a cutter in 1792.[13] The Calcutta Gazette of 25 February 1808 reported the presence of the Cornwallis at Malacca the previous month, and said that:

Captain Johnson [sic] was returned from a cruize of upwards of nine months, during which time he had proceeded along the coast of South America; had been at New Holland, Owyhee and other islands in the South Sea. He had destroyed near 30 vessels, and had captured three, which he left at Port Jackson.

The cruise is commemorated in the name Johnston Atoll, which atoll Captain Johnston sighted on 15 December 1807 while proceeding on his course from Hawaii to Canton. Also, Port Pegasus on Stewart Island and Pegasus Bay on the Banks Peninsula are named for the captured ship Pegaso, re-named Pegasus after being sent to Port Jackson and sold as a prize.[Note 6]

East Indies
Further information: Invasion of the Spice Islands

In 1808, command of Cornwallis passed to Captain Fleetwood Pellew. Cornwallis, in company with Sceptre, engaged and damaged Sémillante, together with the shore batteries whose protection she had sought.

In 1809 Captain Christopher Cole took command.[3] When he moved to Caroline, William Augustus Montagu replaced him. Montagu then engaged in a number of operations in the Dutch East Indies, attacking forts on islands in the Celebes and Amboyna.

On 17 January, Montagu and Cornwallis attacked a Dutch fort at Boolo Combo in Bouthian Bay in the Celebes. Montagu, under a flag of truce, had requested permission to water his ship. When the Dutch commander refused, the British landed a small force of 100 men from the European Madras regiment. The 30 or so Dutch troops and 200 local troops quickly gave up the fort, but continued to snipe from the woods. The British burnt 11 small vessels (20-50 tons each), and the public buildings, took the ammunition, and spiked the eight 9-pounder guns and two brass field pieces there. The action cost the British one man killed, and nine wounded, including the captain commanding the landing force, who was lightly wounded.[14]

On 1 February Montagu spied a brig taking shelter under the guns of Manippa. He sent in three boats which brought the brig out. The British suffered no casualties despite coming under heavy small arms fire from the fort. Montagu took the cargo of foodstuffs off the brig to feed his crew, and then burnt the vessel. There were no British casualties[14]

In February 1810, the British attacked Amboyna. In the campaign, Cornwallis captured the ship Mandarine, of 16 guns and 66 men, Captain Besman, on 3 February after a chase of four hours. Madarine had been out for four weeks but had captured nothing. Cornwallis suffered only one man wounded in the action.[14] Mandarine then served as a tender to Cornwallis.[Note 7]

On 1 March Cornwallis chased a Dutch man-of-war brig all day until she took refuge in a small bay on the north side of the island of Amblaw. The wind being light and variable, and night approaching, Montagu sent in Cornwallis's boats, under the command of Lieutenant Henry John Peachy. After rowing all night, they captured the Dutch brig Margaritta Louisa, under Captain De Ruyter on 2 March. Margaritta Louisa was pierced for 14 guns but carried only eight, and a crew of 40 men.[14] Margaritta Louisa had left Surabaya nine days earlier with 20 to 30,000 dollars for Ambonya, and supplies for Ternate. In the boarding, the British had one man seriously wounded and four men lightly wounded; the Dutch lost one man killed and 20 wounded.[14]

Cornwallis, Dover, and Samarang in January 1816 shared in the prize money awarded for sundry property captured on and off Ambonya between 19 February 1810 and 21 March.[Note 8] Cornwallis and Dover also shared in Samarang's capture on 28 March of the Dutch brig Recruiter.[Note 9]

In late 1810, Cornwallis was deployed with Albemarle Bertie's squadron that forced the surrender of Isle de France. William Fisher took command in December 1810 after Montagu was selected from among the captains assembled for the invasion and reassigned to lead a naval brigade in support of the British Army forces' ground offensive.[Note 10]

In February 1811, Cornwallis was renamed HMS Akbar, freeing the name for the 3rd-rate ship of the line HMS Cornwallis that was launched in Bombay in 1813.

On 29 June 1811 Salsette captured the slaver Expedition off Mauritius. The prize crew took the ship and the slaves on her to the Portuguese colony of Goa because selling slaves was illegal in British India, but not Goa. Salsette shared the prize money with the crews of Drake and Cornwallis.[19]

Between 4 August and 19 September 1811, Akbar participated in the capture of Java.[20] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Java" to all surviving claimants from the campaign.

United Kingdom
Frigate Akhbar as a reformatory, 1859

Akbar was paid-off in July 1812. Then in February 1813 she was at Woolwich Dockyard for conversion to a store ship.[3] In the spring of 1813, Captain Archibald Dickson was appointed to command Akbar.[21] Between March and December she was converted to a frigate.[3] However, in late August she escorted Windham, General Hewett, and Wanstead out of the Channel as they left Britain with convicts for New South Wales.[22]

On 15 May 1814, Akbar recaptured Indian Lass.[Note 11]

Captain Charles Bullen took command in November 1814. Rear-Admiral Griffiths made her his flagship on the Bermuda station in 1815.[3]

The court martial of captain, officers and men of Cyane for the loss of their vessel took place on board Akbar at Halifax on 28 June 1815. Then on 11 August Akbar and Arab captured Hannah.[24][Note 12]

Fate

Akbar was laid up at Portsmouth in December 1816, but the next year was fitted as a troopship. Then between June and December 1824 she was fitted to serve as a quarantine ship for Pembroke. In September 1827 she was moved to Liverpool to serve as a lazaretto. She became a training ship in 1852 and a quarantine ship again around 1858. She was sold in 1862 for breaking up.[5]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes
  1. Phipps refers to her as Cornwallis, and gives a launch year of 1800.[1]
  2. In the measurements below, the first measurement is from Winfield, who used Admiralty records. The second measurement is from the voyage records in the British Library, who used data from the EIC based on measurements taken in 1803.
  3. His commission as captain in the Bombay Marine was dated 9 May 1793.[6]
  4. His commission as captain in the Bombay Marine was dated 9 May 1793.[6]
  5. The Naval Chronicle gives the departure date for the convoy as 20 March.[9]
  6. Her new owners then employed Pegasus in seal hunting on the coasts of New Zealand.
  7. Mandarine is not Mandarin, which the British also captured during the same campaign.
  8. A first-class share was worth £991 13 s 9d; a sixth-class share was worth £9 2s 3d.[15]
  9. A first-class share was worth £23 18s 9½d; a sixth-class share was worth 3s 10d.[16]
  10. The Admiral's share of the prize money was £2650 5s 2d. A first-class share was worth £278 19s 5¾d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £3 7s 6¼d.[17] A fourth and final payment was made in July 1828. A first-class share was worth £29 19s 5¼d; a sixth-class share was worth 8s 2½d. This time, Bertie received £314 14s 3½d.[18]
  11. A first-class share of the prize money was worth £9 19s 9d; a sixth-class share, the entitlement of an ordinary seaman, was worth 3s 11¼d.[23]
  12. A first-class share was worth £275 18s 9¾d; a sixth-class share was worth £2 15s 7½d.[25] A second payment for Hannah, plus some money due for the capture of the Friede followed at the end of 1818. A first-class share was worth £109 11s 3½d; a sixth-class share was worth £1 2s 0¾d.[26]

Citations
  1. Phipps (1840), p. 165.
  2. "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 244.
  3. Winfield (2008), p. 122.
  4. British Library: Marquis Conrwallis (2).
  5. Hackman (2001), p. 335.
  6. Low (1877), p. 216.
  7. Marshall (1824), Vol. 2, Part 1, p.219.
  8. Hardy (1811), p. 293.
  9. Naval Chronicle, Vol. 11 (Jan-July 1804), p.261.
  10. James (1837), Vol. 5, p.65.
  11. Charles James Johnston, Captain, "Log of the Proceedings of His Majesty’s Ship the Cornwallis, 1807", National Archives, Kew, ADM 51/1777; The Sydney Gazette, 19 April and 7 June 1807, 15 May 1808.
  12. Ortiz-Sotelo and King (2010), pp. 35-52.
  13. King, December 2017/January 2018, pp.11-15.
  14. "No. 16407". The London Gazette. 22 September 1810. pp. 1486–1488.
  15. "No. 17100". The London Gazette. 16 January 1816. pp. 93–905.
  16. "No. 17011". The London Gazette. 13 May 1815. pp. 904–905.
  17. "No. 16938". The London Gazette. 24 September 1814. p. 1923.
  18. "No. 18487". The London Gazette. 15 July 1828. pp. 1376–1377.
  19. History 1793-1844 from the newspapers Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  20. "No. 17064". The London Gazette. 23 September 1815. p. 1956.
  21. Royal Naval Biography Vol IV part II p.447.
  22. McPhee (2006), pp. 16-7.
  23. "No. 17310". The London Gazette. 2 December 1817. p. 2444.
  24. "No. 17329". The London Gazette. 3 February 1818. p. 247.
  25. "No. 17334". The London Gazette. 21 February 1818. p. 357.
  26. "No. 17434". The London Gazette. 26 December 1818. p. 2330.

References
  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Hardy, Horatio Charles (1811) A register of ships, employed in the service of the Honorable the United East India Company, from the year 1760 to 1810: with an appendix, containing a variety of particulars, and useful information interesting to those concerned with East India commerce. (Black, Parry, and Kingsbury).
  • James, William (1837), The Naval History of Great Britain, from the Declaration of War by France in 1793, to the Accession of George IV., R. Bentley
  • King, Robert F. "Putting the Minerva Reefs on the Chart, 1807-1854", Map Matters, Issue 33, December 2017/January 2018, pp. 11–15.
  • Low, Charles Rathbone (1877) History of the Indian Navy: (1613-1863)'. (R. Bentley and son).
  • Marshall, John (1823-1835) Royal naval biography, or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains, and commanders, whose names appeared on the Admiralty list of sea officers at the commencement of the present year 1823, or who have since been promoted ... (London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown).
  • McPhee, John (2006) Joseph Lycett: Convict Artist. (Historic Houses Trust of New South Wales). ISBN 978-1876991210
  • Ortiz-Sotelo, Jorge, and Robert J. King (2010) "’A Cruise to the Coasts of Peru and Chile’: HM Ship Cornwallis, 1807", The Great Circle, vol.32, no.1, pp. 35–52.
  • Phipps, John, (of the Master Attendant's Office, Calcutta) (1840). A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India ...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships ... Built in India to the Present Time ... Scott.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
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