The Blackwall Frigates

In 1833, the East India Company ceased its trading activities. Followed by the first regular steamship service across the atlantic in 1838 and a line from red merr to india was established in 1840. This meant that large sailing vessels capable of carrying both passengers and cargo were needed. But the old design the company had used had become unsuitable, so a new ship had to be planned and built.

The first Blackwall Frigate, Seringapatam, by Thomas Dutton 1843 (x)

One vessel of the new type that would later become known as Blackwall Frigates was the Seringapatam. She was built in 1837 and was 45 m long, 11 m wide, similar to the last East Indianmen but lacking the mighty poop deck. Between 1837 and 1841, eight ships of the same type were built until the Prince of Wales, with a new design, was introduced in 1842.

The Blackwall frigate Prince of Wales, by John Lynn 1845 (x)

She was 55m long and 12m wide, and had a continuous deck with no visible quarterdeck, as was common with the war frigates of the time. The Monarch, built in 1844, was similar in design to the clippers that followed. Her planking was teak. The upper deck housed 12 guest cabins, a dining room and crew quarters. On the deck below, two large cabins with large windows were located in the stern, and even additional troops could be accommodated forward towards the bow.

The Blackwall Frigate Maidstone at Sea by H.J. Callow 1869, (x)

Unlike the East Indianmen, the Blackwall frigates were not only more elegant in design and equipment, they were also fast. And so they regularly sailed from London to Calcutta or, from 1852, even to Australia. However, the Blackwall frigates slowly lost their value from 1851 onwards, so that they no longer had a chance against the now composite-built clipper ships.

The Blackwall Frigate Northfleet photographed on the Thames a few days before her loss in 1873, by . F C Gould of Gravesend, January 1873

Their number declined, but they still built high quality frigates that even had a certain luxury. In 1866 the first iron Blackwall frigate named Superb was built and in 1875 the Melbourne was the last to belong to the class of these frigates.