Glory
Product brand
UnclaimedGlory was a British East Indiaman launched in 1802 that completed two chartered voyages for the British East India Company before disappearing in the Indian Ocean in 1808.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Glory was an early-nineteenth-century British merchant vessel and East Indiaman, rather than a modern consumer brand. Launched in 1802, the ship operated as an “extra ship” under contract to the British East India Company, which used privately owned or chartered vessels to supplement its regular maritime fleet. Glory was rated at approximately 540 tons and was tendered to the Company by Joseph Dorin at a peacetime freight rate of £13 14 shillings per ton. Before beginning Company service, the vessel underwent repairs by Wells. The ship made three Company voyages between 1803 and 1808. Its first voyage began at Plymouth on 17 July 1803 under Captain Thomas Rumbold Taylor, with Madras and Ceylon as principal destinations. Glory called at Rio de Janeiro before reaching Madras in February 1804 and Colombo in April. The voyage was marked by the death of Captain Taylor in a duel with Major William Davison at Madras on 4 March 1804. First Mate John Perry was associated with the vessel during this period. Glory returned through St Helena and reached The Downs in February 1805. For its second voyage, Glory sailed from The Downs on 13 June 1805 under Captain Horatio Beevor. The ship formed part of a British expeditionary movement associated with the capture of the Dutch Cape Colony in January 1806. Alongside other East Indiamen, Glory transported troops and supplies to the Cape of Good Hope under the wider command structure led by General Sir David Baird and Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham. After the Dutch capitulation, the convoy continued eastward. Glory reached Madras in April 1806 and Calcutta in May, then returned via Madras, Trincomalee, the Cape, and St Helena, arriving back at The Downs in April 1807. Glory departed Portsmouth on 15 September 1807 for its third voyage to Madras and Bengal. The ship reached Madras in February 1808 and Calcutta in March. On the homeward passage, Glory sailed with a returning fleet that left Bengal on 25 October 1808. During a gale between 20 and 23 November, Glory parted company with the fleet together with Experiment and Lord Nelson in the southern Indian Ocean. None of the three ships was ever heard from again. The disappearance made Glory one of several East Indiamen lost during the hazardous return voyage from Asia in the period. The East India Company later valued the cargo carried by Glory at £5,292. No wreck, survivor account, or definitive explanation for the loss is recorded in the supplied reference material. The ship therefore has historical significance as an example of the commercial, military, and logistical role played by East Indiamen during the Napoleonic era, especially in the British campaign at the Cape and the Company's trade between Britain, India, and Ceylon.
History
Glory was launched in 1802 as a British merchant vessel configured for the long-distance East India trade. It entered British East India Company service as an extra ship, a category used to expand the Company's carrying capacity beyond its regular fleet. The Company accepted Joseph Dorin's tender on 1 April 1803 for a vessel of 540 tons at a peacetime freight rate of £13 14 shillings per ton. Repairs by Wells were completed before the ship sailed. Glory's first Company voyage began at Plymouth on 17 July 1803 under Captain Thomas Rumbold Taylor. The vessel proceeded toward Madras and Ceylon, calling at Rio de Janeiro and reaching Madras on 3 February 1804. Taylor died at Madras on 4 March after a duel with Major William Davison. The ship's first mate was John Perry. Glory continued to Colombo, returned to Madras, and then sailed home through St Helena, arriving at The Downs on 8 February 1805. Captain Horatio Beevor commanded the second voyage, which began at The Downs on 13 June 1805. The ship was incorporated into the British expedition associated with the seizure of the Dutch Cape Colony. It reached the Cape of Good Hope in January 1806 with other East Indiamen carrying military personnel and supplies. Following the Dutch capitulation on 18 January, the convoy continued under naval protection toward India. Glory reached Madras in April and Calcutta in May. The return journey passed through Saugor, Madras, Trincomalee, the Cape, and St Helena before the ship arrived at The Downs on 12 April 1807. Glory departed Portsmouth on 15 September 1807 for its third voyage to Madras and Bengal, again under Beevor. It reached Madras on 16 February 1808 and Calcutta on 10 March. The homeward fleet left Bengal on 25 October. During a gale between 20 and 23 November, Glory, Experiment, and Lord Nelson separated from the main fleet at approximately 8°30′S, 80°00′E. All three vessels disappeared and no confirmed reports of them followed. The East India Company recorded the value of Glory's lost cargo as £5,292. The ship's fate remains unresolved in the available historical account, with no reported wreck or survivors.
- 1808
Third voyage ends in disappearance
[1]Glory vanishes in the Indian Ocean after separating from the homeward Bengal fleet during a gale.
- 1807
Second voyage completed
[1]Glory returns to The Downs after completing its second East India Company voyage.
- 1806
Participation in Cape Colony expedition
[1]The ship helps transport forces and supplies during the British capture of the Dutch Cape Colony.
- 1805
Second voyage begins
[1]Glory sails from The Downs under Captain Horatio Beevor for the Cape of Good Hope, Madras, and Bengal.
- 1804
Captain Taylor dies at Madras
[1]Taylor is killed in a duel with Major William Davison during the first voyage.
- 1803
East India Company charter accepted
[1]The Company accepts Joseph Dorin's tender for Glory, a 540-ton extra ship, following repairs.
- 1803
First voyage begins
[1]Glory sails from Plymouth for Madras and Ceylon under Captain Thomas Rumbold Taylor.
- 1802
Glory is launched
[1]The vessel is launched as a British merchant ship and later becomes available for chartered East India Company service.
Products and positioning
A contracted British East Indiaman used for long-distance commercial shipping and, during its second voyage, military logistics in support of British imperial operations.
East Indiaman · 1802
Glory
A 540-ton British merchant vessel used as an extra ship under contract to the British East India Company. Glory transported commercial cargo between Britain and Asian ports and also carried troops and supplies during the British expedition against the Dutch Cape Colony. Its documented routes included Madras, Colombo, Calcutta, the Cape of Good Hope, St Helena, and Atlantic ports.
Marketing campaigns
- 1806British capture of the Dutch Cape Colony
Cape of Good Hope · British East India trade network
Glory joined a convoy of East Indiamen associated with the British expedition led by General Sir David Baird and Admiral Sir Home Riggs Popham. The ship carried supplies and troops to the Cape before continuing its commercial voyage to India.
Outcome. The Dutch governor capitulated on 18 January 1806, after which the convoy continued under naval escort toward Madras and Bengal.
Brand decisions
1803
Acceptance as an extra East India Company shipStrategyBackground
The British East India Company required additional shipping capacity for its long-distance trade and accepted Joseph Dorin's tender for Glory.
Action taken
The Company chartered Glory at a stated peacetime freight rate for a 540-ton vessel after repairs.
Aftermath
Glory completed two Company voyages and began a third before disappearing on the homeward passage in 1808.
Freight rate. £13 14s per ton (1803 charter)
Recent events
Reported
GLORY and HRS announce CASHINFINITY integration for Oracle MICROS Simphony[2]
GLORY Global Solutions announced a partnership with HRS Hospitality Retail Systems to provide a plug-and-play integration between GLORY's CASHINFINITY cash-recycling solutions and the Oracle MICROS Simphony platform.
Sources2 sources
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