The Melville Castle, turned Vryheid, had already made many long hard voyages when she was bought to bring soldiers to the Batavian Republic’s colonies on the Cape and Jakarta. It was soon found that she had passed inspection by putting copper and paint over rot however, and what should have been a long voyage only lasted a couple of days, with a horrible cost of life.

Ship Name: Vryheid

Nationality: Batavian Republic

Tonnage: 990

Year Built: 1786

Ship Type: East Indiaman

Wrecked: 1802

Reason for Wreck: Struck Dymchurch Sea Wall in a Storm

Location Wrecked: Kent, Great Britain

Lives Lost: 454

Sources:

http://www.mariners-l.co.uk/EICf-n.htm

https://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=883663&resourceID=19191

https://www.waterlooassociation.org.uk/2019/10/06/the-grand-old-duke-of-york/#:~:text=In%20the%20Helder%20Campaign%2C%201799,supposed%20rebellion%20against%20said%20Republic.

https://romneymarshhistory.com/dymchurchwall

https://books.google.com/books?id=QEJWAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA3&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=3#v=onepage&q&f=false

https://www.britannica.com/event/Treaty-of-Amiens-1802

https://original-ufdc.uflib.ufl.edu/UF00002045/00001/pdf?search=melville+castle

https://www.britannica.com/place/Batavian-Republic#ref126469

https://books.google.com/books?id=AUo9AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=vryheid+shipwreck+melville+castle&source=bl&ots=KaByOFqSAU&sig=ACfU3U0thf15S9soJ1PWfqHKHzevt2ejfQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi7_e-Giqn7AhWGk4kEHS7TBpk4FBDoAXoECCMQAw#v=onepage&q=vryheid%20shipwreck%20melville%20castle&f=false