Royal Charlotte was the first vessel built by Thomas Pitcher at Northfleet.[2] A good model of her is in Northfleet Church.
Josiah Pryce, who was her captain for both her journeys to the Far East, seems to have been a thoroughly unpleasant and cruel person.[3]
Pryce left The Downs on 5 January 1790, bound for St Helena, Benkulen and China. Royal Charlotte arrived at St Helena on 27 March. She reached Benkulen on 21 June, and Whampoa anchorage on 24 August. On her return leg, she crossed the Second Bar on 15 November, arrived at the Cape of Good Hope on 9 April 1791, St Helena on 28 April, and returned to the Downs on 26 June.[4]
Royal Charlotte left The Downs on 27 December 1792, bound for St Helena, Madras and China. She arrived at St Helena on 13 March 1793 and Madras on 10 June. From there she went to Pondicherry, arriving 14 July.[4] There Triton, Warley, and Royal Charlotte participated in the capture of Pondicherry by maintaining a blockade of the port, together with .[5] During the blockade the British also captured a vessel "from the islands" that was bringing in military supplies. Pondicherry surrendered on 23 August and Royal Charlotte returned to Madras, arriving on 27 August. On 1 October she arrived at Penang, where the EIC had recently built a factory. Nineteen days later she was at Malacca.[4]
Having left Malacca, the same three East Indiamen from Pondicherry participated in an action in the Straits of Malacca. They came upon a French frigate, with some six or seven of her prizes, replenishing her water casks ashore. The three British vessels immediately gave chase. The frigate fled towards the Sunda Strait, abandoning her prizes. The Indiamen were able to catch up with a number of the prizes, and after a few cannon shots, were able to retake them. The British then returned the prizes to their crews, and took the French prize crews aboard as prisoners of war.[6] [7]
Royal Charlotte arrived at Whampoa on 14 December.[4] At Whampoa that December were several other East Indiamen, among which were several that on their return to Britain the Admiralty would purchase: Warley,, Earl of Abergavenny, and Hindostan.[8] The British Government had chartered Hindostan to take Lord Macartney to China in an unsuccessful attempt to open diplomatic and commercial relations with the Chinese empire.
Royal Charlotte crossed the Second Bar on 16 February 1794 and reached St Helena on 19 June. She arrived at The Downs on 8 September.[4]
Royal Charlotte was commissioned in April 1795 under Captain Thomas Parr and renamed HMS Malabar the next month, as the royal yacht HMY Royal Charlotte was still in service. Thomas Pitcher, who had built the now Malabar, refitted her for naval service, completing the work on 17 July.
Malabar sailed for the West Indies on 24 February 1796. On 15 April, Captain Parr was the naval commander of a small task force that included Malabar, the frigate HMS Undaunted,,, and some transports, and 1200 troops from the 39th, 93rd and 99th Regiments of Foot under Major-General John Whyte to capture the Dutch settlements of Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice. The 64-gun third rate, under the command of Captain Francis Laforey, joined the squadron at Demerara. Demerara and Esseqquibo surrendered on the 22nd, and Berbice followed on 2 May. At Demerara the British also captured the Dutch 24-gun ship Thetis, the 12-gun cutter Seagull, and several merchant vessels. The Royal Navy took Thetis and the cutter into service.