''Majestic'' was launched at

Whitby Whitby is a seaside town, port and civil parish in the Scarborough borough of North Yorkshire, England. Situated on the east coast of Yorkshire at the mouth of the River Esk, Whitby has a maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Clif ...

in 1804. She served the

British government ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd , image = HM Government logo.svg , image_size = 220px , image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg , image_size2 = 180px , caption = Royal Arms , date_es ...

as a

transport Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...

until she burned at

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

on 20 October 1808, due to an act of carelessness by a crew member. ''Majestic'' first appeared in the ''Register of Shipping'' (''RS'') in 1805 with Coults,

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

, Chapman, owner, and trade Government service.''RS'' (1805), Seq.№29.
/ref> On 6 January 1809 ''

Lloyd's List ''Lloyd's List'' is one of the world's oldest continuously running journals, having provided weekly shipping news in London as early as 1734. It was published daily until 2013 (when the final print issue, number 60,850, was published), and is ...

'' reported that the transport ''Majestic'' had burnt to her

waterline The waterline is the line where the hull of a ship meets the surface of the water. Specifically, it is also the name of a special marking, also known as an international load line, Plimsoll line and water line (positioned amidships), that indi ...

at Barbados. ''Majestic'' was lying in

Carlisle Bay Carlisle Bay is a small natural harbour located in the southwest region of Barbados. The island nation's capital, Bridgetown, is situated on this bay which has been turned into a marine park. Carlisle Bay's marine park is a popular spot on the ...

off Barbados on 20 October 1808 when she caught fire. The cause was believed to have been a

candle A candle is an ignitable wick embedded in wax, or another flammable solid substance such as tallow, that provides light, and in some cases, a fragrance. A candle can also provide heat or a method of keeping time. A person who makes candles i ...

put on a

cask A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

rum Rum is a liquor made by fermenting and then distilling sugarcane molasses or sugarcane juice. The distillate, a clear liquid, is usually aged in oak barrels. Rum is produced in nearly every sugar-producing region of the world, such as the Ph ...

that then ignited fumes. There were some 170 officers and men of the

York Rangers The York Rangers was an infantry regiment of the Non-Permanent Active Militia of the Canadian Militia (now the Canadian Army). Although the unit was first officially created in 1866, the regiment traces its ancestry and origins as far back to Rog ...

on board, all of whom were saved, though they lost their arms and equipment. Boats towed ''Majestic'' out of the bay where she was allowed to drift to leeward. Three of her crew died in the fire. The crew members that died, a man and two boys, suffocated on board. The mate suffered severe burns and died later.''Essequebo and Demerary Royal Gazette'', 5 November 1808, Vol. 3, no.149. The ''Register of Shipping'' for 1810 showed ''Majestic'' with Harland, master, Chapman & Co., owners, and trade Government service. It carried the annotation "BURNT".''RS'' (1810), Seq.№35.
/ref>

Citations

References

* * {{1808 shipwrecks 1804 ships Ships built in Whitby Age of Sail merchant ships of England Maritime incidents in 1808 Ship fires Shipwrecks in the Caribbean Sea