| More information : Primary Sources:
'The MARLBOROUGH, East India Ship, of 480 tuns, 90 men, and 30 guns, which arrived in the Downs the 20th past, unfortunately took fire this evening at Blackwell, as 'tis said by the snuff of a candle falling among the salt petre, of which there is some hundred bags on board, as also a curious white elephant; she is all in flames, but is towed on shore at a distance from the other ships there.' (1)
'The MARLBOROUGH, India ship was entirely consumed by fire, mentioned in my last. The fine white elephant, for which 500l. was offered the same day, perished in the flames, and about 12000 bags of salt petre, 30 ton of redwood, and some goods in private trade, valued at 20000l. The flames were carried with such violence toward the town that a house was set on fire, but there being great assistance, it was soon extinguished.' (2)
'From the London Journal. Last Thursday morning about 11 o'clock a fire broke out on board the MARLBOROUGH, Captain Micklefield, at Blackwall, which arrived in the river about 3 weeks ago from Bengall, which in a short time burnt her down to the water edge, when she sunk.
'She had on board a fine elephant, for which 500l was offered the same day (which perished in the flames) about 12000 baggs [sic] of salt petre, 30 ton of red wood, and some goods in private trade, valued at almost 20,000l. She lay in teer [sic] with the JAMES AND MARY, and the HEATHCOTE, bound out to East India, but by cutting her stern-fast [sic] she swung cleer [sic] of them. The OAKHAM and the HARRISON, for East India, and the GRANTHAM from thence, were all in great danger, but by good fortune and conduct were preserved. It is supposed to have begun by a person who was in the hold mending salt petre baggs, letting a snuff of candle fall among them. The flames were carried with such violence towards the town, that a house was set on fire, but there being great assistance, it was soon extinguished.' (7)
'From the Whitehall Even. Post, Oct. 13 . . . We hear that in the great conflagration on board the ship MARLBOROUGH at Blackwall, there was saved belonging to the Company, 25 tons of red wood, besides a great quantity of rattans and canes which was in the hold, and some bags of salt petre, which was [sic] very much damaged.' (6)
Secondary Sources:
MARLBOROUGH: 480 tons, 1724 - 1741.
MARLBOROUGH: 490 tons, 1731 - 1734. (3)
Commentary and Interpretive Detail:
The first of the two ships mentioned above at (3) dates 1724 to 1741, so there is some doubt as to whether the vessel was destroyed; alternatively, this may be a typo, for example, 1731, which seems more plausible when the second of the two ships named above at (3) was built in 1731. It may be a new ship that was named after the earlier MARLBOROUGH, or there is a possibility that enough of the first MARLBOROUGH was salvaged to rebuild. (5)
Built: 1724? (3)
Master: Micklefield (7)
Crew: 90 (1)
Guns: 30 (1)
Owner: East India Company [all sources]
Date of loss qualifier: Approximate Date of Loss
|