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Built from teak as the East Indiaman "MARQUIS CORNWALLIS" in 1791 in Calcutta, India
She was an extremely large craft measuring over 166 feet from bow to stern.
Ship-rigged, and in 1795 owned by Hogan & Co. I don't know if he was the owner from newbuilding.
Tonnage 654 ts.

Before she was bought by the Admiralty she made one voyage with convicts from Cork.
Under command of Capt. Michael Hogan (maybe he was a part owner) the "MARQUIS CORNWALLIS" sailed on 9 August 1795 from Cork, with on board 163 men and 70 women convicts, guarded by a detachment of the New South Wales Corps, under command of Ensign John Brabyn and William More. The men from the detachment were mutinous and unreliable, was Brabyn told before sailing.
On 9 September Capt. Hogan received a note that two convicts would like to see him.
The next morning the two convicts were interviewed by the captain, and they told him of a plot to seize the vessel by the guards with the help of some convicts. Sergeant Ellis was the ringleader, and they told the captain that he would furnish the convicts with knives.
Captain Hogan ordered Brabyn to inspect the soldier’s kits, then Brabyn remembered that he on sailing handed out four knives to Ellis, and that he reported this lost the previous day, so he did give him an other two knives. All six knives were found in Ellis belongings.
Brabyn refused to take action against Ellis, and the only thing Capt. Hogan could do was to add a sailor to the two military sentinels at the prison door, and warn his officers and men to be constantly on their guard.
From an other informer Capt. Hogan heard that the women convicts were to convey knives into the prison, and to put pounded glass into the crews food. He was also told that when he on his weekly inspection of the prison, accompanied by the ships-doctor and some officers, would be seized and killed on the spot. In the meantime Ellis with some men would attack the officers on deck, and supply the convicts in the prison with arms. Also was discovered that by cleaning the arms, Ellis had spiked the touchholes of six muskets and had disabled two pistols, but still Brabyn refused to take action.
Capt. Hogan took now matters in his own hand, when Brabyn still did not take any action, he asked the opinions of all his officers, and when they all support him, he immediately punish the conspirators.
Forty two male convicts were flogged and six of the women prisoners punished while Ellis was confined to the poop, with his head shaven. Then he was handcuffed, thumb-screwed and leg bolted to one of his supporters, Private Lawrence Gaffney then send to the prison. The convicts realizing that their plans did not got through, strangled one of the informers on 22 September, then they tried to smash down the barriers, and force their way to the deck. Hogan and his officers armed with pistols and cutlasses, opened fire on the convicts, and drove them back. Not one of the convicts was killed during the struggle, but several were badly wounded, and seven died later on their wounds. Ellis died nine days later, still bolted to Gaffiley, maybe he was wounded during the shooting.

'Without any further trouble. and after make calls at St Helen& and the Cape, the "MARQUIS CORNWALLIS" arrived after a passage of 186 days on 11 February 1796 at Port Jackson. Eleven men died during the voyage included the wounded men. The vessel was not used again in the convict trade.
(The rest is copied from Watercraft Philately)

1801 Purchased by the British Admiralty, after she was cut down to a 44 gun frigate of two decks. renamed in HMS "CORNWALLIS".

In 1810 the British decided to attempt the capture of the important Dutch settlement of Amboyna in the Moluccas Islands.
On 9 Feb. the "CORNWALLIS" along with the "DOVER" (38 guns) and the "SAMARANG"(18 guns) anchored before the town and observed Victoria Castle, a fortress with 1800
men and 215 guns defending it.
16 Feb. they pretended to sail away, but in reality sent ashore a regiment of 401 men in boats from the ships. Coming up from behind the fortress, its outskirts were soon taken, which permitted the British ships to work their way into the harbour and bombard the city. The following day the Dutch surrendered the island.
The only British losses were, two killed and five wounded. Following this victory, on 1 March, boats from the "CORNWALLIS" boldly cut out the Dutch man-of-war
"MARGARETTA" (8 guns) from the bay at the island of Amblaw.
Off St. Paul on the island of Reunion, the "CORNWALLIS" attempted to take the French frigate "SÉMILLANTE" (36 guns) but was driven off by shore batteries.

On 29 Nov. 1810, the "CORNWALLIS" was part of the fleet of 70 British ships carrying 10.000 troops which anchored in Grande Baie on the French island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. This advancing force drove back the enemy for three days until it reached the capital of Port Louis. The French surrendered the island on 3 Dec.

1812 Was the "CORNWALLIS" renamed "AKBAR", she served in 1812 as a troopship, and was placed in harbour service in 1824.
1862 Was she sold to be broken up.

Marshall Islands 1992 23c sg490,scott 446. 1994 23c sgMS549, scott 466Ce and 1996 sg MS674, scott 605f.

sources The Convict Ships. by Charles Bateson. Watercraft Philately vol 45 page 51. Geschiedenis van Nederland ter Zee by J.C Mollema.