Forbes (1805 ship)

For other ships with the same name, see List of ships named Forbes.

History
United Kingdom
NameForbes
OwnerForbes & Co.[a]
BuilderMichael Smith, Calcutta
Launched15 January 1805[1]
FateWrecked on 11 September 1806
General characteristics
Tons burthen340[1][2] (bm)

Forbes was launched at Calcutta in 1805. She was wrecked in the Billeton Straits in the southern part of the Karimata Strait on 11 September 1806.[3][b]

Career

Forbes sailed under the command of Frazer Sinclair. She traded on the coast of India and between India and the Malay archipelago. In late 1806 Sinclair engaged in privateering.

On 6 September 1806, Lord Forbes was westward of the east coast of Madura Island when she encountered the Dutch frigate Phoenix, which was sailing from Batavia to Sourabaya. Sinclair hoisted American colours and sailed within point blank range of Phoenix, which fired a few shots, but without effect.[4][c]

On 7 September, Forbes captured a Dutch brig sailing from Batavia to Sourabaya. The next day Forbes captured two more Dutch vessels. Sinclair put a prize crew of 16 men on one of these two vessels, under the command of his second mate, Mr. Hitchins, with orders to cruise in search of more prizes.[4]

Loss

On 11 September, after Forbes had run aground and become stranded on a reef, the crew took to her boats to free her before she was scuttled. They were unsuccessful and she eventually slipped off the reef and sank. At dawn the 78 European officers and men, and lascars took to her boats. The pinnace held Sinclair, the 4th mate and 11 crew. One longboat held the 1st and 3rd officers and 27 crew. The second longboat held 40 crew. There is some uncertainty about five Javanese who had been in the brig taken in prize. They may have refused to leave the wreck, or may have been divided among the boats.[5]

On 19 September, the pinnace encountered General Baird, Harford, master, which furnished the men in the pinnace with supplies. The pinnace arrived at Malacca on 22 September. The longboat with the other Europeans arrived on 25 September. It is not clear what happened to the second longboat with the lascars.[5]

On 22 October, a Dutch snow arrived at Penang under the command of Mr. Hitchins. He had captured her and then transferred her crew and his other prisoners to the brig of the ship in which he had been sailing, taking over the snow. She was larger and had a cargo worth 14–15,000 dollars.[5]

Later, Sinclair would become master of several vessels, including Emma and Lady Rollo.

Notes

  1. ^ John Forbes of Aberdeenshire, Scotland, established Forbes & Co. in Bombay in 1767. The Tata Group acquired it, and then the Shapoorji Pallonji Group acquired it.
  2. ^ Elsewhere Phipps gives the date as 11 April, not 11 September.[1]
  3. ^ Phoenix, of 32 guns, had been launched at Rotterdam on 4 May 1799. Rear-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew, led a force of four ships of the line, two frigates and brig to Batavia. Her crew scuttled Phoenix at the British approach. Pellew set fire to her as he sailed off at the end of his Raid on Batavia (1806).

Citations

  1. ^ a b c Phipps (1840), p. 101.
  2. ^ Hackman (2001), p. 277.
  3. ^ Phipps (1840), p. 138.
  4. ^ a b Liebner & Van Dyke (2016), p. 44.
  5. ^ a b c Liebner & Van Dyke (2016), p. 52.

References

  • Hackman, Rowan (2001). Ships of the East India Company. Gravesend, Kent: World Ship Society. ISBN 0-905617-96-7.
  • Liebner, Horst; Van Dyke, David (2016). "An account of the loss of the Country Ship Forbes and Frazer Sinclair, her late Commander". Wacana. 17 (1): 38–57. doi:10.17510/wacana.v17i1.449.
  • Phipps, John (1840). A Collection of Papers Relative to Ship Building in India ...: Also a Register Comprehending All the Ships ... Built in India to the Present Time ... Scott.