Charlotte

Specifications

1786 – Measured by the East India Company’s Master Attendant. 2 decks. 102’10” x 27’9¾”. 334 93/94 tons. Launched and measured in 1786. (India Office Records, British Library (hereafter IOR), L/MAR/C/529)

3 November 1786 – Deptford Officers to Navy Board. Charlotte Thomas Gilbert 34553/94 2 years 6’6” 6’6” 6’6” (TNA ADM 106/3321/98)

13 December 1786 – Navigation Act Pass 3.630 issued to the Charlotte, Thomas Gilbert, 338 tons, 23 British and 7 foreign crew. (TNA ADM7/104)

13 November 1789 – Registration. No.295 of 1789. Owners: Thomas Bond of Bond Court, Wallbrook; Jonathan Fryer of Wapping, merchants; sub’g owners with William Bond of Bond Court, Wallbrook, merchant, who was at the time ill and not able to attend. Master: Benjamin Howes. Built in the River Thames 1784. 2 decks, 3 masts. 105’ x 28’3” x 6’6”. 338 tons. Barque built ship with quarter badges. No gallery. No figurehead. (TNA BT107/8)

Owner at First Fleet

William Matthews – Merchant of 6 Green Lettice Lane, Cannon Street, listed in the London business directories from 1780 to 1791.

In 1791 and 1792, this man was a member of the Society for the Improvement of Naval Architecture and he acted as London agent for Matthew Boulton from as early as 1770. William Matthews was deceased by 6 April 1792, when his will was proved. His wife was named Charlotte. (London Gazette) Matthew’s widow, Charlotte, continued to act as Boulton’s agent after her husband’s death until 1801 at least.

He died a very wealthy man. James Watt was named as one of his executors, and a Thomas Taylor, shipbuilder of Globe Stairs, Rotherhithe. (Prob 11/1217)

History of the Ship

1784 – Built on the Thames for Matthews & Co., as a West Indiaman.

There are 3 possible ships for 1785-1786 and it has not been possible to establish which she is.

1786 – Measured by the EIC’s Master Attendant. 2 decks. 102’10” x 27’9¾”. 334 93/94 tons. Launched and measured in 1786. (L/MAR/C/529)

17 October 1786 – According to the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date of the previous return (and thus when she returned from the previous voyage). (AD68/206, 28 April 1789)

3 November 1786 – Deptford Officers to Navy Board.

Charlotte Thomas Gilbert 345 53/94 2 years 6’6” 6’6” 6’6” (TNA ADM 106/3321/98)

13 November 1786 – According to the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date when the first of the men came on board. (TNA ADM68/206, 28 April 1789)

13 December 1786 – Navigation Act Pass 3.630 issued to the Charlotte, Thomas Gilbert, 338 tons, 23 British and 7 foreign crew. (TNA ADM7/104)

13 May 1787 – Sailed from the Mother Bank with the First Fleet.

1788 – Lloyd’s Register. 350 tons built in the River in 1784. Sheathed in 1785. Her measured tonnage for this voyage, according to the EIC, was 345 tons. (IOR L/MAR/C/325)

8 May 1788 – The Charlotte sailed out of Sydney Harbour into the Pacific. (Thomas Gilbert, Voyage from New South Wales to Canton in the Year 1788. . ., London: J. Debrett, 1789, p.4)

28 April 1789 – According to the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date when the last of the men was discharged from the ship. She was described as 345 tons with a usual crew of 11 men (which is nonsense). (TNA ADM68/206)

9 June 1789 – The Charlotte was at Gravesend.

18 June 1789 – There is a second entry in the Accounts of the Receiver of Sixpences for Greenwich Hospital for 1789, this was the date when the last of the men was discharged from the ship from ‘India’. She was described as 345 tons with a usual crew of 28 men. (TNA ADM68/206)

25 October 1789 – Navigation Pass No.8449. Charlotte, 338 tons, 2 guns. Benjamin Howes. Crew; 12/4. To Jamaica. Date of return given as 25 October 1791. (TNA ADM7/108)

13 November 1789 – Registration. No.295 of 1789. Owners: Thomas Bond of Bond Court, Wallbrook; Jonathan Fryer of Wapping, merchants; sub’g owners with William Bond of Bond Court, Wallbrook, merchant, who was at the time ill and not able to attend. Master: Benjamin Howes. Built in the River Thames 1784. 2 decks, 3 masts. 105’ x 28’3” x 6’6”. 338 tons. Barque built ship with quarter badges. No gallery. No figurehead. (BT107/8) 14 November 1789 – Navigation Licence. No.8449. 338 tons. Benjamin Howes. 12/4 crew. To Jamaica. (TNA ADM7/108)

1789-1821 – On a regular run to Jamaica.

24 October 1791 – Navigation Licence. 338 tons. Benjamin Howes. 13/4 crew. To Jamaica. (TNA ADM7/110)

2 October 1793 – David Kent endorsed as Master, replacing Benjamin Howes. (TNA BT107/8, 13.11.89)

13 November 1793 – Benjamin Howes again endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/8, 13.11.89)

16 August 1794 – David Kent again endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/8, 13.11.89)

20 October 1794 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

22 October 1794 – Registered. No.259/1794. Owners: Jonathan Fryer of Twickenham, Esq; Abraham Watson Rutherford of Bishopsgate Street; and Thomas Wagstaff of Devonshire Street, Bishopsgate, merchants; with Sarah Wilkinson of Upper Berkley St., widow; and Rebecca Bond of the same place, spinster. Master: Benjamin Howes. Built in the Thames in 1784. 2 decks, 3 masts. 105’ x 28’3” x 6’6”. 338 tons. Barque built ship with quarter badges. No gallery. No figurehead. (TNA BT107/10)

23 October 1794 – Navigation Licence. No.5902. 338 tons. Benjamin Howes. 6/15 crew. To Jamaica. (TNA ADM7/112)

18 April 1795 – Benjamin Howes endorsed as Master at Kingston. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94) 1 4 November 1795 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

31 December 1795 – Benjamin Howes endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

22 July 1796 – The Charlotte, Benjamin Howes, outwards at Kingston. 338 tons, 6 guns, 18 crew. British-built in 1784. Registered at London, 22 October 1794. Owners: Jon. Fryer & Co. Loaded for London with sugar, rum, etc. (TNA Jamaica NOSL, Reel 5, pp.184-5)

11 November 1796 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

29 December 1796 – Navigation Licence. No.8730. 338 tons, 2 guns. David Kent. 5/15 crew. To Jamaica. (TNA ADM7/114)

8 September 1798 – David Masterton endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

15 October 1798 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/10, 22.10.94)

19 August 1799 – Registered. No.328/1799. Owners: Jonathan Fryer of Twickenham, Esq; Abraham Watson Rutherford and Thomas Wagstaff of Leadenhall Street, merchants; with Sarah Wilkinson of Upper Berkley St., widow; and Rebecca Bond of the same place, spinster. Master: David Masterton. Built in the Thames in 1784. 2 decks, 3 masts. 105’ x 28’3” x 6’6”. 338 tons. Barque built ship with quarter badges. No gallery. No figurehead. (BT107/12) 9 October 1800 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/12, 19.8.99)

19 August 1801 – David Masterton endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/12, 19.8.99)

1 October 1801 – David Kent endorsed as Master. (TNA BT107/12, 19.8.99)

It was probably this Charlotte that assisted the Gipsey in taking a French armed sloop near Guadeloupe in October 1800. (Naval Chronicle, Volume 5, Jan to July 1801, p.165)

3 December 1804 – Registered de novo. Owners: Henry and Joseph Fletcher of Shadwell Docks, shipwrights. Master: Richard Albion. (TNA BT107/17/286-7)

9 November 1818 – Registered de novo at Quebec. (TNA BT107/17/286)

1821 – No longer on the Lloyds’ Register. (Rowan Hackman, Ships of the East India Company, Gravesend: World Ship Society, 2001, pp.81, 228)