Asia (1815 Ship)

''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 between 1826 and 1830, two voyages under charter to the British East India Company (EIC). She was hulked or broken up c.1860.

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.

''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, and arrived in Sydney on 29 April; She had embarked 200 male convicts; one convict died during the voyage. From Sydney ''Asia'' sailed to Batavia via the Torres Islands. She sailed in company with and .

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.National Archives: ''Asia'' (10

- accessed 25 May 2015.

''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. She carried 200 male convicts and had two deaths en route.

She was doubled and sheathed in copper in 1829, rated at 513 tons (bm).

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.

Between 1830 and 1860 she traded to the Far East and Australia. 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. She carried 217 male convicts and had eleven convict 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. She carried 280 male convicts, of whom three died during the voyage.

Voyages to South Australia

*Captain Freeman sailed from London on 5 March 1839 and arrived at Holdfast Bay on 15 July. Ships surgeon was Dr George Mayo who kept a diary of this journey.
*Captain John Roskell sailed from Plymouth on 23 October 1810. ''Asia'' arrived at Port Adelaide on 17 February 1850. On this voyage rescued the crew from ''Pandora'' when she was sinking in the Bay of Biscay (), and took then into Madeira. ''Asia'' was at Madeira between 7 and 13 November.
*Captain Roskell sailed from London on 11 May 1851 and arrived at Port Adelaide on 31 August.
*Captain Roskell also made two voyages from Melbourne to Adelaide in January and February 1852.

Fate

''Asia'' was last listed in ''LR'' in 1858. She was removed from ''LR'' in 1860 for having been either hulked or broken up.

Notes

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References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Asia (1815)
1815 ships
Age of Sail merchant ships
British ships built in India
Convict ships to New South Wales
Convict ships to Tasmania
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom
Ships of the British East India Company
Migrant ships to Australia