For 20 years William Miles was the largest vessel built in the port, and almost double the size of most Bristol-built West Indiamen.

Lord William Bentinck, a comparably sized East Indiaman, had a height of 6 ft 9 in (2.1 m) below her deck.

East Indiamen carried mostly light goods in bales or cases that could be and were necessarily laid to a greater height.

[2] On 1 September 1813 the crew on William Miles deserted to avoid impressment (the press gang).

British ships were then free to sail to India or the Indian Ocean under a licence from the EIC.

[9] In November 1817, one of P.J.Miles's ships, Sarah, was bound for Jamaica when she caught fire in the Float (North Docks) at Bristol.

[1] On 17 May 1817 William Miles, Beadle, master, arrived at Madeira and left the next day, bound for Madras and Bengal.

On 16 May 1819 William Miles, Beadle, master, sailed for Fort St. George, India, (Madras).

Homeward bound, she arrived at St Helena on 25 March 1820 from Madras and left the next day for London.

On 15 April 1821, William Miles, Beadle, master, sailed from Gravesend from Madras and Bengal.

On 7 May 1826, William Miles, Sampson, master, arrived at St. Helena from Penang; she sailed for London on 10 May.

Convict voyage (1828): Captain John G. Sampson sailed William Miles from the Downs on 28 March 1828, bound for Van Diemen's Land.

In February 1829 William Miles, Sampson, master, was cleared at Calcutta to sail to Amherst Town and Rangoon.

Captain John Garencieres Sampson died of apoplexy on 9 August 1829, aged 38, on William Miles while she was sailing from India to London.

Captain Kindley died onboard her in 1840 as she was sailing from West Africa to the United States.