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HMS Jason (1804)
Encyclopedia
HMS Jason was a 32-gun fifth rate Thames-class frigate
of the Royal Navy
, launched in 1804 at Woolwich
, named for Jason
of Greek Mythology
.
as the flagship of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
. In October, Jason captured the French corvette Naiad off Barbados
and a Spanish merchant ship Three Brothers. The following year, command passed to Captain Thomas John Cochrane
and in June was involved in an attack on a Spanish gun battery at Aguadilla on Puerto Rico
. Although the attacking force came under heavier fire than expected, the battery was eventually carried successfully.
In 1807, Jason was detached to the coast of Surinam to search for the French sloop Favorite, which she discovered in January and captured in a short engagement. In 1808 the frigate was involved in a mutiny off New York
, when a shore party was persuaded by local inhabitants to revolt. The rebellion spread to the ship and it was only with difficulty that the officers subdued the mutineers, the first lieutenant driving them below with a pike and locking them in; 45 men were later court martialled at Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
In 1809 command passed to Captain William Maude and Jason participated in the attack on the Topaze
off Guadeloupe
in the successful Action of 22 January 1809
. Command later passed to James William King and then Charles John Napier, returning to Captain King in 1811. She served on the Jamaica
and North Sea
stations in 1812 and 1813 and in 1814 formed part of the escort for King Louis XVIII of France
and later for the Russian and Prussian Emperors during the negotiations to end the Napoleonic Wars
.
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
of the 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...
, launched in 1804 at Woolwich
Woolwich
Woolwich is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.Woolwich formed part of Kent until 1889 when the County of London was created...
, named for Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
of Greek Mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
.
Service
Jason entered service in 1805 under the command of Captain P. William Champain, and served in the Leeward IslandsLeeward Islands
The Leeward Islands are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles chain. As a group they start east of Puerto Rico and reach southward to Dominica. They are situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean...
as the flagship of Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane
Alexander Cochrane
Admiral Sir Alexander Forrester Inglis Cochrane GCB RN was a senior Royal Navy commander during the Napoleonic Wars.-Naval career:...
. In October, Jason captured the French corvette Naiad off Barbados
Barbados
Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles. It is in length and as much as in width, amounting to . It is situated in the western area of the North Atlantic and 100 kilometres east of the Windward Islands and the Caribbean Sea; therein, it is about east of the islands of Saint...
and a Spanish merchant ship Three Brothers. The following year, command passed to Captain Thomas John Cochrane
Thomas John Cochrane
Admiral of the Fleet Sir Thomas John Cochrane GCB was an English naval officer and colonial governor.-Naval career:...
and in June was involved in an attack on a Spanish gun battery at Aguadilla on Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Although the attacking force came under heavier fire than expected, the battery was eventually carried successfully.
In 1807, Jason was detached to the coast of Surinam to search for the French sloop Favorite, which she discovered in January and captured in a short engagement. In 1808 the frigate was involved in a mutiny off New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, when a shore party was persuaded by local inhabitants to revolt. The rebellion spread to the ship and it was only with difficulty that the officers subdued the mutineers, the first lieutenant driving them below with a pike and locking them in; 45 men were later court martialled at Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
.
In 1809 command passed to Captain William Maude and Jason participated in the attack on the Topaze
French frigate Topaze (1805)
The Topaze was a 44-gun frigate of the French Navy. The British captured her in 1809 and she the served with the Royal Navy under the name Alcmene until she was broken up in 1816.-French service:...
off 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...
in the successful Action of 22 January 1809
Action of 22 January 1809
The Action of 22 January 1809 was a minor naval engagement fought off the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe during the Napoleonic Wars. The action was fought as part of the blockade of Guadeloupe and neighbouring Martinique by a large British Royal Navy squadron, which was seeking to cut the islands...
. Command later passed to James William King and then Charles John Napier, returning to Captain King in 1811. She served on the 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...
and North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
stations in 1812 and 1813 and in 1814 formed part of the escort for King Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
and later for the Russian and Prussian Emperors during the negotiations to end 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...
.