Caroline

Caroline was an India-built merchant vessel launched at Calcutta in 1805. Although the supplied subject is described as a brand, the authoritative Wikipedia entity is a historical ship rather than a consumer or corporate brand. Caroline belonged to the maritime trading system that connected Britain, India, and other ports in the Indian Ocean and East Asia during the period of the British East India Company’s commercial influence. The vessel’s documented career began with a voyage from Bombay to England under charter to the East India Company. Captain George Harrower departed Bombay on 6 November 1811. Caroline proceeded first to Goa, arriving on 11 November, and then to Tellichery, reached on 18 November. From there she crossed the Indian Ocean, arriving at the Cape of Good Hope on 6 January 1812 and Saint Helena on 14 February. She reached Portsmouth on 25 April and Blackwall on 15 May. The voyage placed her within the regulated long-distance trade between the Indian subcontinent and Britain. Caroline was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain on 3 July 1812. Lloyd’s Register recorded her that year with Patterson as master, Forbes & Co. as owner, and a London–Bengal route. After her EIC-chartered voyage, she operated from London as a transport or licensed country ship, sailing between England and India under an East India Company licence. Such ships supported the broader commercial network without necessarily being among the Company’s directly owned or purpose-built vessels. Her records also include a legal allegation connected with a voyage from Bengal to Europe. In February 1815, The Examiner reported that the Lord Mayor of London had investigated a charge that Captain Thomas Finney had caused the death of a man named Butler John by throwing him from a ship’s window. The Lord Mayor dismissed the charge, and the Solicitor of the Admiralty agreed with that disposition. The available reference material does not establish criminal liability or a finding of wrongdoing. By 1816, Lloyd’s Register listed Caroline with T. Finney as master, Forbes & Co. as owner, and London–Bombay as her trade. On 28 August 1816, while travelling from Bengal to China, she foundered in the Strait of Malacca. Lloyd’s List referred to her as “The Caroline of Bengal.” Some registers continued to list the vessel after the sinking, illustrating the lag and occasional inaccuracy of historical shipping records. The Register of Shipping carried her details through 1822, while Lloyd’s Register retained similar information through 1825; however, she disappeared from the East India Company’s licensed-and-country-ships list after the 1818 volume. Caroline’s active maritime career is therefore generally understood to have ended with her 1816 loss.

Caroline was launched at Calcutta in 1805 and became part of the commercial shipping network linking the Indian subcontinent with Britain and East Asia. The available historical record does not identify a builder, launch owner, dimensions, cargo capacity, or detailed construction type. Her later registry and trade records show that she operated as a merchant transport rather than as a modern consumer-facing brand. Her best-documented voyage began at Bombay on 6 November 1811, when Captain George Harrower sailed for England under charter to the British East India Company. Caroline called at Goa on 11 November and Tellichery on 18 November. She then continued westward across the Indian Ocean, reaching the Cape of Good Hope on 6 January 1812 and Saint Helena on 14 February. She arrived at Portsmouth on 25 April and Blackwall on 15 May. The voyage demonstrated her role in long-distance maritime commerce under the institutional framework of the EIC. On 3 July 1812, Caroline was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain. Lloyd’s Register for the same year listed Patterson as master, Forbes & Co. as owner, and London–Bengal as the vessel’s trade. After the EIC voyage, she was based in London and operated between England and India under an EIC licence. This placed her among the privately owned or independently operated ships commonly described as country ships or licensed ships, which carried goods and passengers within the Company’s regulated sphere. Caroline’s records contain one notable legal controversy. In February 1815, The Examiner reported an investigation by the Lord Mayor of London into a claim that Captain Thomas Finney had caused the death of Butler John by throwing him from a window during a voyage from Bengal to Europe. The Lord Mayor dismissed the charge, and the Solicitor of the Admiralty concurred. The record therefore documents an allegation and its dismissal, not a confirmed homicide or a judicial finding against the captain. Lloyd’s Register in 1816 identified T. Finney as master and Forbes & Co. as owner, with London–Bombay as the stated trade. On 28 August of that year, Caroline foundered in the Strait of Malacca while travelling from Bengal to China. Lloyd’s List described the casualty as involving “The Caroline of Bengal.” Despite the loss, later registers continued to repeat the vessel’s details. The Register of Shipping listed her through 1822, and Lloyd’s Register retained similar entries through 1825. She was absent from the licensed-and-country-ships list after the 1818 volume, although that list recorded her as having sailed from London on 16 May 1817. The discrepancy reflects the imperfect maintenance of historical shipping registers rather than evidence that the vessel resumed service after the 1816 sinking.

• 1816

  Founders in the Strait of Malacca

  [1]Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Caroline was lost on 28 August while sailing from Bengal to China.

• 1815

  Allegation involving Captain Finney dismissed

  [1]Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  A reported allegation concerning the death of Butler John during a Bengal-to-Europe voyage was investigated and dismissed by the Lord Mayor of London, with the Solicitor of the Admiralty concurring.

• 1812

  Arrives in England and enters British registry

  [1]Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Caroline reached Portsmouth and Blackwall after calling at Indian Ocean ports, then entered the Registry of Great Britain on 3 July.

• 1811

  Begins EIC-chartered voyage from Bombay

  [1]Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Captain George Harrower departed Bombay for England on 6 November under charter to the East India Company.

• 1805

  Launched at Calcutta

  [1]Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Caroline was launched at Calcutta in British India.

Historical merchant shipping operated within the British East India Company’s licensed trade network.

• 1815

  Allegation concerning the death of Butler John

  The Examiner reported that the Lord Mayor of London investigated a charge that Captain Thomas Finney caused the death of Butler John by throwing him from a window during a voyage from Bengal to Europe. The charge was dismissed, and the Solicitor of the Admiralty agreed with the outcome. The available source does not provide evidence of a conviction or established wrongdoing.

  Source

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• 1812

  Continues as a licensed London-based country shipStrategy

  Background

  After completing her EIC-chartered voyage from Bombay to England, Caroline operated between England and India under an East India Company licence.

  Action taken

  The vessel continued commercial transport service within the EIC-regulated maritime network.

  Aftermath

  Lloyd’s Register recorded her in London–Bengal trade and later London–Bombay service before her loss in 1816.

  Source

1. 1Caroline (1805 ship)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Ships of the East India Companyopenlibrary.org