(Many thanks to Melanie Cameron for providing this information)
In 1783 John Smith was appointed as an assistant surgeon by the Honourable East India Company Service.
1783 DEPARTURE
John Smith’s voyage to Bengal like all voyages taken by the company to Asia to trade goods such as spices, fabrics, tea and porcelain would take many months.
While these trips were profitable they were also very dangerous. As well as crew and passengers, the ship carried soldiers and cannons to defend itself against foreign enemies or pirates. There were extreme weather conditions to cope with, which brought about shocking and widely reported shipwrecks as occurred on John Smith’s return journey to Britain in 1804.
John Smith was attached as an assistant surgeon to the 13th Regiment of Native Infantry, of the Bengal Establishment. He was based at Chunar, on the River Ganga, Utter Pradesh, India. In 1793 at Chunar, his son also John Smith was baptised on the 9th December.
In October 1804 John Smith returned to Britain at an even more dangerous time to voyage on a sailship than usual due to the Napoleonic Wars. He sailed on the Windham, on the return journey of its second voyage and from Saint Helena the Windham joined a convoy of nine ships including an escort ship, HMS Courageaux for protection.
On the way the convoy ran into severe weather with the result that the ‘Prince of Wales’ who was last seen on the 8th June 1804 in distress, foundered and sank with the loss of all on board. It was her first voyage.
Eight of the nine ships arrived back safely. The Windham arriving back at The Downs, Deal, in Kent, England on the 9th October 1804. From there John Smith would have made his way to Scotland.
(On the Windham’s fifth voyage it was captured twice by the french and recaptured twice by the British before making its way back with spoils of war!)
1806 RETIREMENT FROM H.E.I.C.S.
On the 6th May John wrote a letter to William Ramsey Esq., Secretary to the Honourable East India Company in London.
To William Ramsey Esq.
Secretary to the Honourable East India Company,
London
As the state of my health still continues such as to make it unadvisable for me to return to Bengal. May I request that you will have the goodness to take the earliest opportunity of laying before the Honourable Court of Directors my request to retire from the service in the person of my rank agreeably to the regulations.
I was appointed by the Honourable Court as an assistant surgeon on the Bengal Establishment at the end of 1783. Arrived in Bengal in 1784. There I continued till the season 1803/4. When a change of climate being deemed advisable on account of my health I took my passage on the Windham, on which vessel I returned to Britain in October 1804.
If any certificate is necessary in regard to the length of service you will oblige me by letting me know and I will forward it by post.
I have the honour to be your most obedient honourable servant,
John Smith,
Surgeon, 13th Regiment of Native Infantry. Bengal Establishment.
Ayr,
North Britain,
June 3rd 1806
The British Library in their East India Company Files hold a record under IOR/D/162 ff 214-15, which is a letter from 1806, signed by John Smith, Surgeon, 13th Reg NI, that states that he was appointed Asst Surgeon in 1783 and arrived in Bengal in 1784.
John Smith lived for a further 21 years and probably worked on in Edinburgh until his death on the 8th March 1827.
