Woodford was launched in 1790 and made nine voyages as an East Indiaman for the British East India Company (EIC). In 1797 her captain was commodore of a small group of East Indiamen that managed to bluff a French squadron of warships into sailing away to avoid an engagement. In 1812 Woodford was sold for breaking up.
Career
EIC voyage #1 (1791–1792) Captain Charles Lennox sailed from the Downs on 27 March 1791, bound for Bencoolen and China. Woodford reached Bencoolen on 25 July and arrived at Whampoa Anchorage on 6 October. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 13 January 1792, reached St Helena on 3 April, and arrived at the Downs on 17 May.
EIC voyage #2 (1794–1795) Captain Charles Lennox received a letter of marque on 20 February 1794.
The British government held Woodford at Portsmouth, together with a number of other Indiamen in anticipation of using them as transports for an attack on Île de France (Mauritius). It gave up the plan and released the vessels in May 1794. It paid £1666 5s for having delayed her departure by 62 days.
Captain Lennox sailed from Portsmouth on 2 May, bound for Bombay and China. Woodford reached Bombay on 4 September and arrived at Whampoa on 26 February 1795. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 19 May and reached Batavia on 5 August. She reached St Helena on 16 October, and arrived at the Downs on 21 December.
EIC voyage #3 (1796–1798) Captain Lennox sailed from Portsmouth on 17 May 1796 bound for Bombay and China. Woodford reached Bombay on 5 September and Colombo on 9 December.
At Colombo Woodford met up with five other East Indiamen,: , , , Canton, and . The fleet sailed towards China under the overall command of Captain James Farquahrson in Alfred, who was the senior captain and so commodore of the fleet. On 28 January 1797 the Indiamen were off Java when they encountered six French frigates.
Farquharson proceeded to organize a bluff. To give the impression that the convoy consisted of the powerful ships of the line that the Indiamen resembled, Farquharson ordered his ships to advance in line of battle, and the French retreated, convinced they were facing a superior force. The Indiamen sailed east and then up towards China. Ocean wrecked in a storm the next day, but Woodford and the other four Indiamen arrived at Whampoa on 8 or 9 April.
Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 9 June, reached the Cape of Good Hope on 3 December and St Helena on 3 January 1798, and arrived at the Downs on 17 March.
EIC voyage #4 (1799–1800) Captain James Martin received a letter of marque on 20 March 1799. On 13 June he sailed form Portsmouth, bound for Bombay. Woodford reached Rio de Janeiro on 13 August and arrived at Bombay on 6 December. She sailed form Bombay on 23 January 1800 in company with to gather pepper on the Malabar Coast prior to returning to England. On 1 February 1800 she was at Anjengo. From there she sailed to Quilon, which she reached 4 four days later. Woodford and Albion were at Anjengo again on 15 February, and then homeward bound, they reached St Helena on 15 May. Woodford and Albion arrived at the Downs on 3 August.
EIC voyage #5 (1801–1802) Captain James Martin sailed from Portsmouth on 19 May 1801 bound for China. Woodford reached Rio de Janeiro on 31 July and Penang on 31 October, and arrived at Whampoa on 1 February 1802. Homeward bound, she crossed the Second Bar on 30 March, reached St Helena on 10 July, and arrived at the Downs on 11 September.