Hired armed cutter Albion

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
In serviceJune 1803
Out of serviceFebruary 1808
General characteristics [1]
Type Cutter
Tons burthen7924⁄94 (bm)
Propulsion Sails
Sail planCutter or schooner
Armament6 guns
Naval Ensign of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
NameAlbion
Namesake Albion
In serviceMay 1808
Out of serviceJune 1812
General characteristics [2]
Type Cutter
Tons burthen7917⁄94 (bm)
Propulsion Sails
Sail planCutter or schooner
Complement27
Armament6 guns

During the period of the Napoleonic Wars, the British Royal Navy twice employed a vessel named His Majesty's hired armed cutter Albion, though these are probably the same vessel:

Contents

First contract

Albion, of six guns and 7917⁄94 tons (bm), served under contract from June 1803 to February 1808. [2]

On 24 June 1803 she was under the command of Lieutenant Mayson Wright when she captured the 4-gun privateer Marengo. Albion, with a crew of 27, was employed in raising men for the Royal Navy. Late in the afternoon she came upon a French privateer in the Channel and gave chase. By 5p.m. pursuer and quarry were within 50 yards and opened fire on each other. An hour and twenty minutes later, the privateer struck. She had had three men wounded; Albion had no casualties though she had taken some shots to her hull and had a gun dismounted. The privateer turned out to be Marengo, of four guns and a crew of 26 men under the command of "John Sieur Granger". Wright believed Marengo was a new vessel; in any case she was two days out of Cherbourg, and had made no captures. [lower-alpha 1] She had "Fly of Cowes" painted across her stern. [4] Albion sent Marengo into Portsmouth. [5]

Around the end of July Albion sent into Portsmouth Freunde, Haab, master, which had been sailing from Naples to Hambro [6] In its next issue, Lloyd's List reported that Albion had sent into Portsmouth Friends Hope, from Naples to Hambro. [7] The Naval Chronicle reported that Trende Haab, prize to Albion, Lieutenant Mayson Wright, had arrived at Portsmouth on 29 July. [8]

On 15 January 1804, Albion under the command of Mason [sic] Wright, captured three gunvessels: Marengo, Tureen de Naab, and Mercurius. [9]

On 24 November 1804, Albion joined in when the hired armed cutter Duke of Clarence sighted a large French lugger and set off in chase. The lugger's crew ran their boat on shore near Granville, Manche. Duke of Clarence sent a boat in to examine the lugger, which turned out to have a cargo of oysters and cider. As Duke of Clarence awaited her boat's return she hit a submerged rock with the result that she started to fill with water. Clements gave up on any attempt to recover the lugger as Albion came up to rescue him, his officers, and crew. [10]

At some point in 1807 Wright left Albion to take command of the gun-brig Vixen.

Early in December 1807, Albion detained Martia Elizabeth, Betts, master, sailing from Lisbon to Hambro, and sent her into Falmouth. Albion also towed Lucy and Alida into Falmouth. [11] Then on the 16th, Albion sent into Falmouth Vrow Seida, Sohoon, master, from Villaviciosa, Asturias. [12]

In February 1808, Albion sent into Falmouth, Active, King, master, which had been sailing from St Ube's to Philadelphia. [13]

Second contract

Albion, of six guns and 7924⁄94 tons (bm), served under contract from May 1808 until June 1812. [1] Mr. Alexander Watson was Albion's commander and she was based on the Jersey station.

By 1809, however, Albion was on the North Sea station. On 25 July 1809, under Watson's command, Albion captured Danish schooner No.3, Jergen Fast, master. [14] That same day Albion, Quail, and Strenuous were in company when Albion captured Maria Catherina. [15] On 1 August Catherine, a prize to Albion, arrived at Leith. [16] Then on 3 September Albion captured the Danish schooner Fortuna, J.P. Anderson, master. [14]

From 1810 to the end of her contract Albion remained under the command of Alexander Watson on The Downs station. [17]

On 11 July, Albion captured Hoffnung, Folkert Placeg, master. [18]

Notes

  1. ↑ Marengo had been commissioned in 1801. In June 1803 she was under Jean-Pierre Granger with 26 men and 4 guns. [3]

Citations

  1. 1 2 Winfield (2008), p. 394.
  2. 1 2 Winfield (2008), p. 391.
  3. ↑ Demerliac (2003), p. 258, №1936.
  4. ↑ "No. 15595". The London Gazette . 21 June 1803. p. 741.
  5. ↑ Lloyd's List , n° 4362. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  6. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4373. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  7. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4374. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  8. ↑ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 10, p.173.
  9. ↑ "No. 15816". The London Gazette . 15 June 1805. p. 787.
  10. ↑ Hepper (1994), p. 107.
  11. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4209. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  12. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4213..
  13. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4226. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  14. 1 2 "No. 16394". The London Gazette . 7 August 1810. p. 1188.
  15. ↑ "No. 16385". The London Gazette . 7 July 1810. p. 1009.
  16. ↑ Lloyd's List, №4376. Accessed 13 August 2016.
  17. ↑ "NMM, vessel ID 379653" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol xi. National Maritime Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 August 2011. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
  18. ↑ "No. 16475". The London Gazette . 13 April 1811. p. 6995.

Related Research Articles

HMS Atalante was a 16-gun brig-sloop of the Royal Navy. She was formerly the French Atalante, captured in 1797. She served with the British during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, and was wrecked in 1807.

HMS <i>Surinam</i> (1805) Brig-sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Surinam was a Cruizer-class brig-sloop built by Obadiah Ayles at Topsham, Exeter and launched in 1805. She captured one privateer during her twenty-year career and took part in two campaigns before she was broken up in 1825.

The Royal Navy used several vessels that were described as His Majesty's hired armed cutter King George. Some of these may have been the same vessel on repeat contract.

His Majesty's hired armed cutter Duke of York served the British Royal Navy from 23 June 1803 to 24 September 1810.

His Majesty's hired armed ship Harlequin served the British Royal Navy from 2 July 1804 until she was wrecked on 7 December 1809. She was of 18537⁄94 tons (bm), and she carried an armament of ten 6-pounder guns, eight 12-pounder carronades, and two swivel guns. During her service with the Royal Navy Harlequin captured a number of prizes. In 1809, she was wrecked near Newhaven as she was escorting a convoy in the Channel.

Hired armed cutter <i>Telemachus</i>

His Majesty's hired armed cutter Telemachus served the Royal Navy from 17 June 1795 until 15 January 1801. She was of 1285⁄95 tons (bm), and carried fourteen 4-pounder guns. During her five and a half years of service to the Royal Navy she captured eight French privateers as well as many merchant vessels.

HMS Moucheron was a French privateer, built in 1799, that the British captured in 1801. The British government purchased her in 1802 for the Royal Navy. She foundered in 1807 in the Mediterranean without leaving a trace.

HMS Linnet was originally His Majesty's revenue cutter Speedwell, launched in 1797, that the Royal Navy purchased in 1806. Linnet captured a number of privateers before the French frigate Gloire captured her in 1813. The French sold or transferred her to the Americans, who operated her as the privateer Bunkers Hill. In March 1814 the British recaptured her, but did not return her to service.

The French lugger Affronteur was launched in 1795 and in 1796-7 participated in the Expédition d'Irlande. In 1803, HMS Doris captured her and she subsequently served the Royal Navy either as a commissioned vessel or, more probably, as His Majesty's hired armed brig Caroline. In 1807 she was either broken up, or became a letter of marque.

HMS Netley was launched in 1798 with an experimental design. During the French Revolutionary Wars she spent some years on the Oporto station, where she captured many small privateers. The French captured her in 1806, early in the Napoleonic Wars. They lengthened her and she became the 17-gun privateer Duquesne. In 1807 the British recaptured her and the Royal Navy returned her to service as the 12-gun gun-brig HMS Unique. She was expended in an unsuccessful fire ship attack at Guadeloupe in 1809.

HMS Phipps was the Dutch privateer Two Lydias, launched in 1807, that the British Royal Navy captured in 1808 and took into service as HMS Phipps. Phipps captured two privateers, took part in a notable action, and her crew was subjected to mercury poisoning. She was sold for breaking up in 1812.

HMS Merlin was launched in 1801 in South Shields as the collier Hercules. In July 1803, with the resumption of war with France, the Admiralty purchased her. She was one of about 20 such vessels that the navy would then employ primarily for convoy escort duties. She served on active duty until 1810, capturing one small privateer. She then served as a receiving ship until 1836 when the navy sold her for breaking up.

His Majesty's hired armed schooner Lady Charlotte served the British Royal Navy on contract between 28 October 1799 and 28 October 1801. She had a burthen of 120 85⁄94 tons (bm), and was armed with twelve 12-pounder carronades. As a hired armed vessel she captured several privateers and recaptured a number of British merchant vessels. After her service with the Royal Navy, she apparently sailed as a letter of marque until the French captured her in 1806.

Two vessels named His Majesty's hired armed lugger Sandwich served the British Royal Navy, one during the French Revolutionary Wars, and the other during the Napoleonic Wars.

HMS <i>Monkey</i> (1801) Brig of the Royal Navy

HMS Monkey was launched in 1801 at Rochester. She served in the Channel, North Sea, and the Baltic, and was wrecked in December 1810.

HMS <i>Albacore</i> (1804) Sloop of the Royal Navy

HMS Albacore was launched in 1804 in Bristol. She participated in two notable actions. The British Royal Navy sold her in 1815 and she became a merchantman, sailing out of Guernsey. She was lost on 12 October 1821 while sailing from Buenos Aires to Barbados.

HMS Growler was a Archer-class gun-brig built for the British Royal Navy and launched in 1804. She captured several French privateers and one Danish privateer, and took part in two actions that earned her crew the Naval General Service Medal (NGSM). She was sold in 1815.

HMS Dart was an 8-gun lugger, reportedly previously the British privateer Dart, built in 1796, captured by the French in 1798, recaptured from the French in 1803, and sold in 1808.

HMS Zephyr was a 14-gun Crocus-class brig of the Royal Navy built by Nicholas Diddams at Portsmouth Dockyard and launched there in 1809. During her service she captured two armed vessels. The Navy sold her in 1818 for breaking up.

HMS Richmond was a Confounder-class gunbrig, launched at Itchenor in February 1806. She captured several small privateers and merchantmen off the Iberian peninsula before the Royal Navy sold her in 1814. After the Navy sold her, she became the mercantile Ben Jonson.

References

This article includes data released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported UK: England & Wales Licence, by the National Maritime Museum, as part of the Warship Histories project.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.