''Cleopatra'' was a Victorian-era wooden

paddle A paddle is a handheld tool with an elongated handle and a flat, widened distal end (i.e. the ''blade''), used as a lever to apply force onto the bladed end. It most commonly describes a completely handheld tool used to propel a human-powered ...

steam frigate Steam frigates (including screw frigates) and the smaller steam corvettes, steam sloops, steam gunboats and steam schooners, were steam-powered warships that were not meant to stand in the line of battle. There were some exceptions like for ex ...

of the

East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Sout ...

. Constructed at Northfleet, the ship arrived at Bombay (now

Mumbai Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the secon ...

) on 19 April 1840, and operated as a transport and mail steamer between Bombay to Karachi, Aden and Suez.

Loss at sea during cyclone

Cleopatra foundered on 15 April 1847 during a cyclone off the

Malabar Coast The Malabar Coast is the southwestern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing ...

in the Indian Ocean whilst en route from Bombay to Singapore. Nearly 300 people were killed - her entire crew of 151, 100 convicts she was carrying and their

Royal Marine The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marin ...

guard. The ship was in poor condition prior to her loss, her captain Commander J. A. Young having complained that on the immediately prior voyage, from Aden to Bombay, the paddle boxes had to be secured with chains running across the deck.

Memorial

A monument recording the loss of the Cleopatra is situated close to the entrance of

St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai, is the 300-year old cathedral church of the Diocese of Mumbai of the Church of North India. It is named in honour of Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have first brought Christianity to India. The cathedr ...

. Among the list of casualties it records the name of Assistant Surgeon James Thomas Carr, MRCS, (29 September 1822 – 15 April 1847) son of the then serving inaugural Bishop of Bombay, Rt. Revd. Thomas Carr.

References

Ships built in Kent 1839 ships Shipwrecks in the Indian Ocean Maritime incidents in April 1847 Ships of the British East India Company {{mil-ship-stub