Experiment (1798 Ship)

''Experiment'' was launched in 1798 at Stockton-on-Tees, England. Between late 1800 and 1802 she made a voyage to India for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1803 she transported convicts to Port Jackson. In 1805, on her way home the French captured her, but the British recaptured her. In 1808 she became a West Indiaman. Still, in 1818 or so she sailed out to India. ''Experiment'' was condemned at Batavia in 1818 and sold there in 1819 for breaking up.

Early career

''Experiment'' entered ''Lloyd's Register'' in 1799 with Aldis, master, R. Wigram, owner, and trade London—Jamaica.''Lloyd's Register'' (1799), Seq.№E392.
/ref> In 1800 her master was Aldis, changing to N. White.''Lloyd's Register'' (1800), Seq.№E420.
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Captain John Nelson Whyte acquired a letter of marque on 28 November 1800. The ''Register of Shipping'' for 1801 showed ''Experiment''s master as J. White, and her trade as London—Bengal.

On 30 December 1800 Captain John Nelson Whyte sailed from the Downs, bound for Madras and Bengal. Mr. Robert Wigram had tendered her to the EIC to bring back rice from Bengal. She was one of 28 vessels that sailed on that mission between December 1800 and February 1801. She arrived at Calcutta on 30 April 1801.

''Experiment'' reached Madras on 23 May 1801, and arrived at Calcutta on 9 June. Homeward bound, she was at Kedgeree on 11 September and the Cape of Good Hope on 22 December. She reached St Helena on 2 February 1802, and arrived at the Downs on 31 March.British Library: ''Experiment'' (2).
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Convict voyage and capture (1803-1805)

Under the command of Francis J. Withers, ''Experiment'' sailed from Cowes, England on 4 December 1803. She sailed under a letter of marque issued to "Francis McWither" on 4 October 1803.

She left in company with ''Coromandel'', which was also carrying convicts to Port Jackson. While sailing in the Bay of Biscay (or 16 leagues from the Isles of Scilly, ''Experiment'' sprang her bowsprit and had her main top gallant mast carried away, during a gale. She limped back to Cowes to repair the damage and after repairs were affected, she sailed again on 2 January 1804, in company with the whaler , bound for the Moluccas. ''Experiment'' arrived at Rio de Janeiro on 8 March and left on 8 April. She arrived at Port Jackson on 12 June 1804.

''Experiment'' embarked two male and 136 female convicts. Six female convicts died on the voyage.

''Experiment'' left Port Jackson on 7 October bound for China.

While ''Experiment'' was on her homeward passage from China to London, carrying a cargo of tea for the EIC, the French privateer ''Napoleon'', of Saint-Malo, captured her. ''Napoleon'' encountered ''Experiment'' on 27 May 1805 at and captured her after a 30-hour chase. ''Napoleon'', which was under the command of Captain Malo le Nourville, was heavily armed. She had sixteen 32-pounder and four 18-pounder guns on the main deck, and two 36-pounder on 6-pounder guns on the upper deck. She also had a crew of 200 men. After an engagement of half-an-hour, ''Experiment'' had three men badly wounded, her tiller shot away, some 32 shot between wind and water, and two feet of water in her hold. Withers therefore struck her flag. ''Napoleon'' was four months out of False Bay and ''Experiment'' was her first prize.

An item in the ''Times'' dated 11 September 1805 simply reported that ''Experiment'' had parted from off the Cape of Good Hope and had not been seen since. On 13 September 1805 ''Lloyd's List'' reported that a large French privateer from Saint-Malo had captured ''Experiment'' as the privateer was on her way to Île de France and had taken her into the Cape of Good Hope. The crew had arrived at St Helena.

The French sent Withers, the surgeon, and the Fourth Officer to Île de France in ''Experiment''. ''Napoleon'' then took the remaining officers and the purser to the Cape of Good Hope. There they were able to arrange for a cartel to take them to St Helena.''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 14, pp.339-40.

The EIC valued at £45,604 its cargo lost when the French captured her.

On 3 August 1805, , under the command of Captain Woodriff, left St Helena as escort of a motley convoy to England. The convoy consisted of the East India company's "extra-ship" , from Madras, the southern whaler ''African'' from Desolation, the whaler ''Fox'' from the Mozambique channel, the whaler ''Grand Sachem'' from the Peruvian coast and bound to Milford, the Prussian ship ''Wilhelmina'', which ''Calcutta'' had detained on her way out to St Helena, and the large Swedish ship ''Carolina'', which was sailing from China and asked to join.''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 19, pp.170–172. The men from ''Experiment'' sailed on ''African''.

On 26 September the convoy encountered Allemand's squadron. Woodriff succeeded in drawing the French away from the convoy, but at the cost of his ship, which the French captured.

Apparently the French eventually sent ''Experiment'' into Cape Town. There, the British retook her, as her captors did not know that the British had occupied the Cape.

Later career

In 1808 Barkworth & Co., Hull, purchased ''Experiment'' for use as a West Indiaman. She first reappeared in ''Lloyd's Register'' for 1809 with T. Forest, master, and trade London-Cuba.''Lloyd's Register'' (1809), supplemental pages, Seq. no. E11.
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Fate

''Lloyd's List'' reported on 7 September 1819 that ''Experiment'', Dacre, master, of Hull, had been condemned at Batavia in December 1818. She was sold on 10 March 1819 for 5000 Java rupees to be broken up.''Lloyd's List'' №5419.
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Citations and references

Citations

References
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* {{cite book , author=House of Commons, Parliament, Great Britain , year=1830 , title=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 , volume=2 , ref={{SfnRef, House of Commons, 1830, url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433077895047;view=1up;seq=232

1798 ships
Ships built on the River Tees
Convict ships to New South Wales
Ships of the British East India Company
Captured ships
Age of Sail merchant ships
Merchant ships of the United Kingdom