Emergencies and World Disasters
The Coldstream's Vanishing: Why a Fully-Documented Ship Simply Disappeared
25 min•15 september 2026
Om avsnittet
The Coldstream's Vanishing: Why a Fully-Documented Ship Simply Disappeared
A single clerk at Lloyd’s closed a file in spring 1836 and wrote one word beside the Coldstream’s name: LOST - the ship had last been seen 14 months earlier sailing out of the mouth of the Ganges for China and nothing returned, not a plank or a word. How could a vessel with 25 years of logbooks, freight ledgers, and eight captains vanish without trace?
In this episode, we present the documented record of the Coldstream’s service from launch to disappearance, tracing voyages, changing freight rates, and the institutional shifts that left the ship increasingly vulnerable - and ask what combination of factors allowed an East Indiaman to vanish from history.
Person: Captain James P. Mansell
Date: 27 February 1835
Location: Saugor, mouth of the Ganges
Period: 1810-1836
Event: File marked "LOST" at Lloyd's of London in spring 1836
- Launched in 1810 as a three-masted East Indiaman with recorded tonnages of 693, 704, and 733 tons.
- Made first voyages under Captain Mansell in 1812 and acquired a letter of marque on 4 January 1812.
- Captain Thomas Dormer died at Diamond Harbour, Bengal on 10 October 1820 during the fourth voyage.
- Freight rates fell from £37 9s per ton in 1811 to £4 2s per ton by 1828 for ships like the Coldstream.
- Last seen leaving Saugor on 27 February 1835 bound for China; Lloyd’s marked the ship "LOST" 14 months later.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
A single clerk at Lloyd’s closed a file in spring 1836 and wrote one word beside the Coldstream’s name: LOST - the ship had last been seen 14 months earlier sailing out of the mouth of the Ganges for China and nothing returned, not a plank or a word. How could a vessel with 25 years of logbooks, freight ledgers, and eight captains vanish without trace?
In this episode, we present the documented record of the Coldstream’s service from launch to disappearance, tracing voyages, changing freight rates, and the institutional shifts that left the ship increasingly vulnerable - and ask what combination of factors allowed an East Indiaman to vanish from history.
Person: Captain James P. Mansell
Date: 27 February 1835
Location: Saugor, mouth of the Ganges
Period: 1810-1836
Event: File marked "LOST" at Lloyd's of London in spring 1836
- Launched in 1810 as a three-masted East Indiaman with recorded tonnages of 693, 704, and 733 tons.
- Made first voyages under Captain Mansell in 1812 and acquired a letter of marque on 4 January 1812.
- Captain Thomas Dormer died at Diamond Harbour, Bengal on 10 October 1820 during the fourth voyage.
- Freight rates fell from £37 9s per ton in 1811 to £4 2s per ton by 1828 for ships like the Coldstream.
- Last seen leaving Saugor on 27 February 1835 bound for China; Lloyd’s marked the ship "LOST" 14 months later.
To listen to this podcast ad-free and access premium episodes, try our subscription with a 14-day free trial at obomedia.com.
© 2026 OBOMEDIA. All rights reserved.
This episode and its content (audio, text, and related materials) are the exclusive property of OBOMEDIA and are protected by applicable copyright laws. Reproduction, distribution, editing, or commercial use, in whole or in part, without prior written permission from OBOMEDIA is prohibited. For permissions, licensing, and business inquiries: [email protected].
Emergencies and World Disasters med Creator at Obomedia finns tillgänglig på flera plattformar. Informationen på denna sida kommer från offentliga podd-flöden.