Gabriel

Gabriel was an India-built country ship launched at Calcutta in 1794. The vessel was constructed primarily for carrying cotton and operated in the maritime trade east of the Cape of Good Hope. Unlike ships permanently employed by the British East India Company, country ships were generally involved in regional commerce around India and the wider Indian Ocean, although Gabriel undertook at least two voyages to England under charter to the Company. The ship's design reflected its intended cargo role. It had a forecastle and poop, with beams and waterways arranged for an orlop deck. The lowest deck was not fully planked because leaving the space open made it easier to load and store cotton. During its first years, Gabriel participated in local Indian trade. In January 1796, Captain John Caise sailed the ship from Diamond Harbour toward England under an East India Company charter. The voyage took Gabriel through Saugor and St Helena before it reached Crookhaven and then The Downs in December 1796. It was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain in February 1797. Lloyd's Register later recorded Carrs as master and Hamilton as owner, although the available reference material does not establish a complete ownership history. Gabriel continued to operate on long-distance routes. In September 1797, while sailing toward India, it encountered a severe gale and had to put into Torbay after losing an anchor and suffering damage to its galleries. The vessel subsequently made a voyage to Bengal under Captain William Turnbull. Turnbull sailed from Bengal for England in February 1799, with the ship reaching St Helena in May and proceeding toward England by July. Gabriel returned to local trade in India in 1800. The ship's final employment was connected with British military operations in the Red Sea. The British government requisitioned or used Gabriel as a transport supporting General Sir David Baird's expedition, whose wider strategic purpose was connected with assisting General Sir Ralph Abercrombie during the campaign associated with the Battle of Alexandria. On 8 September 1801, Gabriel was wrecked in the Strait of Jubal at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez. Although the vessel was lost, all the people aboard were saved: Captain Turnbull, a crew of 100, and 42 women and 46 children accompanying members of the 61st Regiment of Foot. The survivors reached Cosseir by ship's boats, after which Turnbull arranged for an Arab dhow to carry the women and children onward to Jeddah. The loss was reported in Lloyd's List on 25 May 1802.

Gabriel was launched at Calcutta in 1794 as a country ship intended for the carriage of cotton. Its construction included a forecastle and poop, with structural arrangements for an orlop deck. Because cotton could be stored more conveniently in an unplanked lower space, the lowest deck was not completed with full planking. This design indicates that the vessel was optimized for cargo handling rather than for the accommodation standards or specialized naval functions of a warship. From 1794 to 1795, Gabriel was engaged in local trade in and around India. Its commercial career then expanded to an intercontinental route. On 16 January 1796, Captain John Caise sailed from Diamond Harbour for England under charter to the British East India Company. The ship called at Saugor in February, reached St Helena in June, arrived at Crookhaven in November, and reached The Downs on 11 December. Gabriel was entered in the Registry of Great Britain on 25 February 1797. A Lloyd's Register entry associated the vessel with Carrs as master and Hamilton as owner. The return voyage toward India in 1797 was interrupted by heavy weather. On 11 September, Gabriel encountered a gale and put into Torbay after losing an anchor and sustaining damage to its galleries. The ship remained serviceable and later returned to the India trade. Under Captain William Turnbull, it made a voyage to Bengal beginning in the period recorded for 1798. Turnbull departed Bengal for England on 9 February 1799. Gabriel reached St Helena on 10 May and was reported to be proceeding toward England by July. In 1800, it resumed local trading activity in India. Gabriel's last assignment moved it from commercial shipping into imperial logistics. The British government employed the ship as a transport supporting General Sir David Baird's expedition to the Red Sea. That expedition formed part of British efforts connected with operations against French influence in Egypt and with support for General Sir Ralph Abercrombie's campaign culminating in the Battle of Alexandria. On 8 September 1801, Gabriel was wrecked in the Strait of Jubal, near the entrance to the Gulf of Suez. The disaster did not result in the loss of life recorded in the available sources. Captain William Turnbull, 100 crew members, and 42 women and 46 children who were dependents of the 61st Regiment of Foot were all saved. The survivors used Gabriel's boats to reach Cosseir. Turnbull then arranged for an Arab dhow to transport the women and children to Jeddah. Lloyd's List published notice of the vessel's loss on 25 May 1802. Gabriel therefore ended its career as a commercial ship that had been repurposed for military transport, with its final wreck occurring during a British expeditionary operation.

• 1801

  Wrecked in the Strait of Jubal

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Gabriel was wrecked at the entrance to the Gulf of Suez while serving as a British military transport. Everyone aboard survived.

• 1799

  Voyage from Bengal toward England

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Captain William Turnbull sailed Gabriel from Bengal in February; the ship reached St Helena in May and was proceeding toward England by July.

• 1797

  Registered in Great Britain

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Gabriel was admitted to the Registry of Great Britain on 25 February after completing its first documented voyage to England.

• 1797

  Storm damage at Torbay

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  A gale forced Gabriel into Torbay after it lost an anchor and suffered damage to its galleries while sailing toward India.

• 1796

  East India Company charter voyage to England

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Captain John Caise sailed Gabriel from Diamond Harbour to England under charter to the British East India Company.

• 1794

  Launched at Calcutta

  [1]Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org

  Gabriel was launched at Calcutta as an India-built country ship designed chiefly to carry cotton.

A late-eighteenth-century India-built merchant and transport vessel designed for cotton carriage and adaptable to commercial, chartered, and military service.

• Country ship · 1794

  Gabriel

  The vessel itself was an India-built country ship launched at Calcutta in 1794. Its cargo-oriented design, including an incompletely planked lower deck, was suited to the storage and movement of cotton. During its career it carried commercial cargo, undertook East India Company-chartered voyages, and was later used as a military transport.

• 1801British Red Sea expedition

  Red Sea · Egypt · British Indian Ocean routes

  The British government used Gabriel as a transport supporting General Sir David Baird's expedition to the Red Sea, an operation linked to British efforts in Egypt and support for General Sir Ralph Abercrombie's campaign.

  Outcome. Gabriel was wrecked in the Strait of Jubal on 8 September 1801, but the crew and passengers were rescued and reached Cosseir.

  Source

• 1801

  Conversion from commercial trading to military transportStrategy

  Background

  After years in Indian and England-bound trade, Gabriel was employed by the British government to support the expedition to the Red Sea.

  Action taken

  The ship carried military personnel and dependents associated with the 61st Regiment of Foot during the expeditionary operation.

  Aftermath

  Gabriel was wrecked in the Strait of Jubal, while all 100 crew members and the 88 dependents aboard were saved.

  Source

1. 1Gabriel (1794 ship)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Bombay Country Ships, 1790–1833routledge.com
3. 3Ships of the East India Companyen.wikipedia.org