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The East India Company did not actually own their ships. They tried building for themselves in the early 17th century, for which purpose they established a yard on the Thames. In Lloyd's Registers of the period these ships are listed as built "River". Unfortunately they found that they were so iniquitously robbed by their own people that they decided that it was a better proposition to charter their ships. This was done with certain limitations, for the ships had to be built under their supervision, and they were often designed by their own architects.
Many ships were given an extension of three voyages under the Hon. East India Company flag and at the end of that time generally found a purchaser who would run them for years. The True Briton, with a builders' measurement of 1,200 tons was the largest ship in the company's fleet until the 19th century. She was built out of the profits made with the purchased General Goddard.
Sea Breezes Feb 1974.
St Helena SG298

Built as a wooden ship by John and William Wells at Deptford for Robert Wigram, London.
23 November 1799 launched as the TRUE BRITON.
Tonnage 1209 ton (bm), dim. 134.1 x 41.3 x 17.0ft.
Originally ship rigged and fitted out with a single topsails but before 1874 she was given double topsails. Later rigged as a barque.

She made eight charter voyages for the East India Company from the U.K. to the Far East:
03 February 1791 till 20 May 1792 under command of Captain Henry Farrer to the Coromandel Coast and China.
02 May 1794 till 28 December 1795 to Bombay and China.
27 June 1796 till 24 March 1798 to China direct under command of Captain William S. Clarke.
02 April 1799 till 30 September 1800 to Coromandel and China, again under command of Captain Henry Farrer.
31 March 1801 till 06 January 1803 to the Coromandel Coast and China under command of Captain William Stanley Clarke.
09 June 1804 till 13 September 1805 to China direct under command of Captain Henry Hughes. The TRUE BRITON was given by Robert Wigram to his son Robert Wigram Jr.
26 February 1807 till 01 July 1808 to Bombay and China under command of Captain William Stanley Clarke.
Her last voyage was under command of Captain George Bonham to Bombay and China, she sailed from the U.K on 24 February 1809.
13 October 1809 she parted company with the Bombay ships in the China Sea. Not since heard of.

St Helena 1973 4p sg298, scott280

Source: The Blackwall Frigates by Basil Lubbock. Ships of the East India Company by Rowan Hackman.