Charlotte (1784 ship) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids History
Great Britain
Name	Charlotte
Namesake	Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
Owner	1784: Mathews & Co. 1789: Bond &Co.
Port of registry	London
Builder	Thames
Launched	1784
Fate	Possibly sunk November 1818; disappears from lists in 1821
__1B0X_5H1P__	career
General characteristics
Tons burthen	335, or 338, or 34553⁄94, or 350, or 384 bm
Length	105 ft (32 m)
Beam	28 ft 3 in (8.61 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Crew	30
Armament	8 × 18-pounder carronades
Notes	Barque-built (1786)
__1B0X_5H1P__	characteristics

The Charlotte was an English merchant ship built in 1784 on the River Thames. In 1786, she was hired to transport people to a new settlement in New South Wales, Australia, as part of the First Fleet. After this important journey, she sailed back to Britain. On her way, she stopped in China to pick up goods for the British East India Company. For much of her later career, Charlotte worked as a "West Indiaman," meaning she regularly sailed between London and Jamaica. The ship might have been lost near Newfoundland in 1818, and she was no longer listed in shipping records by 1821. The Charlotte even appeared in the movie National Treasure!

The Ship's Journeys and Adventures

Early Voyages of the Charlotte

The ship Charlotte first appeared in Lloyd's Register in 1784. Lloyd's Register is a very old publication that keeps records of ships. Before her famous trip carrying settlers, Charlotte traded goods with countries around the Baltic Sea and in the West Indies.

This table shows some of her early activities:

Transporting Settlers to Australia

An engraving of the First Fleet in Botany Bay at the end of its voyage in 1788, from The Voyage of Governor Phillip to Botany Bay.

The Charlotte was known as a "heavy sailer," meaning she was a bit slow. She even needed to be towed down the English Channel to keep up with the other ships of the First Fleet. Her captain was Thomas Gilbert, and the main doctor for the new colony, John White, was also on board. During the journey, the ship's third mate was accidentally left behind in Plymouth. A sailor from another naval ship, Hyaena, quickly took his place.

The Charlotte carried 84 men and 24 women, or sometimes reported as 89 men and 20 women, who were part of the new settlement. Some of these individuals included James Squire, James Bloodsworth, James Underwood, Samuel Lightfoot, William Bryant, and Mary Bryant. The ship also carried 42 soldiers from the New South Wales Marine Corps to help maintain order.

The Charlotte arrived at Port Jackson, which is now Sydney, Australia, on January 26, 1788. This historic journey was remembered with the creation of the Charlotte Medal. Doctor White ordered this medal, and a skilled settler named Thomas Barrett made it.

During a stop in Rio on August 13, 1787, a woman named Ellen Fraser was transferred to the Charlotte. She joined her husband, William Fraser, who was already on the ship. Ellen later gave birth to John Fraser, who was one of the first children born to British parents in the new colony.

On May 6, 1788, the Charlotte left Port Jackson. She was heading to China to pick up a cargo of tea for the East India Company.

Discovering New Islands

In May 1788, Captain Gilbert of the Charlotte and Captain John Marshall of the ship Scarborough sailed together from Port Jackson. They hoped to find a new route to China. After seeing Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island, they discovered Matthew Island on May 27, 1788. Later, on June 24, they spotted land in the southern part of the Marshall Islands. They continued their journey, passing by islands like Abemama, Kuria, Aranuka, Tarawa, Abaiang, Butaritari, and Makin. They did not try to land on these islands. They finally reached Canton (now Guangzhou) in China on September 9, 1788, after 126 days at sea from Port Jackson. The two large groups of islands they found in the Central Pacific are now known as the Gilbert Islands and Marshall Islands.

Later Journeys and Trade

When the Charlotte returned to England on November 28, 1789, a company called Bond and Co. bought her. They planned to use her for trade between London and Jamaica. This type of ship was called a "West Indiaman" because it sailed to the West Indies. The following information comes from Lloyd's Register:

The Charlotte was also one of the transport ships that joined a military expedition in 1806. This expedition, led by General Sir David Baird and Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham, successfully captured the Dutch Cape Colony (in what is now South Africa).

On March 11, the Charlotte and another ship, the Anacreon, sailed to France. They acted as "cartels," which are ships used to exchange prisoners during wartime.

It is possible that the ship was later sold to a merchant in Quebec, Canada. However, this information does not appear in the official shipping records.

What Happened to the Charlotte?

A ship named Charlotte was lost near Newfoundland in November 1818. This ship was sailing from Quebec to Liverpool with a captain named M'Call. However, there is no clear proof that this was the same Charlotte that sailed with the First Fleet. Another record shows that the Charlotte continued to be listed in Lloyd's Register until 1821. Sometimes, old information can stay in these registers for a few years even after a ship is no longer active.

Remembering the Charlotte

In 1986, a Urban Transit Authority First Fleet ferry was named after the Charlotte. This honored the ship's important role in history.

See also

• Journals of the First Fleet
• List of convicts on the First Fleet
• National Treasure (film)