| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | William Pitt |
| Owner | James Loughan[1] |
| Builder | Liverpool |
| Launched | 1803 |
| Fate | Lost 16 December 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 572,[1] or 5721⁄94[2] or 604[3][4] (bm) |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 32 ft11+1⁄2 in (10.0 m) |
| Depth of hold | 13 ft 3 in (4.0 m) |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Complement | |
| Armament |
|
William Pitt was a three-decker sailing ship, built in Liverpool in 1803. She made three complete voyages for the BritishEast India Company (EIC), and on the first of these she transported convicts toNew South Wales. In December 1813 she was lost in a gale to the east ofAlgoa Bay while homeward bound from her fourth voyage.
She began her career as aWest Indiaman. In 1805 Captain J. Jackson sailed her to London, where P. Maester fitted her out for the London to India trade.[3][1]
Under the command of John Boyce, she sailed from Falmouth on 10 August 1805, bound forNew South Wales and China.[1] Before she left she had loaded one male and 120 female convicts, but one woman was discharged prior to departure.[5]William Pitt arrived atCork, Ireland, on 14 August, and sailed on 31 August, carryingGregory Blaxland and family.[6] She left on the same day asTellicherry.[5]
On 29 SeptemberWilliam Pitt reached Madeira. From there she reachedSan Salvador on 11 November, where she stayed for three weeks.[5]
William Pitt sailed with the expedition under General SirDavid Baird and Admiral SirHome Riggs Popham that would in 1806 capture theDutch Cape Colony.
She then arrived at theCape of Good Hope on 4 or 6 January 1806.[1] Shortly after she arrived the cannon fire from thebattle of Blaauwberg (8 January) could be heard.William Pitt stayed at the Cape for five weeks.[5]
William Pitt arrived atPort Jackson on 11 April 1806. Two female convicts had died on the voyage, as had three children, one ofsmallpox.[5]William Pitt arrived some two months afterTellicherry,Tellicherry not having delayed at the Cape.[5]
After some repairsWilliam Pitt sailed on 25 June from Port Jackson for China arriving on 3 October.[7]
She arrived atWhampoa on 21 September. For her return voyage,William Pitt crossed theSecond Bar on 5 January 1807 and on 23 January reached Penang. She was at the Cape on 10 April, and 18 days later atSt Helena. She arrived atthe Downs on 2 July.[1]
Captain William Crowder left Portsmouth on 7 July 1809, bound forBengal andMadras. He sailed with aletter of marque issued on 5 June 1809.[4]
William Pitt arrived atCalcutta on 17 December. Homeward bound, she left on 22 February 1810, passedSaugor on 11 March, and reached Madras on 28 March and St Helena on 2 August. She arrived at the Downs on 1 October.[1]
Captain Charles William Butler left Portsmouth on 21 June 1811, bound for Bengal. He sailed with a letter of marque issued 14 June 1811.[4]
William Pitt reached Madeira on 2 July and left there three days later in company withMinerva,Harleston,Lord Forbes, andLady Lushington, and under convoy ofHMS Emerald.[8]William Pitt arrived at Calcutta on 6 November. She left Calcutta on 18 February 1812, passed Saugor on 17 March, reached St Helena on 15 June, and arrived at the Downs on 14 September.[1]
Butler sailedWilliam Pitt from Torbay on 25 March 1813, bound forBatavia. She was homeward bound when she was lost in a gale at about midnight on 16 December 1813 while east ofAlgoa Bay; there were no survivors.[9][10][a] A later item inLloyd's List reported the date of loss as 20 December 1813.[13]
One report passed on the report that Captain Evatt, Army commander at Algoa Bay, saw a large ship passing Algoa Bay westward on 16 December. Gunfire was heard offSt Francis Bay (alias Camptors Bay) in the darkness a little before midnight on 17 December, and identifiable wreckage was found in that area thereafter.[14] The second report, while adding some later wreckage details, moved those two dates forward to 17 and 18 December.[15]
The EIC valued its loss on her cargo at £4502.[11]
| Shipwrecks |
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| Other incidents |
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![[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.1812privateers.org%2fLLOYDS%2f1811%2f08-30-1811.jpg){kind=link}