HMS Laura (1805)
Encyclopedia
HMS Laura was an of the Royal Navy
, launched in 1805. She was built at Bermuda of the pencil cedar
and was pierced to mount ten 18-pounder carronade
s, but was too small to carry conveniently that many guns. Her establishment consisted of 50 men and boys.
The Adonis-class schooners were a little larger and much better armed than the Ballahoo-
and Cuckoo-class
schooners that they followed. The Admiralty's intent was to improve survivability of these dispatch boat
s.
Laura served during the Napoleonic Wars
before a French privateer captured her at the beginning of the War of 1812
. She was briefly an American letter of marque
before the British recaptured her in 1813. Despite having recaptured her, the British did not return Laura to service.
In 1807 Lieutenant Robert Yetts took command and on 28 March he sailed Laura for the Leeward Islands. On 4 August 1807, Laura was in company with the schooner Ballahoo
, of four guns, when they encountered the French letter of marque
brig Rhone some 16 miles north of Tobago
. After a running fight of several hours, they captured Rhone after had suffered two dead and five wounded out of her crew of 26; the British had no casualties. Rhone, under the command of Francis Goureu, was of 90 tons (bm), mounted six long 6-pounder guns, and was 10 days out from Martinique, having captured nothing.
In 1809 Lieutenant Charles Newton Hunter took command in the Leeward Islands. On 6 February 1810 Laura was present at the surrender of Guadeloupe
, which earned her surviving officers and men the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe".
. Laura had just captured three American prizes and was in the process of taking a fourth when Diligent arrived on the scene. Hunter recalled his boat and her men from the prize and sailed to engage, even though he knew from his third prize that Diligent out-manned and outgunned Laura.
Laura's crew had been reduced to 41 men because of the need to man the prizes she had taken, and she was short of officers for the same reason. The need to guard 25 American prisoners further reduced her effective strength. At the time of the engagement, Laura carried two short 9-pounders in addition to her ten 18-pounder carronades, while Diligent normally carried 16 French 24-pounder carronades and two long 12-pounder guns. However, Diligent had stowed three of her cannon in the hold for stability in a recent gale. She also had a crew of 97 men rather than her usual 120.
The two vessels exchanged fire for an hour. Fire from Diligent wounded Hunter and the sole remaining officer, Midshipman John Griffith, and killed or wounded 13 of Lauras crew of 41. Consequently, the crew hardly resisted when the French finally were able to board. Captain Grassin of Diligent took his prize to Philadelphia.
At his court martial at Halifax the board acquitted Hunter for the loss of Laura. The combination of Lauras loss and the fact Diligent had also had heavy casualties of nine killed and 10 wounded provided clear evidence that Hunter had done his utmost. However, the board condemned Seaman James Cooper, who had surrendered Laura while Hunter was having his wounds dressed, to death. Later his sentence was reduced to seven years transportation.
The month before her encounter with Laura, Diligent had captured the schooner Whiting
, a sister ship to Ballahoo.
Hebe, John Picarare (or Picarrere), master, of two guns and 15 men.Maclay (2008; p.310) says Hebe carried 12 guns, however the account of the capture by Captain G. P. Salt of Unicorn confirms two guns and 15 men. In April 1813, the frigates Stag and Unicorn
recaptured her as she was sailing to Bordeaux or Nantes. However, the Admiralty did not take her back into service.
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...
, launched in 1805. She was built at Bermuda of the pencil cedar
Juniperus bermudiana
Juniperus bermudiana is a species of juniper endemic to Bermuda. This species is most commonly known as Bermuda cedar although, like most "cedars" it is not a true cedar ; a more botanically accurate name would be Bermuda juniper, but this term is extremely rare.It is an evergreen tree growing up...
and was pierced to mount ten 18-pounder carronade
Carronade
The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK. It was used from the 1770s to the 1850s. Its main function was to serve as a powerful, short-range anti-ship and anti-crew weapon...
s, but was too small to carry conveniently that many guns. Her establishment consisted of 50 men and boys.
The Adonis-class schooners were a little larger and much better armed than the Ballahoo-
Ballahoo class schooner
The Ballahoo class was a Royal Navy class of eighteen 4-gun schooners built under contract in Bermuda during the Napoleonic War. The class was an attempt by the Admiralty to harness the expertise of Bermudian shipbuilders who were renowned for their fast-sailing craft...
and 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...
schooners that they followed. The Admiralty's intent was to improve survivability of these dispatch boat
Dispatch boat
Dispatch boats were small boats, and sometimes large ships, tasked to carry military dispatches from ship to ship or from ship to shore or, in some cases from shore to shore...
s.
Laura served during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
before a French privateer captured her at the beginning of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. She was briefly an American 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...
before the British recaptured her in 1813. Despite having recaptured her, the British did not return Laura to service.
Service
In March 1806 Laura was commissioned under Lieutenant Joseph Webb, for the Channel.In 1807 Lieutenant Robert Yetts took command and on 28 March he sailed Laura for the Leeward Islands. On 4 August 1807, Laura was in company with the schooner Ballahoo
HMS Ballahoo (1804)
HMS Ballahoo was the first of the Royal Navy's Ballahoo-class schooners, vessels of four 12-pounder carronades and a crew of 20. The prime contractor for the vessel was Goodrich & Co., in Bermuda, and she was launched in 1804...
, of four guns, when they encountered the French 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...
brig Rhone some 16 miles north of Tobago
Tobago
Tobago is the smaller of the two main islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located in the southern Caribbean, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. The island lies outside the hurricane belt...
. After a running fight of several hours, they captured Rhone after had suffered two dead and five wounded out of her crew of 26; the British had no casualties. Rhone, under the command of Francis Goureu, was of 90 tons (bm), mounted six long 6-pounder guns, and was 10 days out from Martinique, having captured nothing.
In 1809 Lieutenant Charles Newton Hunter took command in the Leeward Islands. On 6 February 1810 Laura was present at the surrender of Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
, which earned her surviving officers and men the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe".
Capture
In August 1812 Laura was escorting convoys but on 8 September she encountered the French privateer brig Diligent (or Diligente or Diligence) off the Delaware RiverDelaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. Laura had just captured three American prizes and was in the process of taking a fourth when Diligent arrived on the scene. Hunter recalled his boat and her men from the prize and sailed to engage, even though he knew from his third prize that Diligent out-manned and outgunned Laura.
Laura's crew had been reduced to 41 men because of the need to man the prizes she had taken, and she was short of officers for the same reason. The need to guard 25 American prisoners further reduced her effective strength. At the time of the engagement, Laura carried two short 9-pounders in addition to her ten 18-pounder carronades, while Diligent normally carried 16 French 24-pounder carronades and two long 12-pounder guns. However, Diligent had stowed three of her cannon in the hold for stability in a recent gale. She also had a crew of 97 men rather than her usual 120.
The two vessels exchanged fire for an hour. Fire from Diligent wounded Hunter and the sole remaining officer, Midshipman John Griffith, and killed or wounded 13 of Lauras crew of 41. Consequently, the crew hardly resisted when the French finally were able to board. Captain Grassin of Diligent took his prize to Philadelphia.
At his court martial at Halifax the board acquitted Hunter for the loss of Laura. The combination of Lauras loss and the fact Diligent had also had heavy casualties of nine killed and 10 wounded provided clear evidence that Hunter had done his utmost. However, the board condemned Seaman James Cooper, who had surrendered Laura while Hunter was having his wounds dressed, to death. Later his sentence was reduced to seven years transportation.
The month before her encounter with Laura, Diligent had captured the schooner Whiting
HMS Whiting (1805)
HMS Whiting was a Royal Navy Ballahoo-class schooner of four 12-pounder carronades and a crew of 20. The prime contractor for the vessel was Goodrich & Co., in Bermuda, and she was launched in 1805...
, a sister ship to Ballahoo.
Fate
Laura became the American letter of marqueLetter 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...
Hebe, John Picarare (or Picarrere), master, of two guns and 15 men.Maclay (2008; p.310) says Hebe carried 12 guns, however the account of the capture by Captain G. P. Salt of Unicorn confirms two guns and 15 men. In April 1813, the frigates Stag and Unicorn
HMS Unicorn (1794)
HMS Unicorn was a 32-gun fifth-rate Pallas-class frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1794 at Chatham. This frigate served in both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, including a medal action early in her career...
recaptured her as she was sailing to Bordeaux or Nantes. However, the Admiralty did not take her back into service.