For the invasion of Java (1811), under the auspices of Lord Minto, the British government hired a number of transport vessels. Most of the transports were "country ships". Country ships were vessels that were registered in ports of British India such as Bombay and Calcutta, and that traded around India, with Southeast Asia, and China, but that did not sail to England without special authorization from the EIC. In addition, some of the transports for the invasion were "regular ships" of the British East India Company (EIC), and some were "extra ships". Regular ships were on a long-term contract with the EIC, and extra ships were vessels the EIC had chartered for one or more voyages.
The data in the table below comes primarily from two sources. An 1814 report from a Select Committee of the House of Commons of the British Parliament provided the data only on country ships, giving the names of a large number of vessels, and their burthen (bm). Then the Naval Chronicle published a list of vessels than had assembled at Malacca in May–June 1811 and then sailed for Java.Naval Chronicle, Vol. 27, p.109. The list in the Naval Chronicle also included the names of British Royal Navy warships, EIC warships, and other EIC vessels, particularly regular and extra ships. A number of transports in the Select Committee report do not show up as having sailed from Malacca. Equally, a number of transports in the Naval Chronicle list are not in the Select Committee report. Transports without burthen data are in the Naval Chronicle but not in the Select Committee report.
Names of vessels that appear in both lists do not always agree. Some vessels in the Select Committee report that have compound names such as "Bombay Anna" or "Arab Mary" appear in the Naval Chronicle as Bombay and Anna, and as Arab and Mary. Also, transliteration of non-English names shows no consistency across sources, making it extremely difficult to try to find more information about the vessels in question.
Many of the transports gathered at Malacca and then left in four divisions on the following days: 1st division: 7 June 1811 2nd division: 11 June 3rd division: 14 June 4th division: 17 June
Name Burthen Division Notes 750 3 Lost on the Bill of Portland 1815 Ann 403 4 Built at Pegu? Bombay 955 2 Lost at sea 1815-16 Anne 405 4 Possibly victualer Antipodes 70 Asia 992 3 Asia Felix 324 3 600 1 EIC extra ship Betsey 330 4 Hired transport Betsey 175 3 Hired brig Borneo 365 4 Possibly a victualer; lost at Madagascar 1814 Britannia 170 1 Cawdry 4 Charles Baillie 200 Charlotte 248 4 Foundered in Madras Roads October 1818 653 2 501 1 Derie Beggi / Derea Beggye 500 4 Foundered 1838 Duncan 400 3 Built at Beypour in 1803 Estambool / Estaenboole 310 4 Fattahoul Khyer / Footahoolkeer 368 4 Fifeshire 501 Fleetwood 350 1 ex-Jessy (Calcutta; 1802); broken up at Calcutta in 1815. Fort William 1160 1 Friendship 872 3 Lost on the Nicobars, 1819 Futteh Almoneen 490Harmoody 415 2 Harriot / Harriet? 488 Built at Pegu? 565 2 EIC regular ship 821 2 EIC regular ship James Drummond 669 3 Built at Demaun 1800 as Adam Smith; broken up at Calcutta, 1823. Kheeleel / Keleel 310 4 571 3 EIC extra ship Lowjee Family 926 3 Destroyed by fire in Bombay Harbour, 1849 Macauley 264 4 / Marchioness of Wellesley 510 / 581 Broken up 1821, or 1824 Margaret and Francis 305 1 Mary 250 4 Lost on the John and Margaretta Shoal 1823. Mary 400 Arab Mary 350 2 762 2 Wrecked March 1822 Mentor 400 Minerva brig 160 Minto 190 4 EIC-hired agent vessel 770 4 Built at Calcutta Mysore 831 / 900 2 Built Pegu 1795: Lost off Pulo Sapata on 7 December 1818 Nadir Shah 518 600 4 EIC extra ship (or hired brig Olivia) 420 4 Captured 1806; returned to British hands Perseverance 280 4 Phoenix 336 818 3 EIC regular ship 671 4 EIC regular ship 400 3 Captured 1807; Returned to British ownership; registered at Calcutta prior to January 1811 Substitute 4 , or Solimany 689 3 Launched at Demaun Sullimany 350 Sultana 300 3 Sundany 430 1 517 Burnt 1811 at Malacca on the expedition to Java Troubridge 800 2 250 2 Captured by in 1815; later returned to British ownership Wellesley 3 819 1 EIC regular ship 833 1 Wrecked September 1815
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