Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The East Indiamen

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Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea Medal: The East Indiamen

AssociatedAssociated with Lord Mountbatten of Burma (Frogmore House, Windsor, England, 1900 - 1979)

Medallist John Pinches, Medallists

DateMay 2004

Object NameMedal

MediumSterling Silver

ClassificationsMedals

AcquisitionPresented in 2004 by Dr Joan M Burrell.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS072500.45

Keywords

About MeShips in the employment of the East India Company were unquestionably the largest and finest ships in the British merchant marine in the 18th and early 19th centuries. The route from the Thames to India and China was the longest regularly traversed by ships of the merchant marine, and the length of time spent at sea -as much as six months for a voyage to the east -was a factor which determined the exceptional size of these vessels. Furthermore, ships in the East India trade carried extremely valuable cargoes and many passengers: in peace no less than in war, they faced many hazards from predators. Their size was dictated by the fact that they sailed without protection and therefore had to be manned by large and exceptionally well-trained crews, which, by the late 18th century might number as many as 130 hands. Also, these ships were heavily armed so that in appearance and discipline they were the equivalent of naval vessels.

The building of East Indiamen was a specialised and highly lucrative trade centred on the River Thames for much of the 18th century .The shipyards were mainly located a1 Deptford, Rotherhithe and North fleet, but it was the famous Blackwall yard which achieved greatest fame. These great centres of shipbuilding predominated in the construction of very large vessels of elaborate and costly finish, but their position was steadily eroded by the high wages and material costs which were experienced during the Napoleonic Wars. By this time, many East Indiamen were being built in Bombay and Calcutta, where teak for the construction of hulls was more readily available, and it was not long before provincial British shipyards began to construct similar vessels from imported timber. Such largo vessels were, of course, very expensive to construct: the largest vessels in the China trade, could cost as much as £64,000 by the first decade of the 19th century.

The East India Company did not own ships, but chartered the vessels they needed from a select band of shipowners, most, if not all of whom were subscribers to the Company. The privilege of managing these vessels for the 'Honourable John' Company brought withit a good financial reward, and prestige in the maritime community. As the Company relinquished the privilege of exclusive enjoyment of trade with India and China, the privileges of the shipowners concerned were likewise lost, but many of the richest of the shipowners remained formidable figures in London shipowning circles, and the ships the continued to despatch to the East Indies and newer settlements in Australia and New Zealand - the famous 'Blackwall Frigates' -constituted yet another glorious chapter in the history of the British merchant marine

The Mountbatten Medallic History of Great Britain and the Sea, John Pinches Medallists Ltd.