Brilliant

Official Number
none

The Brilliant was a full-rigged ship built by William Bowes and launched at Whitehaven on the 14th April 1807. She was probably owned locally or in Liverpool in her early career, and operated in the trade to the Caribbean. She was then sold to Fleming and Co. and operated out of London. A Liverpool newspaper reported the Brilliant, Capt.Fenn, at Havannah from Pensacola in March 1814, having sailed in a small convoy under the care of HMS Gertrude.

After the end of the Napoleonic and American wars, the Brilliant became an "extra ship" of the East India Company and made passages to India. In October 1816 she was reported off Deal, bound for Bengal under Capt.Fenn. She continued to trade between London and Calcutta until her loss in 1821.

On the 10th March 1821, whilst bound from London to Calcutta, the Brilliant stranded off Coringa. She was refloated, and after repair she was bought by the Nawab of Nellore.

Name
Year Built
Gross Tons
Length (feet)
Breadth (feet)
Depth (feet)
Masts
Figurehead
Stern
Lloyd's Classn.
Brilliant
1807
367
 
 
 
3
 
 
 

Sources :

  1. "Shipbuilding in Whitehaven - A Checklist" by Harry Fancy, Whitehaven Museum (1984).
  2. "Ships of the East India Company" by Rowan Hackman, World Ship Society (2001).
  3. Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Shipowners' Red Book) 1808-9: Brilliant, ship, 367 tons, built at Whitehaven in 1807, coppered in 1807, owned by Hyde & Co., master Capt.D.Morrison, voyage Liverpool - Honduras.
  4. Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Underwriters' Green Book) 1813: Brilliant, ship, 367 tons, 16 guns, built at Whitehaven, 7 years old, owned by Fleming & Co., masters Capts.Thompson & B.Fenn, voyage London - Trinidad.
  5. The Liverpool Mercury, 6th May 1814.
  6. The Morning Post, 23rd October 1816.
  7. Lloyd's Register of Shipping (Shipowners' Red Book) 1820-1: Brilliant, ship, 367 tons, built at Whitehaven in 1807, coppered in 1820, owned by Fleming, master Capt.B.Fenn, voyage London - India.