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{{other ships|Earl Spencer (ship)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox ship
|section1={{Infobox ship/image
| image =
| image_caption =
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|section2={{Infobox ship/career
| country=British East India Company
| flag=[[File:Flag of the British East India Company (1707).svg|60px]]
| name = ''Earl Spencer''
| namesake =
| owner =*Voyages #1-3: James Duncan
*Voyage #4: Moses Agar
*Voyage #5: Thomas Welladvice
*Voyages #6-7: Martin Lindsay
| operator =
| ordered =
| builder = Perry, Blackwall
| original_cost =
| laid_down =
| launched = 18 July 1795{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=102}}
| acquired =
| commissioned =
| decommissioned =
| in_service =
| out_of_service =
| renamed =
| struck =
| reinstated =
| honours =
| honors =
| captured =
| fate =
| notes = The National Archives splits the eight voyages ''Earl Spencer'' made for the East India Company (EIC) under three sets of records. Hackman has only the middle six, which the British Library groups together under "''Earl Spencer'' (2)", but has a number of references to owners, masters, and dates that make it clear that voyages 1-7 below are the same vessel.{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=102}} Hackman also states that after voyage #7, the government chartered ''Earl Spencer'' for a voyage transporting convicts to Australia. Her return voyage was her eighth for the EIC. Bateson states that ''Earl Spencer'' was launched on the Thames in 1803.{{sfnp|Bateson|1959|pp=290-1}} However, there is no evidence for this and Bateson may simply have mistaken changes in ownership and repairs around 1803 for a new vessel.
}}

|section3={{Infobox ship/characteristics
| hide_header =
| header_caption =<ref name=BL2/>
| class =
| tons_burthen = 644, or 644{{small|{{frac|34|94}}}},{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=102}} 672,{{sfnp|Bateson|1959|pp=290-1}} ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
| length =*{{convert|135|ft|7|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (overall)
*{{convert|110|ft|7+1/2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (keel)
| beam = {{convert|33|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| draught =
| draft =
| hold_depth = {{convert|13|ft|8|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| propulsion = Sail
| sail_plan =
| complement =*1795: 40<ref name=LoM/>
*1797: 30?<ref name=LoM/>
*1803: 80<ref name=LoM/>
*1813:54
| armament =*1795: 14 × 9-pounder guns<ref name=LoM/>
*1797: 30 × 6 & 9-pounder guns<ref name=LoM/>
*1803: 30 × 6 & 9-pounder guns<ref name=LoM/>
*1813:16 guns
| notes =
}}
}}

'''''Earl Spencer''''' was an [[East Indiaman]], launched in 1795 for the British [[East India Company]] (EIC). She made seven voyages for the EIC until in 1811-12 the government took her up to transport [[convict]]s to Australia in 1813. On her return voyage from Australia she sailed via China, where she carried a cargo back to England for the EIC.

==EIC voyages==
As most of her voyages took place during wartime, ''Earl Spencer'' frequently sailed under a [[letter of marque]] that authorized her to engage in offensive actions against the French, not just defensive. When the vessel changed masters, a new letter was issued. The outbreak of war after a period of peace also required a new letter.

===EIC voyage #1 (1795-96)===
Captain Thomas Denton left [[The Downs (ship anchorage)|The Downs]] on 26 September 1795, bound for [[Bengal]]. His letter of marque had been issued on 5 September.<ref name=LoM>{{Cite web |url=http://www.1812privateers.org/Great%20Britain/marque1793-1815.pdf |title=Letter of Marque, p.60 - accessed 25 July 2017. |access-date=11 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161020052005/http://www.1812privateers.org/Great%20Britain/marque1793-1815.pdf |archive-date=20 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 20 Feb 1796 ''Earl Spencer'' reached [[Khejuri II#Khijri|Kedgeree]]. Homeward bound, she was at [[Sagar Island|Saugor]] on 3 April, reached [[False Bay]] on 12 August and the [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape]] on 4 September. She arrived at Crookhaven on 27 November and Long Reach on 16 December.<ref name=BL>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS045-001114924 British Library: ''Earl Spencer'' (1)].</ref>

===EIC voyage #2 (1797-99)===
[[File:Portrait of Captain Rait in the uniform of the East India Company (by Adam Buck).jpg|thumb|Portrait of Captain Charles Raitt in the uniform of the East India Company by [[Adam Buck]], London 1800]]
Captain Charles Raitt left Portsmouth on 5 June 1797 for [[Chennai|Madras]] and Bengal. He had a letter of marque issued on 13 March 1797.<ref name=LoM/> ''Earl Spencer'' reached Simons Bay on 4 September and Madras on 2 December. She arrived at Kedgeree on 26 January 1798. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 20 April, Simons Bay on 22 August, the Cape on 30 September, and [[Saint Helena|St Helena]] on 17 November. She arrived at The Downs on 3 February 1799.<ref name=BL2>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS045-001114925 British Library: ''Earl Spencer'' (2)].</ref>

===EIC voyage #3 (1800-01)===
Captain Charles Raitt left Portsmouth on 28 June 1800, bound for Bengal. ''Earl Spencer'' arrived at Kedgeree on 8 January 1801. Homeward bound, she was at Saugor on 7 April.<ref name=BL2/> She left in company with {{ship||Lord Walsingham|1786 EIC ship|2}} and {{ship||Countess of Sutherland|1801 ship|2}}. The pilot left them on 12 April. ''Countess'' proved to be a much faster sailer than the two East Indiamen and parted from them on 8 April.<ref>''The Asiatic Annual Register, Or, A View of the History of Hindustan, and of the Politics, Commerce and Literature of Asia''. (1803) Vol. 4, pp.39-40.</ref>

''Earl Spencer'' reached St Helena on 4 August and arrived at the Downs on 1 November.<ref name=BL2/>

===EIC voyage #4 (1803-05)===
Charles Raitt was again captain of ''Earl Spencer'' on her third voyage. The [[Napoleonic Wars]] having broken out after the one year of peace following the [[Treaty of Amiens]], he received a new letter of marque on 8 June 1803.<ref name=LoM/> Raitt left Portsmouth on 30 June 1803, bound for Bengal. ''Earl Spencer'' reached Rio de Janeiro on 16 September.<ref name=BL2/><ref>''[[Lloyd's List]]'' [https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015005721504?urlappend=%3Bseq=245 №4432.]</ref>

The Indiamen ''Earl Spencer'', {{ship||Lord Melville|1803 EIC ship|2}}, ''Princess Mary'', {{ship||Northampton|1801 ship|2}}, ''Anna'', ''Ann'', {{ship||Glory|1802 ship|2}}, and ''Essex'' left Rio on 13 October. They were in company with the [[Seventy-four (ship)|74-gun]] [[third rate]] [[ships of the line]] {{HMS|Albion|1802|6}}, {{HMS|Sceptre|1802|6}}, and {{HMS|Russell|1764|6}}, and the [[fourth rate]] {{HMS|Grampus|1802|6}}. Three days later ''Albion'' and ''Sceptre'' separated from the rest of the ships.<ref>''[[Lloyd's List]]'', №4463.[http://www.1812privateers.org/LLOYDS/1804/06-19-1804.jpg] Accessed 13 August 2016.</ref>

''Earl Spencer'' arrived at [[Diamond Harbour]] on 11 February 1804. She was at Saugor on 26 April, and Madras on 16 August, before reaching St Helena on 31 December. She arrived at The Downs on 19 March 1805.<ref name=BL2/>

===EIC voyage #5 (1806-07)===
A change of captain meant a new letter of marque. Captain George Heming received a letter of marque on 21 July 1806.<ref name=LoM/> He sailed from Portsmouth on 9 August, bound for [[Mumbai|Bombay]]. ''Earl Spencer'' reached Rio de Janeiro on 13 November, the Cape on 15 January 1807, and Colombo on 5 April. She arrived at Bombay on 21 May. Homeward bound, she was at the Cape on 11 October, reached St Helena on 24 October, and arrived at the Downs on 29 December.<ref name=BL2/>

===EIC voyage #6 (1808-10)===
Captain George Heming sailed from Portsmouth on 10 June 1808, bound for Madras and Bengal. ''Earl Spencer'' was at Madeira on 24 June, and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 16 November.<ref name=BL2/> On the way she and {{ship||Monarch|1800 ship|2}} rescued all of the passengers and all but 16 of the crew of [[Travers (1800 ship)|''Travers'']], which had hit a rock on 7 November at {{coord|15|38|N|94|20|E}}.<ref>''Edinburgh Annual register'' (1809), pp.122-3.</ref>

On 2 January 1809 ''Earl Spencer'' was at [[Kolkata|Calcutta]]. There Heming joined Captain Kymer of {{ship||Lord Castlereagh|1802 EIC ship|2}} and Captain Hawes of ''Monarch'' in letters of protest against the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[impressment]] of seamen from the ships; ''Earl Spencer'' had lost 23 men, including some petty officers, out of her crew of 87 men to the Navy.<ref>''Papers relating to East India affairs'' (1810), p.49.</ref> ''Earl Spencer'' was at Saugor on 14 March.<ref name=BL2/>

On 2 May 1809 she departed from the Sandheads with a convoy of four other [[East Indiaman|Indiamen]] and several smaller vessels, all under the escort of [[French corvette Revenant|HMS ''Victor'']]. On 24 May a storm split the convoy and ''Victor'' and the small ships separately lost touch with the Indiamen. One of the five, {{ship||Monarch|1800 ship|2}}, had a leak that had worsened. She received permission on 25 May from Captain John Dale of {{ship||Streatham|1805 EIC ship|2}}, the senior EIC captain of the five vessels and so commodore, to sail to Penang. Hawes, ''Monarch''{{'}}s captain, requested that another of the Indiamen accompany him in case ''Monarch'' foundered. Dale detailed ''Earl Spencer'' to go with ''Monarch''. The three remaining Indiamen, ''Streatham'', {{ship||Europe|1803 EIC ship|2}}, and {{ship||Lord Keith|1804 ship|2}} continued on their way while hoping to meet up with ''Victor''. The French frigate {{ship|French frigate|Caroline|1806|2}} captured ''Streatham'' and ''Europe'' in the [[action of 31 May 1809]].<ref>''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 24 (July–December 1810), pp.76-80.</ref> ''Lord Keith'' too exchanged broadsides with ''Caroline'' and was damaged, however she escaped and sailed to Penang to repair.

''Monarch'' and ''Lord Spencer'' arrived at Penang on 4 June. ''Lord Keith'' arrived on 10 June. Repairs completed, all three then sailed together and reached St Helena on 14 November; they arrived at The Downs on 19 or 20 January 1810.<ref name=BL/>

===EIC voyage #7 (1810-11)===
Captain George Heming left Portsmouth on 9 June 1810 bound for Bengal. ''Earl Spencer'' reached Madeira on 25 June and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 12 December.<ref name=BL2/> {{HMS|Leda|1809|6}} escorted the Indiamen on the voyage, and on their arrival at Kedgeree on 15 December, Captain [[George Sayer (Royal Navy officer)|George Sayer]], captain of ''Leda'', wrote a letter of commendation for Heming and his officers for their conduct on the voyage.<ref>''The Asiatic Annual Register Or a View of the History of Hindustan and of the Politics, Commerce and Literature of Asia'' (1812), p. 68.</ref> On 3 February 1811 ''Earl Spencer'' was at Saugor, and on 20 February she was at Madras. She reached St Helena on 16 June and arrived at The Downs on 30 August.<ref name=BL2/>

The government then took up ''Earl Spencer'' to transport convicts to Australia.{{sfnp|Hackman|2001|p=102}}

==Convict transport and EIC voyage #8==
Under the command of William Mitchell, ''Earl Spencer'' left England on 2 June 1813. She sailed via [[Madeira]], escorted for the early part of the voyage by {{HMS|Kangaroo|1805|6}}, and arrived at [[Port Jackson]] on 9 October 1813.{{sfnp|Bateson|1959|pp=290-1}} She transported 200 male convicts, four of whom died on the voyage.{{sfnp|Bateson|1959|p=327}} An officer and 38 men of the [[73rd (Perthshire) Regiment of Foot|73rd Regiment of Foot]] provided the guards for the prisoners. Some 20 free settlers came too as passengers. Aboard the ship was the first steam engine brought out to Australia.

''Earl Spencer'' left Port Jackson bound for China, but there is no date given.<ref name="ATCJ">{{cite web |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article71247621 |title=Arrival of Vessels at Port Jackson, and their Departure |last1= |first1= |last2= |first2= |date= |work=Australian Town and Country Journal, Saturday 3 January 1891, p.16. |publisher= |access-date=18 June 2012}}</ref> Between her arrival in New South Wales and her departure for China, she engaged in whaling.{{sfnp|Clayton|2014|p=107}}

''Earl Spenser'' arrived at [[Whampoa anchorage]] on 23 October 1814. She passed the [[Bocca Tigris]] on 12 November, reaching the [[Cape of Good Hope|Cape]] on 26 March 1815, and [[Saint Helena|St Helena]] on 24 April. From there she sailed "towards England" on 20 June.<ref>[http://searcharchives.bl.uk/IAMS_VU2:IAMS045-001114926 British Library: Earl Spencer (3).]</ref>

==Fate==
The last listing in ''[[Lloyd's Register]]'' and the ''Register of Shipping'' for ''Earl Spencer'' was in 1820, with the listing unchanged from 1813.

==Citations==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |title =The Convict Ships | first =Charles | last =Bateson | author-link=Charles Bateson | year =1959 | publisher =Brown, Son & Ferguson | oclc =3778075}}
* {{cite book |last=Clayton |first=Jane M |year=2014 |title=Ships employed in the South Sea Whale Fishery from Britain: 1775–1815: An alphabetical list of ships |publisher=Berforts Group |isbn=9781908616524 }}
* {{cite book |last=Hackman |first=Rowan |date=2001 |title=Ships of the East India Company |location=Gravesend, Kent |publisher=World Ship Society |isbn=0-905617-96-7 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Earl Spencer (1795 ship)}}
[[Category:1795 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built on the River Thames]]
[[Category:Convict ships to New South Wales]]
[[Category:Ships of the British East India Company]]
[[Category:Whaling ships]]

Earl Spencer (1795 EIC ship) - Revision history

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