Henry Addington (1796 EIC ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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.svg){kind=small} Great Britain |
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| Name | Henry Addington |
| Namesake | Henry Addington, 1st Viscount Sidmouth |
| Owner | Sir Alexander Hamilton |
| Builder | Wells, Deptford |
| Launched | 10 March 1796 |
| Fate | Wrecked 9 December 1798 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 1200, or 1432, or 14327⁄94, or 1477 (bm) |
| Length | 176 ft 9+1⁄2 in (53.9 m) (overall), 144 ft 2+1⁄2 in (44.0 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 43 ft 2+1⁄2 in (13.2 m) |
| Depth of hold | 17 ft 6 in (5.3 m) |
| Sail plan | Full-rigged ship |
| Complement | 150 |
| Armament | 36 × 12& 9-pounder guns |
| Notes | Three decks |
The Henry Addington was a large sailing ship called an East Indiaman. These ships were used by the British East India Company (EIC) to carry valuable goods. The EIC was a powerful trading company. The Henry Addington completed one long journey for the EIC. Sadly, she was wrecked in 1798 during her second trip, near the Isle of Wight.
First Voyage (1796–1798)
The Henry Addington began her first big journey in 1796. Her captain was Richard Atherton Farington. He had a special license called a letter of marque. This allowed him to attack enemy ships if they met at sea.
The ship left Portsmouth, England, on June 27, 1796. Her destination was China. She sailed all the way around Africa, stopping at the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. She reached Whampoa Anchorage in China on February 2, 1797.
After trading in China, the Henry Addington began her journey home. She stopped in Bally Town near Calcutta (now Kolkata) in India. She also stopped at the Cape of Good Hope again. Finally, she arrived back in England on May 17, 1798, at a famous ship anchorage called the Downs.
The Ship's Loss
After her first voyage, a new captain, Thomas Wakefield, took command. He also received a letter of marque in November 1798. On December 4, he set sail from the Downs. The ship was heading for Bombay (now Mumbai) in India and then on to China.
Just five days later, on December 9, 1798, disaster struck. The Henry Addington hit a dangerous underwater rock formation called Bembridge Ledge. This happened near the Isle of Wight during a very thick fog.
The next day, when the ocean tide went out, the ship broke apart. Five crew members sadly drowned while trying to reach the shore on a raft. Another boy was killed when a heavy block fell from the ship's mast. By December 16, most of the ship was gone, with only a small part of the front remaining. Some cargo was saved, but the East India Company lost goods worth about £29,222. This was a huge amount of money back then.
