HMS Jackdaw was a Royal Navy

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...

 Cuckoo-class

Cuckoo class schooner

The Cuckoo class was a class of twelve 4-gun schooners of the Royal Navy, built by contract in English shipyards during the Napoleonic War. They followed the design of the Bermuda-designed and built Ballahoo-class schooners, and more particularly, that of Haddock. The Admiralty ordered all twelve...

 schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

 that William Rowe built at Newcastle and launched in 1806. She had a relatively undistinguished career, with the low point being her capture by a Spanish rowboat. She was recaptured and served as a tender at Plymouth before being sold in 1816.

Service

In June 1806 Lieutenant Martin White commissioned her before turning over command to Lieutenant Samuel Thomas. The newly-promoted Lieutenant Nathaniel Brice took command in October.

Jackdaw was carrying letters from Admiral Collingwood

Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood

Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, 1st Baron Collingwood was an admiral of the Royal Navy, notable as a partner with Lord Nelson in several of the British victories of the Napoleonic Wars, and frequently as Nelson's successor in commands.-Early years:Collingwood was born in Newcastle upon Tyne...

 to England on a course along the Portuguese coast. On 15 February 1807 she spotted three sails, which altered their course towards her. A chase developed but next morning the largest of the three, a lateen-rigged vessel, was observed to be only five miles behind and using sweeps to catch up. Jackdaw fired a handful of shots before the vessel took up a raking position on Jackdaws quarter and hoisted a Spanish flag. Brice consulted with the Mate, John Edwards, and the two convinced each other that as they had only two guns mounted, and a total of only 17 men on board, resistance was futile. They therefore struck.

After they were taken prisoner, some crew members became drunk and abusive, which led Brice later to charge them with drunken insubordination. Two testified at the subsequent court martial on 11 May 1807 for the loss of Jackdaw that Brice and Edwards had surrendered too easily. The court martial board agreed and dismissed both Brice and Edwards from the service. The crewmen were sentenced to be mulcted of any pay due.

The next day the frigates Minerva and Amazon

HMS Amazon (1799)

HMS Amazon was a 38-gun Amazon-class fifth rate of the Royal Navy. This frigate served during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars under several notable naval commanders and played a key role in the Battle of Copenhagen under Captain Edward Riou, when Riou commanded the frigate squadron...

recaptured Jackdaw. Later, the Admiralty reinstated Brice and he went on to serve on several vessels until 1815. He did not serve after 1815 but in 1840 he was placed on the list of retired Commanders.

Fate

In July 1810 Jackdaw was fitted as a tender to the flagship at Plymouth. She was offered for sale on 17 October 1816, and sold on 1 November for £210.