Prince of Orange was launched in Sunderland in 1814. She originally sailed as a West Indiaman but then became an East Indiaman, sailing to India under a license from the British East India Company (EIC). She made two voyages transporting convicts to Australia, the first in 1820–1821 to New South Wales, and the second in 1822 to Van Diemen's Land. Between 1830 and 1840 she made nine voyages as a whaler to Davis Strait. She was lengthened and rebuilt in 1846. In December 1852 she grounded. It took some months to get her off. She then need major repairs. She also suffered damages in 1854. She foundered in 1858.

Career Prince of Orange first appeared in online copies of Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1815.LR (1815), Seq.No.P494. On 29 September she put into Plymouth in distress.

Year Master Owner Trade Source 1815 HutchinsonT.Silk Johnson London–St Kitts LR 1816 T.Silk Johnson Plymouth–LondonLondon–Île de France 1818 T.Silk [C.] Johnson London–Calcutta LR

In 1813 the EIC had lost its monopoly on the trade between India and Britain. British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a license from the EIC. Prince of Oranges owners applied for such a licence on 6 December 1815; they received the licence on 8 December.

Captain Silk sailed from London on 5 April 1817, under a license from the EIC, bound for Bombay.LR (1818), "Licensed and Country Ships".

On 25 January 1819, Prince of Orange, Silk, master, was ashore near Ramsgate. She had been on her way to Ceylon when she ran afoul of Renewal, Cromartie, master, which was on her way to Barbados. She was gotten off but was expected to have to put into the Thames for repairs.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1819 T.Silk Johnson London–Calcutta LR; damages repaired 1818 1821 T.Silk Johnson London LR; damages repaired 1818

Convict voyage to Port Jackson (1820–1821): Captain Thomas Silk sailed from the Downs on 8 October 1820. She arrived at Port Jackson on 12 February 1821. She had embarked 136 convicts and suffered one convict death on the voyage.

Convict voyage to Hobart (1822): Captain John Moncrief sailed from England on 1 April 1822. She arrived at Hobart on 23 July 1822. She had embarked 136 convicts and suffered four convict death on the voyage.

Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1822 T.SilkMoncrief Johnson LondonLondon–New South Wales LR; damages repaired 1818 1824 T.MoncriefJ.White Johnson London–New South Wales LR; damages repaired 1818 1825 R.Nelson Soames Cork transport LR; small repairs 1824 1826 J.Jameson Hutton Leith–"Mrmc" LR; small repairs 1824 1827 J.Jameson Hutton Greenock–Charleston LR; small repairs 1823 1828 J.Jameson Beveridge Greenock–Petersburg LR; small repairs 1823 & 1824 1828 J.Jameson P.Jaffrey Leith LR (Supple.); small repairs 1823 & 1824, & good repair 1828 1830 J.Jameson W.Guthrie Leith LR (Supple.); good repair 1828 1831 Gutherie Waddell Leith–Davis Strait LR; good repair 1828

Northern Fisheries whaler (1830–1840) From 1830 to 1836, and 1839 to 1840 Prince of Orange was a whaler, hunting whales in the northern whale fishery, that is, the waters of Davis Strait and Greenland. The data below came primarily from Coltish:

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil 1830 Guthrie Davis Strait 1 1831 Guthrie Davis Strait 4 25 1832 Guthrie Davis Strait 30 115 1833 Guthrie Davis Strait 29 128 1834 Guthrie Davis Strait 14 67.5 1835 Guthrie Davis Strait 2 15 1836 Guthrie Davis Strait 1 5

After two years of poor whaling seasons Prince of Orange returned to trading.

Year Master Owner Trade Homeport Source & notes 1838 J.Watts Woods Leith–North America Leith LR; large repair 1830, & small repairs 1838 1839 Packwood Woods Leith–Davis Strait Leith LR; large repair 1830, & small repairs 1838

Prince of Orange returned to whaling.

Year Master Where Whales Tuns whale oil 1839 Packwood Davis Strait 1 7.5 1840 Stratton (or Straiton) Davis Strait 2 7.5

After two more years of poor whaling, Prince of Orange returned to trading.

Year Master Owner Trade Source 1840 PackwoodR.Deas Woods Leith–Davis StraitLeith–New South Wales LR; large repair 1830, small repairs 1838, & large repair 1841 1843 R.Deas Woods Leith–New South WalesLiverpool–Africa LR; large repair 1830 & 1841 1844 R.DeasEllis Woods Liverpool–AfricaLiverpool LR; large repair 1830 & 1841 1845 Ellis Woods Liverpool–Dundee LR; large repair 1839 & 1841; "wants repair"

On 21 February 1845, Prince of Orange sailed from Ichaboe Island."Shipping Intelligence". Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), 14 April 1845; Issue 19458. She was one of dozens of vessels that called in at the island after 1843, traffic peaking in 1845, to pick up guano. She arrived at New Orleans on 10 April, and returned to Britain with a cargo of cotton.

Rebuilt 1846 Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1846 EllisA.Smith Woods Leith–Onega, RussiaLiverpool "Rest." LR; lengthened and almost rebuilt 1846

On 16 January 1847 Captain Smith sailed Prince of Orange for Bombay. She arrived there on 15 May. She left Bombay on 10 July and returned to Liverpool.

Year Master Owner Trade Homeport Source 1850 Stephens Woods Liverpool–Bombay Leith LR; lengthened and almost rebuilt 1846

On 22 October , Archibald, master, caught fire about 100 miles from Reunion while sailing from Calcutta to London. Prince of Orange, Stephens, master, rescued the crew and took them into Saint Helena."SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE". Daily News (London, England), 7 January 1851; Issue 1442.

On 4 November 1853 Prince of Orange fell on her side while in the Brunswick Graving Dock at Liverpool. She was righted but with the loss of her mizzen mast and with her fore and main masts sprung."SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE". Daily News (London, England), 5 November 1853; Issue 2328.

Year Master Owner Trade Homeport Source 1854 Woods Liverpool–Savannah Leith LR; Lengthened & rebuilt 1846, large repair 1853 1856 George Harrison Liverpool–Crimea Liverpool LR; Lengthened & rebuilt 1846, large repair 1853, and small repairs 1855 1858 Williams Harrison Liverpool–India Liverpool LR; Lengthened & rebuilt 1846, large repair 1855, and small repairs 1855 & 1857

Fate In 1858, Prince of Orange, was sailing from Kooria Mooria (Khuriya Muriya Islands) to Falmouth when her crew had to abandon her at sea."SHIPPING". Morning Chronicle (London, England), 11 June 1858; Issue 28541. She foundered on 9 April near Mauritius.Sunderland Built Ships: Prince of Orange Retrieved 29 September 2020.

Between 1855 and 1860, some 200,000 tons of guano were mined from the islands. The mining ceased soon after.

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