Captain Thomas Garland Murray acquired a letter of marque on 26 January 1799.

She reached Madras on 20 December, Colombo on 11 January 1800, Point de Galle on 6 February, and St Helena on 27 April.

[2] Captain Murray sailed from Portsmouth on 23 April 1801, bound for Madras, Bengal, and Bencoolen.

[5] Homeward bound, Preston was at Saugor on 2 April 1804, Bencoolen on 17 May, and St Helena on 14 August.

[2] Captain Sturrock sailed from Portsmouth on 25 April 1805, bound for Madras, Bengal, and Bombay.

[2] On 7 August 1805, HMS Blenheim, Captain Austin Bissell and Rear-Admiral Thomas Troubridge, was escorting a fleet of East Indiamen consisting of Castle Eden, Cumberland, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Exeter, Ganges, Hope, and Preston.

Troubridge reprimanded the captains of Cumberland and Preston for having acted too boldly in exchanging fire with the French.

[6][7] Preston reached Madras on 23 August and arrived at Diamond Harbour on 11 September.

She reached the Cape of Good Hope 30 December and St Helena on 23 January 1807.

By 21 February 1809 three of the Indiamen — Lord Nelson, Glory, and Experiment had not arrived at Cape Town.

Preston was at the Cape on 19 January 1809, reached St Helena on 24 February, and arrived at The Downs on 23 May.

[1] However, in actuality she appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) with Hewland, master, Murray & Co., owners, and trade London transport.

[11] On 2 August 1815 as Preston was sailing from Jamaica to London in a convoy she encountered a gale that cost her her main and mizzen masts.