HMS Abergavenny (1795)
Encyclopedia
HMS Abergavenny was originally the Earl of Abergavenny, an East Indiaman. As an East Indiaman she made two trips to China between 1791 and 1794. The Royal Navy
bought her in 1795, converted her to a 56-gun fourth-rate
ship of the line
, and renamed her. She was sold for breaking in 1807.
On her first voyage Earl of Abergavenny departed the Downs on 30 January 1790, arriving Bombay, India on 5 June 1790. She left there on 8 August arrived in Penang on 25 August. She reached Whampoa on 3 October. For her return she crossed Second Bar on 4 February 1791 and reached St Helena on 17 August. She arrived back at the Downs on 17 August.
On her second voyage she traveled with a letter of marque
dated 23 April 1793. This authorized her to take prizes should the opportunity arise.
She left Portsmouth
on 22 May 1793 and reached Manila on 11 November. From there she sailed to China, reaching Whampoa on 20 December. For her return she crossed the Second Bar on 1 February 1794 and reached St Helena on 18 June. She the arrived at the Downs on 7 September.
to transport troops for the Santo Domingo
part of Admiral Christian
’s expedition. Smith then sailed her to Jamaica on 24 February 1796.
She then operated from 1796 until 1807 as a guard ship and flagship at Port Royal
in Jamaica
under a number of commanders. From December 1796 to June 1798 she was under the command of Captain John Cochet (or Couchet). He was present at the British defense of Port au Prince in mid-April 1797 when he sailed Abergavenny and some other ships to Léogâne
to carry out a diversion. She then was instrumental in the evacuation of Port au Prince in mid-May 1798, the terms of the withdrawal having been signed on her on 30 April between representatives of General Toussaint L'Overture for the army of the French Republic, and of General Thomas Maitland for the British forces.
Couchet's replacement was Captain Samuel Forster. Between November 1798 and July 1799, Abergavennys tender and boats captured 13 merchant vessels.
Abergavenney apparently had several tenders seriatim. The tender Ferret and the cutter were involved in a curious incident in which Ferrets captain, Acting Lieutenant Michael Fitton
, served a shark to Lieutenant Hugh Wilie, captain of Sparrow and then surprised him with some papers. Earlier, in preparing the shark, the crew had discovered that the shark's stomach held true papers for that brig Nancy that Sparrow had captured on 28 August 1799 and that Nancys captain had thrown overboard to hide the fact that she was American, not English.
On 5 October, Fitton and Ferret engaged a large Spanish privateer that escaped into Santiago de Cuba. Ferret was a schooner of six 3-pounder guns and 45 men. Later interrogation of prisonners that had belonged to the Spanish privateer revealed that she carried fourteen 6-pounder guns and a crew of 100. Ferret had no casualties; the privateer reportedly had suffered 11 men killed and 20 wounded.
Between 28 February 1800 and 20 May, Abergavennys tender took several more vessels.
Between 20 May and 3 August the tender captured three Dutch prizes and one French one.
In March 1800 Captain Christopher Laroche assumed command only to be replaced in July by Captain Robert Mends, who in turn was replaced in November by Captain Charles Grant. Captain James Carthew assumed command in August 1801, only to hand over in November to Captain Henry Vansittart. However, during Vansittart's tenure she was temporarily under the command of Commander John Wentworth Loring (May), and Lieutenant (acting) Thomas New (June). Then in February 1802 Lieutenant George Cumyns took command. Stability returned in July when Captain George McKinley assumed command.
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
bought her in 1795, converted her to a 56-gun fourth-rate
Fourth-rate
In the British Royal Navy, a fourth rate was, during the first half of the 18th century, a ship of the line mounting from 46 up to 60 guns. While the number of guns stayed subsequently in the same range up until 1817, after 1756 the ships of 50 guns and below were considered too weak to stand in...
ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
, and renamed her. She was sold for breaking in 1807.
East India Company
Captain John Wordsworth completed two return voyages to China and back between January 1790 and September 1794.On her first voyage Earl of Abergavenny departed the Downs on 30 January 1790, arriving Bombay, India on 5 June 1790. She left there on 8 August arrived in Penang on 25 August. She reached Whampoa on 3 October. For her return she crossed Second Bar on 4 February 1791 and reached St Helena on 17 August. She arrived back at the Downs on 17 August.
On her second voyage she traveled with a letter of marque
Letter of marque
In the days of fighting sail, a Letter of Marque and Reprisal was a government licence authorizing a person to attack and capture enemy vessels, and bring them before admiralty courts for condemnation and sale...
dated 23 April 1793. This authorized her to take prizes should the opportunity arise.
She left Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
on 22 May 1793 and reached Manila on 11 November. From there she sailed to China, reaching Whampoa on 20 December. For her return she crossed the Second Bar on 1 February 1794 and reached St Helena on 18 June. She the arrived at the Downs on 7 September.
Naval Service
Abergavenny was commissioned in April 1795 under Captain Edward Tyrell Smith. In June 1795 she was sent to CorkCork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
to transport troops for the Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
part of Admiral Christian
Hugh Cloberry Christian
Sir Hugh Cloberry Christian KB was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary Wars....
’s expedition. Smith then sailed her to Jamaica on 24 February 1796.
She then operated from 1796 until 1807 as a guard ship and flagship at Port Royal
Port Royal
Port Royal was a city located at the end of the Palisadoes at the mouth of the Kingston Harbour, in southeastern Jamaica. Founded in 1518, it was the centre of shipping commerce in the Caribbean Sea during the latter half of the 17th century...
in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
under a number of commanders. From December 1796 to June 1798 she was under the command of Captain John Cochet (or Couchet). He was present at the British defense of Port au Prince in mid-April 1797 when he sailed Abergavenny and some other ships to Léogâne
Léogane
Léogâne is a seaside town in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located in the eponymous arrondissement, the Léogâne Arrondissement. The port town is located about West of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The town was at the epicenter of the 12 January 2010 earthquake, and was catastrophically...
to carry out a diversion. She then was instrumental in the evacuation of Port au Prince in mid-May 1798, the terms of the withdrawal having been signed on her on 30 April between representatives of General Toussaint L'Overture for the army of the French Republic, and of General Thomas Maitland for the British forces.
Couchet's replacement was Captain Samuel Forster. Between November 1798 and July 1799, Abergavennys tender and boats captured 13 merchant vessels.
- San Joseph, of Genoa, in ballast, taken off Portland-Point, Jamaica on 18 November;
- Louisa, merchant schooner carrying staves and heading, sailing under Danish colours but carrying French property, taken at Cow Bay, Jamiaca on 14 February 1799;
- Candelacia, Spanish schooner carrying dollars, taken west of Cow Bay on 9 March;
- Rosetta, Spanish sloop carrying mules, taken in Cow Bay on 18 March;
- Polly, sloop carrying mules and flying Swedish colours but Dutch property, taken off White Horse on 28 March;
- Mid Bergen, merchant ship in ballast, flying Swedish colours but Dutch property, taken off Helshire Point on 22 May;
- San Josef, Spanish schooner carrying sugar, taken off Trinidad, Cuba on 6 June;
- Fortunee, French schooner-rigged boat carrying 24,000 dollars, taken off Santiago de Cuba on 25 June;
- Spanish sloop, name unknown and carrying mahogany and fustick, taken off Point Abaco, St. Domingo on 22 July;
- French armed schooner of unknown name and with a crew of 50, taken of the Isle of AshÎle à VacheÎle à Vache is a small island lying off the south-west peninsula of Haiti near the town of Les Cayes. Administratively it is part of the Sud Department. It is about long, wide, with an area of...
on 22 July; - Hebe, schooner carrying dry goods and provisions, flying Danish colours, taken off Point Abaco on 23 July;
- Olive, schooner carrying dry goods and provisions, flying Danish colours, taken off Point Abaco on 24 July;
- Del Nordische Lew, ship carrying sail cloth, dry goods and provisions, flying Danish colours, taken off the Isle of Ash on 27 July.
Abergavenney apparently had several tenders seriatim. The tender Ferret and the cutter were involved in a curious incident in which Ferrets captain, Acting Lieutenant Michael Fitton
Michael Fitton
Michael Fitton was an English lieutenant in the Royal Navy. During his career he made some 30 to 40 captures of enemy, chiefly French, vessels. Despite his notable victory over the French privateer Superbe in 1806, for which he received various honours, including a medal, and his earlier...
, served a shark to Lieutenant Hugh Wilie, captain of Sparrow and then surprised him with some papers. Earlier, in preparing the shark, the crew had discovered that the shark's stomach held true papers for that brig Nancy that Sparrow had captured on 28 August 1799 and that Nancys captain had thrown overboard to hide the fact that she was American, not English.
On 5 October, Fitton and Ferret engaged a large Spanish privateer that escaped into Santiago de Cuba. Ferret was a schooner of six 3-pounder guns and 45 men. Later interrogation of prisonners that had belonged to the Spanish privateer revealed that she carried fourteen 6-pounder guns and a crew of 100. Ferret had no casualties; the privateer reportedly had suffered 11 men killed and 20 wounded.
Between 28 February 1800 and 20 May, Abergavennys tender took several more vessels.
- Schooner, name unknown;
- Spanish schooner of unknown name carrying coffee, and a Spanish vessel of unknown name. Both were cut out of a creek by the tender and a boat from
Between 20 May and 3 August the tender captured three Dutch prizes and one French one.
In March 1800 Captain Christopher Laroche assumed command only to be replaced in July by Captain Robert Mends, who in turn was replaced in November by Captain Charles Grant. Captain James Carthew assumed command in August 1801, only to hand over in November to Captain Henry Vansittart. However, during Vansittart's tenure she was temporarily under the command of Commander John Wentworth Loring (May), and Lieutenant (acting) Thomas New (June). Then in February 1802 Lieutenant George Cumyns took command. Stability returned in July when Captain George McKinley assumed command.
In fiction
- The novel A Sword for Mr Fitton by Showell StylesShowell StylesFrank Showell Styles was a Welsh writer and mountaineer.Showell Styles was born in Four Oaks, Birmingham and was educated at Bishop Vesey's Grammar School, Sutton Coldfield. Known to his friends as 'Pip', Showell Styles' childhood was spent in the hills of North Wales where he became an avid...
is set aboard Abergavenny in 1799. ISBN 9780571243389.
See also
- Robert MendsRobert MendsCaptain Sir Robert Mends was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, who lost an arm in the American War of Independence, caught in an explosion at the Battle of Groix in 1795 and wounded again at the Action of 6 April 1809...
- captain - Earl of Abergavenny (East Indiaman)Earl of Abergavenny (East Indiaman)The Earl of Abergavenny was an East Indiaman that was wrecked in Weymouth Bay, England in 1805. She was one of the largest built and William Wordsworth's brother John was her captain her last two successful voyages to China. He was also her captain on her fifth voyage and lost his life when she...
- namesake launched in 1797 and wrecked in 1805 with the loss of 250 lives