Earl Cornwallis (1783 ship)

The Earl Cornwallis was a merchant ship built in France in 1783, initially named Ville de Paris. She was captured by the British and renamed in honor of Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, a British Army general prominent during the American Revolutionary War.

The ship was primarily employed by the British East India Company (EIC) and undertook voyages to India and China. Details about her specific voyages are scattered, but she generally transported goods such as tea, silk, and spices to Britain. These goods were essential to the EIC's trading operations and contributed significantly to the British economy.

Later in her career, the Earl Cornwallis was known for her involvement in transporting convicts to New South Wales, Australia. She made several voyages as a convict transport, carrying male and female prisoners, as well as supplies, to the penal colony. These voyages were crucial in establishing the early European population of Australia. Records indicate that she undertook at least three voyages transporting convicts to Australia: 1793, 1796, and 1801. Information about the mortality rates on these voyages is variable, but generally reflects the harsh conditions of maritime travel during that era.

The Earl Cornwallis's career reflects the diverse roles of merchant ships during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, from facilitating trade with the East to serving as a vital component in the British penal system's transportation program. The eventual fate of the Earl Cornwallis is less definitively documented than her active years, though maritime records might contain further details about her decommissioning or eventual loss.