Trademark
UnclaimedJava was an 1811 merchant ship built at Calcutta that traded with Britain, India, China, and Australia before becoming a Gibraltar coal hulk.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Java was a merchant sailing ship launched at Calcutta in 1811, when the port formed part of British India. Although the supplied brand-oriented input identifies the subject as “Java,” the authoritative Wikipedia title makes clear that this entity was a named vessel rather than a modern consumer brand or corporate enterprise. Its documented career extended across commercial shipping, East India Company service, migrant transportation, government chartering, and later harbor-support work. The ship’s early history is associated with a story that it was built as a gift for an officer of the British East India Company. According to the account, passengers from an East India Company vessel visiting Java for a picnic were attacked, and a young girl was carried away. An officer organized an armed rescue party, after which the girl’s father supposedly commissioned Java for him. The ship reportedly carried a figurehead representing a young girl with her hands crossed over her breast. This origin story is traditional rather than a firmly documented corporate founding record, and the identity of the officer and builder is not established in the available material. Java appeared in Lloyd’s Register in 1813, listed with Dennison as master, Paxton & Co. as owner, and a London–India trading route. She was admitted to the British registry on 7 October 1813. On 30 November of that year, Captain Henry Templer obtained a letter of marque, allowing the vessel to undertake authorized wartime privateering activity, although the available account does not detail any resulting captures or engagements. Between 1824 and 1827, Java completed a voyage under charter to the British East India Company. After Joseph Hare acquired the vessel in 1825, he offered it to the Company for a tea voyage from China, via Bengal, back to Britain. The Company chartered the ship at a rate of £10 18 shillings per ton of burthen for 1,175 tons. Under Captain Thomas Driver, Java left the Downs on 26 July 1825, reached Saugor on 3 January 1826, and returned to her English moorings on 13 March 1827. Hare sold her to Fairlie & Co. of Calcutta and London in 1828; Scott & Co. of London acquired her in 1836. Java later entered the migrant trade between Great Britain and South Australia. Chartered by the South Australian Government, she sailed from London and Plymouth in October 1839 under Captain Alexander Duthie and reached the Gulf St Vincent off Adelaide on 6 February 1840. The voyage became one of the most troubled episodes in the vessel’s history. Reports indicate that between approximately 30 and 50 passengers, including many children, died from disease, malnutrition, or starvation. A Medical Board review commissioned for the South Australian authorities criticized the treatment of passengers by the captain and medical officer and resulted in Scott & Co. being denied payment for the charter. In 1841, Java was sold to Joseph Somes of London. Under his ownership she was chartered by the British government as a troop transport, visiting ports in North America, the West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand. In 1857, J. Hall Jr. of London purchased the vessel and sent her from Liverpool to Gibraltar with a cargo of coal. She arrived on 20 February in a leaking condition after striking Pearl Rock near Punta Carnero in the Strait of Gibraltar. Around 1859, Java was sold to the Gibraltar shipping agent W. H. Smith of Smith, Imossi, & Company and converted into coal hulk No. 16. In this stationary role she supported maritime activity at Gibraltar for decades. In 1939, Smith sold the aging hulk for £500 to Genoese ship breaker Giuseppe Riccardi of Sampierdarena. She was towed to Genoa on 26 July 1939 for demolition, but remained afloat into the Second World War. On 20 September 1940, Italian frogmen destroyed her with limpet mines during a training exercise. The available historical account describes Java as the only vessel employed by the East India Company known to have survived until the Second World War.
History
Java was launched at Calcutta in 1811 as a large merchant sailing ship associated with British imperial and East India Company trade. A traditional account says that the ship was commissioned as a gift for an East India Company officer after he helped rescue a girl taken during an attack on a group of picnickers visiting Java. The vessel’s reported figurehead, depicting a young girl, is connected with this story, though the available historical record does not firmly identify the ship’s builder or the recipient. The vessel entered Lloyd’s Register in 1813 with Dennison as master and Paxton & Co. as owner, trading between London and India. Britain admitted Java to its registry on 7 October 1813. On 30 November, Captain Henry Templer secured a letter of marque. This document placed the ship within the wartime system that authorized private vessels to act against enemy shipping, but the surviving summary does not record specific privateering operations. Java’s best-documented commercial assignment came in the mid-1820s. Joseph Hare, who had purchased her in 1825, made the ship available to the British East India Company. The Company chartered Java to carry tea from China back to Britain by way of Bengal. The charter covered 1,175 tons at £10 18 shillings per ton. Captain Thomas Driver departed the Downs on 26 July 1825, reached Saugor on 3 January 1826, and returned to England on 13 March 1827. Hare’s ownership was followed by a sale to Fairlie & Co. in 1828 and then to Scott & Co. in 1836. Under Scott & Co., Java was used in the migrant trade. The South Australian Government chartered the ship to carry emigrants from Britain to South Australia. She left London and Plymouth in October 1839 and reached the Gulf St Vincent near Adelaide on 6 February 1840. Conditions on the passage were disastrous. Contemporary reports placed passenger deaths somewhere between roughly 30 and 50, with children among those who died. The causes were described as disease, malnutrition, and starvation. The South Australian Commissioners arranged a Medical Board inquiry, which criticized the conduct of Captain Alexander Duthie and the medical officer. The authorities consequently ordered that Scott & Co. should not be paid for the charter. Java changed hands again in 1841, when Joseph Somes of London acquired her. Somes chartered the vessel to the British government for troop transport. During this period she visited destinations in North America, the West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand, illustrating the ship’s transition from commercial cargo work to state-supported transportation. In 1857, J. Hall Jr. of London purchased Java and dispatched her from Liverpool to Gibraltar with coal. She reached Gibraltar on 20 February but was leaking after striking Pearl Rock, near Punta Carnero on the Spanish side of the Strait of Gibraltar. Around 1859, Gibraltar shipping agent W. H. Smith of Smith, Imossi, & Company acquired her and placed her in stationary harbor service as coal hulk No. 16. Java remained in this role for many decades. In 1939, Smith sold her for £500 to Giuseppe Riccardi, a Genoese ship breaker from Sampierdarena, and the hulk was towed to Genoa on 26 July for dismantling. Demolition was not completed before the Second World War. On 20 September 1940, Italian frogmen sank or destroyed the vessel with limpet mines in a training exercise. Her survival into the war made Java notable in East India Company maritime history: the available reference describes her as the only vessel employed by the Company to remain extant until the Second World War.
- 1940
Destroyed at Genoa
[1]Italian frogmen destroyed Java with limpet mines during a training exercise on 20 September.
- 1939
Sold for breaking up
[1]The hulk was sold to Genoese ship breaker Giuseppe Riccardi and towed to Genoa.
- 1859
Conversion to coal hulk
[1]Java entered stationary service at Gibraltar as coal hulk No. 16.
- 1857
Damage near Gibraltar
[1]Java reached Gibraltar in leaking condition after striking Pearl Rock while carrying coal.
- 1840
Arrival in South Australia
[1]Java arrived near Adelaide on 6 February after carrying migrants from Britain; the voyage prompted an official medical review.
- 1827
Return from Company voyage
[1]Java returned to England on 13 March after completing her documented East India Company charter.
- 1825
East India Company charter begins
[1]The British East India Company chartered Java for a tea-carrying voyage from China via Bengal to Britain.
- 1813
Entry into Lloyd’s Register and British registry
[1]Java appeared in Lloyd’s Register and was admitted to the British registry on 7 October.
- 1813
Letter of marque issued
[1]Captain Henry Templer obtained a letter of marque for Java on 30 November.
- 1811
Launch at Calcutta
[1]Java was launched at Calcutta in British India as a merchant ship.
Products and positioning
A long-lived nineteenth-century merchant vessel whose roles evolved from international cargo shipping to migrant and military transport, and finally to stationary coal-hulk service.
Merchant ship · 1811
Java
A large sailing merchant vessel launched at Calcutta in 1811. Java carried general cargo and participated in long-distance trade linking Britain, India, Bengal, and China. Her documented East India Company assignment involved carrying tea from China back to Britain via Bengal.
Migrant and troop transport
Java
During later service, Java transported migrants from Britain to South Australia under a government charter and subsequently carried troops under British government charter to destinations including North America, the West Indies, South Africa, and New Zealand.
Coal hulk · 1859
Java
After sustaining damage near Gibraltar, Java was converted around 1859 into coal hulk No. 16. In this stationary role she supported the storage or handling of coal at Gibraltar for approximately eight decades.
Controversies
1840
South Australian migrant-voyage deaths
The passage from Britain to South Australia was associated with the deaths of approximately 30 to 50 passengers, including numerous children, from reported disease, malnutrition, and starvation. A Medical Board review criticized the treatment of passengers and led authorities to withhold the charter payment from Scott & Co.
Brand decisions
1859
Conversion to Gibraltar coal hulkStrategyBackground
After Java arrived at Gibraltar in a leaking condition following a collision with Pearl Rock, continued ocean-going service was no longer documented.
Action taken
W. H. Smith of Smith, Imossi, & Company acquired the vessel and placed her in stationary coal-hulk service.
Aftermath
Java remained in Gibraltar harbor service until she was sold for breaking up in 1939.
1825
Acceptance of East India Company tea charterStrategyBackground
After Joseph Hare acquired Java, he offered the vessel to the British East India Company for a long-distance tea voyage connecting China, Bengal, and Britain.
Action taken
The Company chartered Java for a voyage covering 1,175 tons at £10 18 shillings per ton.
Aftermath
Java completed the voyage and returned to England in March 1827.
Charter rate. £10 18 shillings per ton of burthen (1825-1827)
Recent events
Reported
Oracle releases Java 14[3]
Oracle released Java 14 (Oracle JDK 14), which includes new features and updates to the Java development kit.
- Unconfirmed
Oracle releases Java 14[4]
Oracle formally released Java 14, a new Java Development Kit version with new features including preview features and updates to the Java language and runtime.
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