Queen Charlotte was built in Emsworth in 1801. She was a regular packet ship for the Post Office Packet Service, sailing out of Falmouth. She made several voyages across the Atlantic between late 1802 and 16 May 1805 when she was captured. She came back into British hands around 1806. The Post Office took her into temporary service between 1812 and 1817. She then became a whaler off Peru in 1818. She remained in the Pacific Coast of South America until she was condemned there in 1820 as unseaworthy; she was last listed that same year. She may have been repaired and have continued to trade on the coast until 1822. Career Packet Queen Charlotte was launched in 1801. She was a regular packet and made several voyages across the Atlantic between late 1802 and 16 May 1805 when the French privateer Hirondelle captured her at after an engagement that lasted two hours. A report in Lloyd's List stated that a Spanish privateer had captured her after an engagement of 2½ hours and taken her into Vicero, near Passages. Merchantman She came back into British hands and appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1807. She was mentioned in the press before that. For instance, on 19 May 1806 the armed ship Caroline, Lieutenant Darby, sailed with Queen Charlotte to Greenock as an escort. On 26 March 1808 Captain Charles John Lye acquired a letter of marque. Packet The Post Office service re-engaged Queen Charlotte as a temporary packet in 1812. William Kirkness was appointed master on 8 September 1812. In November 1812 Queen Charlotte, Kirkness, master, was at Georgetown, Demerara when Kirkness observed a strange vessel cruising outside the harbour. He went ashore and informed Governor Hugh Lyle Carmichael that an American privateer was cruising outside the harbour. Carmichael had that morning received intelligence that the US privateer Rattlesnake and another privateer were on their way to intercept the fleet of merchantmen from Cork that was expected to arrive shortly. there were no Royal Navy vessels at Georgetown so Carmichael asked Kirkness to help. Kirkness took on board a large body of troops and some volunteers from the local militia and sailed out. They sighted the two privateers as they left the port but the privateers, uncharacteristically, held back. They followed Queen Charlotte until she met the fleet, and then sailed away. Queen Charlotte sailed from Demerara on 11 November