Captain Jonathan Birch received a letter of marque on 3 November 1806. He sailed Britannia from Portsmouth on 26 February 1807, bound for Bombay and China. He returned from that voyage on 1 July 1808.
Birch and Britannia were in the Downs on 24 January 1809, prior to setting out on a second voyage to the east, this time to Madras and China.
The next day, 25 January, a howling gale tore her from her moorings off Deal, Kent, and she wrecked on the Goodwin Sands off the South Foreland.[1] Seven of her crew drowned.[2] The EIC valued her cargo at £57,091; the total loss, vessel plus cargo, was £117,820.[3]
The gale also wrecked the Indiaman and the brig Apollo. Only one man of Apollos crew of 20 survived.[4] Boatmen from Deal were able to rescue almost the entire crew from Admiral Gardner. A few days later, Lloyd's List reported that all three wrecked vessels had gone to pieces.[5]