Experiment, 1784
Type: Later Hospital / Store / Troop ship etc (1795) ; late 4th rate ; Armament 44
Launched at East Cowes 1784
Disposal date or year : 1836
Tons (BM) : 892
Notes:

March and April 1794, operations at the Islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupe.

19 Jun 1795 the garrison of Sainte-Lucie, numbering 2000 men, embarked on board the armed store-ship Experiment, Lieutenant John Barrett, and a transport in company.

1 Jan 1799 store ship at Spithead.

12 Jan 1799 Kingston, Jamaica, arrived Sunday, the French schooner Norman, prize to the Experiment.

13 Jan 1799 Portsmouth, arrived from Guernsey.

15 Jan 1799 Portsmouth, at Spithead and ready for sea, with the fleet.

19 Mar 1799 at Spithead.

13 Apr 1799 Portsmouth, departed with the Oxford militia, for Ireland.

4 Jul 1799 Portsmouth, departed last night.

3 Mar 1800 Portsmouth, came into harbour the Experiment, 44, Capt. Saville.

1 - 2 May 1800 prize money resulting from the operations at the Islands of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadaloupe due for payment.

23 Jun 1800 Portsmouth, departed the Experiment, and Thetis, for Cowes, to take troops for the secret expedition.

8 Jul 1800 Plymouth, arrived from Spithead, with troops, the Iphigenia, 32, Experiment, 44, and the Thetis, 32, bound on a secret expedition, put back by baffling winds.

10 Jul 1800 Plymouth, departed again, the Experiment, Thetis, Iphigenia, and Inconstant.

2 Mar 1801 landing seamen, artillery etc. from the squadron in Aboukir bay, where the French were already in a position. These vessels were anchored in a position where they could support the landings with their guns and mortars.

2 Mar to 2 Sep 1801 services off the coast of Egypt.

8 Mar 1801 of the personnel employed disembarking the army in Aboukir Bay 2 seaman were wounded.

Circa Aug-Sep 1801 James White, Esq. Purser of HM ship Experiment, is appointed Paymaster of the second battalion of the, 54th regiment, now serving in Egypt.

10 Aug 1801 departed the coast of Egypt for France in company with the Pallas, with the last division of General Belliard's French troops, on being embarked from Cairo, and in view of the baggage involved assume that this must have included a convoy of transports.

3 Mar 1803 the following vessels remained at Valetta when the Hector departed Malta, for England : the Kent, Superb, Triumph, Donegal, Gibraltar, Agincourt, Charon, Expedition, Experiment, Active, Phoebe, Niger, Victorieuse, and Resistance, the Regulus, and Raven, having departed Malta for Egypt, and the Blonde to Naples, the crew of the Raven having been reported to be sick. The Tourterelle, Pandour, were lying at Alexandria ; and the Braakel, guard ship, at Smyrna ; the Anson having departed Malta for Egypt at the latter end of November.

The Hampshire Telegraph of the 10 Oct 1803, reports receipt of a letter from the Victory, off Toulon, dated 1 Sep., brought to England by the frigate Experiment, just arrived at Spithead, stating that the Victory has been cruising there for 5 weeks ; the squadron consists of 6 sail of the line, including also the Kent, Canopus, Superb, Triumph and Renown ; the French squadron remains the same, apart from a frigate and a brig which got into Toulon, from Marseilles, when heavy gales blew the blockading squadron off the coast.

3 Oct 1803 the Experiment arrived Spithead with the frigate Blonde, having seen their convoy safely to their respective ports ; in addition they had an important passenger from Egypt, Elfi Bey, who has departed Portsmouth for London.

27 Oct 1803 departed the Downs for Spithead, the Experiment, Capt Villers, eventually for Botany Bay.

Circa 31 Oct 1803 150 convicts, from the hulks in Portsmouth and Langton harbours have been sent on board the Coromandel, for Botany Bay. Whilst not stating so, I'm presuming that this is the Armed transport and troop ship Coromandel they are referring to ?

5 Nov 1803 further to the last item the Hampshire Telegraph also notes that on Thursday a number of female convicts arrived here at Portsmouth and were put on board the Experiment, transport, for Botany Bay.

6 Nov 1803 departed Spithead for off Lymington as Guard Ship for the West End of the Solent, apparently relieving the Windsor Castle.

12 Nov 1803 several more female convicts have been sent on board the Experiment.

5 Dec 1803 the Penguin, with the Coromandel and Experiment in company, departed Spithead for New South Wales.

13 Dec 1803 the Experiment, Capt Withers, put back to Portsmouth having lost her bowsprit 16 leagues off the Scilly Isles.

2 Jan 1804 having made good her damage departed Spithead for New South Wales with the West Indies convoy.

16 Mar 1804 arrived Spithead, the Experiment, Capt McKenzie, from off Lymington. Taking into account the previous note something doesn't seem quite right here, but will leave it in should something come along later which explains what's going on ?

25 May 1804 arrived Spithead from Lymington.

1 Dec 1804 Friday last a boat belonging to the Experiment, lying as guard ship at Lymington, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, in going on board with Capt McKenzie and crew, was swamped, and one man drowned. The Captain and others were saved by being able to swim until picked up by a boat sent over by a nearby merchantman.

May 1805 Portsmouth ; Hospital Ship.

1830 Liverpool as Lazaretto, or Quarantine Station.