Name Earl of Mornington Fate Sold February 1804 Construction started February 1804 | Owner East India Company Name HMS Drake Launched 1799 | |
Builder Perry, Wells & Green, Blackwall Yard Acquired Purchased February 1804 | ||
Earl of Mornington (or Earl Mornington) was a packet ship launched in 1799 for the British East India Company (EIC). She performed one voyage for the Company, sailing from England to India and returning. The Admiralty purchased her in 1804 and she then served the Royal Navy until she was broken up in 1808.
Contents
East India Company
It is not clear for which Earl of Mornington she was named, but it was probably Richard Wellesley.
Earl of Mornington made one voyage for the EIC. Her captain was George Simpson, who received a letter of marque on 7 October 1799. At the time her armament then was recorded as eight 12-pounder guns.
Lloyd's Register for 1800 records Earl Mornington, 253 tons (bm), Simpson, master, East India Company, owner, and trade London-India. This description continues unchanged through 1804.
She left Britain on 20 November 1799 and arrived at Calcutta on 22 April 1800. She left Kedgeree on 5 November. By 12 May 1801 she had reached Simon's Bay, but then on 8 August she was back at Calcutta. On 11 March 1802 she left Culpee, an anchorage towards Calcutta and closer than Saugor. From there she reached St Helena on 28 June and arrived at the Downs on 19 August.
Apparently Earl Mornington sailed again in 1802. She was reported to be at St Helena on 10 June 1803, returning from the South Seas.
Naval service
In 1804 the Admiralty purchased her for the Royal Navy and named her HMS Drake. She was commissioned in October 1804 under Commander William H. Drury.
Drake formed part of Commodore Hood's squadron at the capture of Surinam River in 1804. The squadron consisted of Hood's flagship Centaur, Pandour, Serapis, Alligator, Hippomenes, Unique, and transports carrying 2000 troops under Brigadier-General Sir Charles Green. British and Dutch casualties were light.
Drake sailed to Jamaica on 12 April 1805. On 1 November 1805 William Furlong Wise was promoted to Commander into Drake. He was the nephew of James Richard Dacres, the admiral commanding the station. In April Wise transferred to Elk.
In 1806 Drake came under the command of Commander F. Mere. However, she was under the command of Robert Nicholas when on 26 October she assisted in cornering the French privateer Superbe, which the schooner Pitt, under the command of Lieutenant Michael Fitton was engaging. Superbe's captain then drove her ashore at Ocoa Bay, enabling he and his surviving crew members to escape.
Nicholas's replacement in November 1806 was Commander John Parish. In October 1807 Commander George Bell replaced Parish; by 1808 she was under the command of Lieutenant John Fleming (acting).
Fate
She was broken up at Sheerness in 1808.