Asia (1815 ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
| |
| Name: | Asia |
| Owner: | |
| Builder: | Calcutta,[1] or Bombay[2] |
| Launched: | 1815 |
| Fate: | Hulked or broken up in 1860 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 492,[2] or 523,[1] (bm) |
| Propulsion: | Sail |
Asia was a merchant ship launched at Calcutta in 1815 for Charles Hackett. She made four voyages transporting convicts from Great Britain to Australia, and two voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC) between 1826-1830.[1]
Career
Between 1815 and 1826, Asia was a "country ship", sailing along India's coasts. She also traded with England as a "licensed ship", i.e., a vessel that traded with England with the permission of the EIC.[1]
Asia was sheathed in copper in 1822. Repairs were undertaken to the copper sheathing in 1824. Under the command of William Pope and surgeon Thomas Davies, she left Portsmouth, England on 6 January 1825 with 200 male convicts. She arrived in Sydney on 29 April;[2] one convict died during the voyage.
On her first voyage under charter to the EIC, Captain William Adamson sailed Asia to China. She left the Downs on 1 July 1826 and arrived at Whampoa on 19 December. She left Whampoa on 13 April 1827, stopped at St Helena, and arrived at East India Dock on 5 June.[3]
Asia was resheathed in copper in 1826 and her owner changed to William Pope in 1827.
On her second convict voyage, under the command of Henry Ager and surgeon George Fairfowl, she left Portsmouth on 17 August 1827 and arrived in Hobart on 7 December 1827.[4] She carried 200 male convicts and had two deaths en route.
She was doubled and sheathed in copper in 1829, rated at 513 tons.
For her second voyage for the EIC, Captain Henry Ager left the Downs 6 June 1829. Asia arrived at Whampoa on 9 February 1830. She then reached Halifax on 29 August, before arriving back at the River Thames on 12 November.[3]
Between 1830 and 1860 she traded to the Far East and Australia.[1] Further repairs were undertaken in 1831 and she was recoppered in 1833.
On her third convict voyage, she was under the command of Captain Henry Ager and her surgeon was George Birnie. She left Cork, Ireland, on 6 August 1831, arrived in Sydney on 2 December 1831.[5] She carried 217 male convicts and had eleven deaths en route.
On her fourth convict voyage she under the command of Captain Benjamin Freeman, and her surgeon was John Gannon. She left Torbay, England, on 4 August 1837 and arrived in Sydney on 2 December.[6] She carried 280 male convicts, of whom three died during the voyage.
Fate
Asia was last listed in 1860. She was then removed from Lloyd's Register for having been either hulked or broken up.[1]
Citations
References
- Bateson, Charles (1974) The Convict Ships, 1787–1868. (Sydney). ISBN 0-85174-195-9
- Hackman, Rowan (2001) Ships of the East India Company. (Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society). ISBN 0-905617-96-7