Tartar (1787 ship)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Great Britain | |
| Name | Tartar or Tartar Packet |
| Owner | John St Barbe (St Barbe & Co.) |
| Launched | 1787 or 1788 |
| Captured | 18 June 1796 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 150, or 160, or 165, or 230 (bm) |
| Complement | 12 |
| Armament | 6 × 2-pounder guns |
Tartar (later Tartar Packet) was launched on the River Thames in 1787. Initially, she traded between London and Smyrna. Between 1792 and 1794 she made one voyage to Bengal and back carrying dispatches for the British East India Company (EIC). On her return she became a packet for the Post Office Packet Service, sailing from Falmouth, Cornwall. In June 1796 she was bringing mail from New York back to Falmouth when a French privateer captured her.