The Lady Castlereagh dismasted in a cyclone off Madras, 24 October 1818 RMG BHC3437

The Lady Castlereagh dismasted in a cyclone off Madras, 24 October 1818
'The Lady Castlereagh dismasted in a cyclone off Madras, 24 October 1818'. Owned by Henry Callender esq. the 820 ton Lady Castlereagh made its first voyage for the East India Company in April 1803, on that occasion visiting Bengal. In all the vessel made seven voyages for the Company mainly to Bengal, but also to St Helena, Madras and during its last journey to China. In February 1809 the ship sailed under the command of captain William Hamilton, the ownership then residing with a Miss Jane Chrystie. By the time of the Lady Castlereagh's next voyage, which commenced in May 1811, William Hamilton had taken over ownership of the vessel. The last time the vessel is recorded in East India Company service was in June 1817 when it reached English moorings at the end of its seventh voyage. Clearly the incident depicted by the painting took place during an eighth voyage to the east, but not in the service of the Company. For its last voyage, the ship was contracted to the government for convict transport. It sailed for Sydney in 1817 and landed 220 convicts in April 1818. The incident depicted in the painting occurred on the return voyage, as recorded in the eyewitness account "Narrative of a Voyage to India; of a Shipwreck on board the Lady Castlereagh; and a Description of New South Wales" by W.B. Cramp (1823). The National Maritime Museum holds ship assurance documents dated to 1808-1810 for a Lady Castlereagh [MSS/85/062.4].

The Lady Castlereagh dismasted in a cyclone off Madras, 24 October 1818