Charlotte
Charlotte was an English merchant ship built in 1784 that transported convicts with the First Fleet to New South Wales before later trading between Britain, the West Indies, and other international destinations.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Charlotte was an English merchant vessel constructed on the River Thames in 1784. It is not a contemporary consumer brand but a historically documented ship whose name is preserved in accounts of Britain’s First Fleet voyage to New South Wales. The vessel first appeared in Lloyd’s Register in 1784 and initially operated in commercial service, including trade with the Baltic and the West Indies. In 1786, Charlotte was chartered for the British government’s convict-transport program and assigned to the First Fleet expedition. The ship was commanded by Thomas Gilbert, with John White serving as surgeon. Charlotte carried a mixed complement of male and female convicts, together with personnel of the New South Wales Marine Corps who guarded the prisoners. Sources differ slightly over the exact number of convicts embarked, reporting either 84 male and 24 female prisoners or 89 male and 20 female prisoners. The voyage was difficult because Charlotte was considered a slow or “heavy” sailer and had to be towed through the English Channel so that it could keep pace with the rest of the fleet. Charlotte reached Port Jackson, in the area now associated with Sydney, on 26 January 1788. Its arrival formed part of the foundation of the British penal colony in New South Wales. Among the convicts associated with the ship were James Squire, James Bloodsworth, James Underwood, Samuel Lightfoot, William Bryant, and Mary Bryant. The voyage also has an important documentary legacy through the Charlotte Medal, commissioned by surgeon John White and made by the convict Thomas Barrett. After leaving Port Jackson on 6 May 1788, Charlotte sailed toward China under charter to the East India Company to obtain cargo, including tea. It travelled in company with Scarborough and followed an eastern route across the Pacific. During this passage, the ships sighted or recorded islands and island groups in the region now identified with the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands. Charlotte reached Canton on 9 September 1788 after a 126-day voyage from Port Jackson and returned to England on 28 November 1789. Following its return, Bond and Co., merchants based in Walbrook, purchased the ship for use in the London–Jamaica trade. Charlotte subsequently spent much of its career as a West Indiaman. It was also among the transport vessels connected with the 1806 British expedition that captured the Dutch Cape Colony. At another point, it sailed as a cartel to France with prisoners from the captured French vessel Volontaire, alongside Anacreon. The vessel’s final fate is uncertain. A ship named Charlotte was reported lost off Newfoundland in November 1818 while sailing from Quebec to Liverpool, but the available evidence does not conclusively identify that wreck as the First Fleet vessel. Charlotte remained listed in Lloyd’s Register until 1821, possibly because of outdated registry information. It had disappeared from the relevant shipping lists by that time. The name was later commemorated by an Urban Transit Authority First Fleet ferry launched in 1986, and the historic ship also appeared in the film National Treasure.
History
Charlotte was built on the River Thames in 1784 and first entered Lloyd’s Register in the same year. Before being selected for convict transportation, it traded in the Baltic and West Indies. In 1786, the vessel was chartered for the First Fleet voyage to New South Wales. Thomas Gilbert served as master and John White as surgeon. Charlotte carried male and female convicts and members of the New South Wales Marine Corps. Its slow sailing performance reportedly required assistance while it was leaving the English Channel. Charlotte arrived at Port Jackson on 26 January 1788. The voyage was part of the British establishment of a penal colony in New South Wales and connected the ship with a number of well-documented convicts, including James Squire, James Bloodsworth, James Underwood, Samuel Lightfoot, William Bryant, and Mary Bryant. The voyage also generated the Charlotte Medal, an important surviving artifact made by convict Thomas Barrett at the request of John White. The ship departed Port Jackson on 6 May 1788, travelling with Scarborough toward China under an East India Company charter. The two ships took an eastern Pacific route and recorded islands later associated with the Gilbert and Marshall island groups. Charlotte reached Canton on 9 September 1788 and returned to England on 28 November 1789. After the return voyage, Bond and Co. acquired Charlotte for the London–Jamaica trade. The ship then operated mainly as a West Indiaman, while also undertaking transport duties connected with Britain’s 1806 campaign against the Dutch Cape Colony. It later sailed as a cartel to France with prisoners from Volontaire, in company with Anacreon. Charlotte’s end is unresolved. A ship of that name was reportedly lost off Newfoundland in November 1818 on a Quebec–Liverpool voyage, but historians have not established that it was the same vessel. The ship continued to appear in Lloyd’s Register until 1821, possibly because the register retained obsolete information. It was no longer present in shipping lists after that period. The historical name was commemorated by a First Fleet ferry in 1986 and by an appearance in the film National Treasure.
- 1986
First Fleet ferry commemoration
[1]An Urban Transit Authority First Fleet ferry was named Charlotte.
- 1818
Possible loss off Newfoundland
[1]A vessel named Charlotte was reported lost off Newfoundland, but its identity has not been conclusively connected to the First Fleet ship.
- 1806
Military transport service
[1]Charlotte served among the transport vessels associated with the British capture of the Dutch Cape Colony.
- 1789
Return to England
[1]Charlotte returned to England on 28 November after its First Fleet and China voyage.
- 1788
Arrival at Port Jackson
[1]Charlotte reached Port Jackson on 26 January as part of the First Fleet.
- 1788
Voyage to Canton
[1]After leaving New South Wales, Charlotte sailed to Canton under East India Company charter and reached China on 9 September.
- 1786
Chartered for the First Fleet
[1]The British government chartered Charlotte to transport convicts and marine personnel to New South Wales.
- 1784
Construction and first registry appearance
[1]Charlotte was built on the River Thames and first appeared in Lloyd’s Register.
Products and positioning
A late-eighteenth-century English merchant and transport vessel whose historical significance derives from its First Fleet voyage, colonial transportation role, and subsequent participation in long-distance commercial and military logistics.
Product categories. Merchant shipping · Convict transportation · Cargo transport · West Indies trade · East India Company charter service
Sources2 sources
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