Name Boddington Builder Thames Launched 1781 | Owner Boddington (1781-1805) Tons burthen 331 or 350 (bm) | |
Fate Wrecked near Blackwall in September 1805. | ||
Boddington, sometimes referred to as Boddingtons, was a merchantman launched in 1781 on the River Thames. She spent the first decade of her career as a West Indiaman. She made one voyage in 1792 transporting convicts from Ireland to Australia. For her return trip she also made one voyage for the East India Company from Asia to Britain. She wrecked in 1805 on the River Thames.
Contents
Career
Boddington was launched on the Thames River for Boddington, who used her upon the West Indies route. Under the command of Captain Robert Chalmers, she sailed from Cork, Ireland, on 15 February 1792, with 125 male and 20 female convicts. During the voyage a mutiny by the convicts was put down. She arrived at Port Jackson, New South Wales on 7 August 1793. One male convict died on the voyage. She left Port Jackson in October 1793 for Bengal, in company with Sugar Cane.
Between 1793 and 1795 Boddington made one trip for the East India Company from Penang to Britain. She apparently was in Bengal prior to arriving at Penang. Lloyd's List reported that "The Boddingtons, Chalmers, from Bengal to London, met with bad weather which obliged her to put into Prince of Wales Island, where she has been refitted, and was to proceed under Convoy of the Bombay frigate." Boddington left Penang on 11 November 1794 and reached St Helena on 27 February 1795. The East India fleet left Boddington and Barbara, from the South Seas, at "the Line". She then arrived at Long Reach on 5 August.
Boddington, Soal, master, bound for St Vincent, put into Plymouth on 1 February 1804. She was part of a fleet of 43 sail under the escort of the 74-gun HMS Courageaux that had left Portsmouth on 2 January, bound for the West Indies. For some reason, the whole fleet put back into Plymouth. Still, Boddington reportedly put into Cork, Ireland, on 3 February. The West Indies fleet left Cork the next day under the escort of the frigates HMS Galatea and HMS Topaze.
Fate
Boddington became stranded in the River Thames off Blackwall on a sandbank and was wrecked. On 13 September 1805, Lloyd's List reported that "The Bodingtons, Wright, from Jamaica, is on Shore near Blackwall, and full of Water."