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Post-Office Packets

Post Office owned and hired vessels for postal packet services

References to named vessels include the following.

1794: GPO kept 15 old packets instead of replacing them as it was more expensive to build in wartime. "Princess Royal & Princess Augusta are of the new design."

1823: Admiralty took over the Falmouth packet service, which employed 39 vessels.  Initially eighteen Post Office packets were retained, the rest being replaced with sloops of war. Eventually the navy brigs, designed by Sir William Symonds, dominated the scene as they were then the fastest sailers.[see Benjamin Franklin's 1757 account of 13 knots regularly achieved by the General Wall]

Sailing Vessels employed in the Falmouth Postal Packet Service (on this database)

Actiive (1795)                 Temporary Packet          Taken 1796

Adder  (1805?)               Brig-6                    Taken 1806

Adelphi  (1798)               Temporary Packet          Taken 1800

Adolphus - see Prince Adolphus

Adventure  (1810)          Temporary Packet

Amelia - see Princess Amelia

Ann (1810)

Anna Maria               Branch Packet (Caribbean)

Anna Teresa 1 (1766)          ex. Newcastle (1759)

Anna Teresa 2 (1775)

Antelope (1780)

Arab (1793)

Arabella - see Lady Arabella

Argus                    Post-Office Hired Lugger?

Auckland - see Lord Aukland

Princess Augusta (1803)       Hired Packet                (Taken 1810)

Black Joke               Hired lugger?

Blucher (1814)               ex Little Catherine           (later H.M. Packet)

                         [Little Catherine, took Trevithick's engine to London in 1803]

Boscawen (1716)               Privately owned and hired to the Post office

Boyd (1793)               Temporary Packet

Byan                    Branch Packet (Caribbean)

Camden - see Marquis of     

Caroline (1800)               Temporarily-hired Schooner

Carteret 1 (1778)               Hired Packet

Carteret 2 (1782)

Carteret 3 (1790)               Temporary Packet

Cherub                    Scilly Packet?

Chesterfield - see Lord Chesterfield

Chichester - see Countess of Chichester     

Clarence, Duke of (1799)       

Colworth (1790)

Comet 1 (1776?)               Later Vigilant

Comet 2 (1782)

Countess of  Chichester (1808)

Countess of Leicester (1745)

Countess of Leicester (1795)     Taken

Cumberland, Duke of (1755)  Wrecked 1777

Darlington (1811)

Dashwood (1778)  

DESPATCH (1810)  

DIANA (1804)            Temporary packet

Eagle (1722)               Taken 1747 & ransomed.     Taken 1778

Eagle (1781)                                   Taken 1781     (first voyage, to NY)                    

Earl Gower (1799)

Expedition (1689)

General Wall (1755)

George (1795)               Temporary packet (see King George, old & new)

King George (1716)  

King George (1786)          Taken in 1794 (Sold in Vigo, renamed Reprisaille (French) Privateer 16 guns)

King George (1796)           'New' King George

Lady Arabella (1800)

Lady Frances (1800)          Temporary packet

Lady Hobart (1799)       

Lapwing (1811)                                     Taken 1813

Leicester - see Countess of

Lord Auckland (1779)            Wrecked Cadiz (1808)     Lisbon (& Malta)

 [ Lord AUCKLAND,  joint PMG 1798-1804]

Lord Chesterfield                    

Lord Montague (1811)               Condemned 1824

Lord Montague (184??)

[Lord Frederick Montague, sole PMG 4/7/1826 - 16/9/1827]

Marquis of Camden (1819)          Hired packet

Marquis of Kildare (1798)               Temporary packet          W. Indies & America          

Mary (1799)                    Temporary packet

Mary Ann (1811)       

Mercury (1708)                                        Taken 1813

Montague - see Lord Montague

Princess Amelia (1800)

Prince Adolphus (1798)

Prince Ernest (1795) schooner                              Action 1808 - under Lt. Petre R.N.

Prince Regent (1820)     

Queen (1703)

Townshend (1800)                 Hired by the Post Office     W. Indies & Lisbon [Dodd died 1809]     

Union (1709)                                        Lost 1803

Duke of YORK(1)   (1761)                              Taken 1778

Duchess of YORK (1795)            Corunna