Queen (1773 ship) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 Great Britain |
|
| Name | Queen |
| Launched | 1773 |
| Fate | Foundered December 1796 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 385, or 400 (bm) |
| Complement | 25 |
| Armament |
|
The Queen was a large sailing ship built in 1773. It was a "three-decker," meaning it had three main decks. This ship was built in Georgia, which is in the United States.
Contents
The Ship's Journey and Purpose
In 1791, the Queen got a new owner, Calvert & Co. This company used several ships for different tasks. They carried people who had been found guilty of crimes, traded goods with the British East India Company (EIC), and even worked in the whale fishing industry in the South Seas.
Transporting People to Australia
The Queen played a part in history by transporting people to Australia. In 1791, it was part of the Third Fleet. This fleet carried people from England to Australia.
The ship was commanded by Richard Owen. It left Cork, Ireland, on April 10, 1791. The journey ended when it arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales, on September 26, 1791.
On this trip, the Queen carried 133 men and 22 women. Sadly, seven of the men passed away during the long voyage. The Queen was special because it carried the first group of Irish people to Australia. A group of soldiers, called the New South Wales Corps, provided security on board.
Travels to Bengal and Back
After dropping off its passengers, the Queen sailed to Bengal. Bengal was a region in India. We don't know the exact date it left Port Jackson. In Bengal, the ship picked up a large amount of cotton. This cotton was for the East India Company.
The Queen finally returned to England on February 6, 1793. The entire journey had lasted two years and four months. A newspaper called The Times reported on the ship's return. It said the Queen was leaking and most of its crew were very sick. Many of them had a serious illness called scurvy. Only a few crew members were well enough to work on deck when the ship arrived.
Armed and Ready for Trade
On July 3, 1793, Richard Owen received a special document for the Queen. This document was called a letter of marque. It allowed the ship to carry weapons and act like a warship if needed. This was common for trading ships during times of conflict. By late 1793 and early 1794, the Queen was sailing between London and Antigua. It was armed with ten 9-pounder guns.
Captured and Recaptured
In 1794, a group of three French warships captured the Queen. At the time, the Queen was sailing from San Domingo to London. Another ship, the Donna Maria, was also captured.
However, a British group of warships soon came to the rescue. This group was led by Captain John Borlase Warren. He was on his ship, HMS Flora. Captain Warren's group recaptured both the Queen and the Donna Maria. This happened on August 27. Warren mentioned that the Queen was coming from Jamaica.
The End of the Queen
The Queen is listed in a shipping record book called Lloyd's Register in 1797. At that time, its master (captain) was R. Colley. However, another report, Lloyd's List, shared sad news. It said that the "Queen (transport), from the West Indies, foundered the 30th December in a Gale." "Foundered" means the ship sank. Luckily, the report also said that the "People saved," meaning the crew and any passengers were rescued. The Queen sank in December 1796 during a strong storm.
