Culland's Grove (1802 EIC Ship)

''Culland's Grove'' was a merchant ship launched in 1802 that the British East India Company (EIC) hired as an "extra ship". On her maiden voyage she sailed to Bengal and Benkulen. The French privateer ''Blonde'' captured her on her return voyage.

Career

''Culland's Grove'' enters the shipping registers in 1802, with the entry in the ''Register of Shipping'' being earlier than that in ''Lloyd's Register''.

Captain Archibald Anderson sailed ''Culland's Grove'' from Portsmouth on 20 May 1802. He left during peacetime, but while he was away war with France resumed in early 1803. The EIC arranged for the issuance of a letter of marque that authorized him to engage in offensive action against the French should the opportunity arise. The letter was issued on 20 June 1803.

On 22 July 1803, as ''Culland's Grove'' was in the Atlantic on her way home, she had the misfortune to encounter the French 32-gun privateer ''Blonde'', which was under the command of François Aregnaudeau, at . Aregnaudeau had had a successful cruise already, but ''Culland's Grove'', as an Indiaman returning with a valuable cargo, proved to be a particularly attractive prize. ''Culland's Grove'' was not in a position to resist and struck. Aregnaudeau took her and another of his prizes, , a former Royal Navy brig converted to a whaling ship that was returning to London from the South Seas Fisheries, into Pasajes on 3 August. ''Culland's Grove'' then sailed from Pasajes to Bordeaux where she was condemned as a prize.

According to French records, ''Culland's Grove'' proved to be worth 2.5 million francs in insurance money. The EIC put the value of the cargo lost when the French captured her at £24,640.''Reports from the Select Committee of the House of Commons appointed to enquire into the present state of the affairs of the East India Company, together with the minutes of evidence, an appendix of documents, and a general index'', (1830), Vol. 2, p.980.

Controversy

The Committee of Directors of the EIC prepared a report that they sent to Sir Evan Nepean, Secretary of the Navy, who transmitted it to Admiral sir William Cornwallis, commander-in-chief of the Channel Fleet. The Directors protested that the capture of ''Culland's Grove'' was the fault of Captain Charles Paget, captain of .

Shortly before ''Culland's Grove'' was captured, she had encountered ''Endymion''. The officer Paget sent aboard the Indiaman proceeded to press 12 seamen. ''Culland's Grove''s captain and second officer protested vehemently that they were already weakly manned and that this would leave them even more short-handed, but Paget was acting within the law. The Royal Navy was short of men and was in the habit of stopping homecoming merchant vessels and taking some of their best sailors. Paget's position was that the men he took were "surplus company, and that he was authorized to press men out of homeward-bound ships."''MacMillan's Magazine'', Vol. 80, p.373.

All that came of this was that Paget was reminded of his obligations "to protect and assist the trade of His Majesty's subjects." As the privateer ''Blonde'' had an armament and complement more than double that of ''Culland's Grove'', even without the impressment, it is not clear that Paget's depredations mattered. One would have to argue that a better-manned ''Culland's Grove'' might have outsailed ''Blonde''.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Culland's Grove (1802 EIC ship)
1802 ships
Ships built in Whitby
Ships of the British East India Company
Captured ships