Suffolk was launched in 1795 at Newcastle. In 1800 she made one voyage for the British East India Company (EIC). She traded widely as different owners deployed her on one route or another.
Captain John Luke acquired a letter of marque on 22 November 1800. Messrs. Princep and Saunders had tendered Suffolk, John Luke, master, to the EIC to bring back rice from Bengal. She was one of 28 vessels that sailed on that mission between December 1800 and February 1801.
Suffolk sailed on 25 December 1800 and returned on 28 February 1802.
Following the resumption of war with France in early 1803, concern developed in Britain about Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom. The British government's response took many forms including the reactivation of Fencible regiments and the Sea Fencibles, a program of the construction of Martello Towers along the coasts of Britain and Ireland, and the commissioning of a number of armed defense ships.
The British East India Company in November voted to underwrite 10,000 tons (bm) of armed transports to protect Great Britain's coasts. The vessels were existing, but not EIC, merchantmen that would receive an upgrade in armament and some cases a naval officer as captain. The vessels were: Albion, , , Aurora, , , , Helder, , , Lord Nelson, , , , , Sir Alexander Mitchell, Suffolk, and Triton.
On 21 November 1803 Suffolk, of 362 tons (bm) and 16 guns, was ready but yet to be allocated to her station.Naval Database. The Royal Navy returned the armed defense ships to their owners by the second half of 1805.
Lloyd's List reported on 25 February 1825 that Suffolk, Allison, master, had been blown out of Madeira on 25 January and that she had not returned by the 28th.Lloyd's List №5989.
In 1836 new owners, Richard Wilson and George Foggo, shifted her registry to Whitby. She was broken up in December 1844.
Note Because Suffolk and both sailed to Bengal at the same time to bring back rice, and was launched in Bengal, the three vessels are sometimes conflated.
Year Master Owner Trade Source & notes 1796 J. Taylor Hurry & Co. St Petersburgh–Portsmouth Lloyd's Register (LR)Lloyd's Register (1796), "S" Supple. pages. 1800 Dryscall Abell & Co. London–Jamaica Register of Shipping (RS); underwent repairs in 1798 1800 W. Driscoll Abel & Co. London–Jamaica LR; small repair in 1798 1802 Luke Abell & Co. London–Bengal RS 1805 Driscoll Caine London–Bengal RS; underwent repairs in 1803 1805 W. Driscoll Carne & Co. Falmouth LR; thorough repair 1803 1810 Driscoll Caine London–Bengal RS 1810 W. DriscollM. Kirby Carne & Co.Herring & Co. FalmouthLondon transport LR 1815 Kirby Heron & Co. Weymouth–London RS; thorough repair 1810 1815 J. Boyne Herring & Co. Cork transport LR 1820 Ellison Herring & Co. London–South America RS; repairs 1816 1820 AshonAllison Herring & Co. London– LR; large repair 1816 1825 Allison Herring & Co. London–QuebecLondon–Jamaica RS; good repair 1822 1825 Allison Herring & Co. London–Jamaica LR; small repairs 1820 and 1823 1830 Jackson Scott Hull–Africa RS; repairs in 1828 and small repairs in 1829 1830 G.JacksonPratt J. Scott London–Gambia LR;damages repaired 1828 and thorough repair in 1829 1835 M'Donald LR; Liverpool homeport 1840 R. Day Wilson London–Baltic LR; Shields-built, repairs 1831, Whitby homeport
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