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.

[3] 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.

[3] 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.

[9] Boatmen from Deal were able to rescue almost the entire crew from Admiral Gardner.