HMS Montreal (1761)
Encyclopedia
HMS Montreal was a 32-gun Niger-class
fifth-rate
frigate of the Royal Navy
. She was launched in 1761 and served in the Seven Years' War
and the American War of Independence. The French captured her in 1779 and she then served with them under the name Montréal. An Anglo-Spanish force destroyed her during the occupation of Toulon early in the French Revolutionary Wars
.
. She was laid down on 26 April 1760, launched on 15 September 1761, and was completed by 10 October 1761. She had been named Montreal on 28 October 1760, and was commissioned under her first commander, Captain William Howe, in September 1761, having cost £11,503.17.11d to build, including money spent fitting her out.
, still in the Mediterranean, though she returned home in September 1767, bringing the body of the Duke of York, who had died in Monaco
. Montreal was paid off at some point in 1769, though she recommissioned in December that year under Captain James Alms
. Montreal returned to the Mediterranean the following year, and was under the command of Captain Christopher Atkins from about September 1772. She paid off again in March 1773, and was surveyed at Chatham
in April. A small to middling repair was carried out between July 1777 and February 1778, and she recommissioned in November 1777 under Captain Stair Douglas. She sailed to North America in April 1778, and was afterwards sent to the Mediterranean. While in North America Douglas was court-martialled for firing a gun into a small boat during some horseplay, killing a midshipman
. He was acquitted on the grounds that he had not meant to kill. While in the Mediterranean Montreal formed part of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Duff's squadron.
in company with when they encountered the French ships Bourgogne
, under the command of Captain de Marin and Victoire, under command of Captain d'Albert Saint-Hippolyte, both ships of the 76th squadron out of Toulon. Thetis engaged Victoire and was able to escape, but Bourgogne captured Montreal.
The French took her into service as Montréal.
. She was under the command of Captain de Vialis de Fontbelle, who was also in charge of the convoy. At 5:30 in the morning, on 30 July 1780, de Vialis de Fontbelle noticed that four vessels to leeward had had taken up pursuit of the convoy while the convoy was somewhere between the Tower of Cachique and Cape Caxine, about 12 miles from the Cape. At 6:00, it was determined that the four pursuing ships were enemy vessels, and that a fifth pursuer was coming up. At this time, de Vialis de Fontbelle signalled the convoy to make best speed to the Tower of Cachique. He sought refuge under its guns as it was under the control of a vassal of Algiers. The French identified the pursuing British squadron as consisting of two frigate
s, two brig
s, and a xebec
.
By 6:45, the two sides had begun exchanging long-range fire. The British ships were trying to cut inside the convoy, between shore and the convoy, and between the convoy and the Montréal. By around 8:00, the two brigs had engaged the convoy. The 20-gun , under Captain Sir Charles Knowles
, and xebec
, under Commander Hugh Lawson, engaged Montréal off the Barbary coast
.
The convoy successfully anchored underneath the guns of Cachique. However, during the opening of close combat, de Vialis de Fontbelle received two mortal wounds, one to the right arm and one to the left calf. He therefor turned over command to his second in command, the Count of LaPorte-Yssertieux, before dying. Montréal demasted one of the English vessels, which led the brigs to disengage to protect her. By 9:30, the English commander signaled withdrawal.
The two hour engagement was inconclusive. Minorca suffered two men killed, while three men were killed and two wounded on Porcupine. The convoy suffered four dead, including Captain de Vialis de Fontbelle.
Later, three English ships gave chase when the convoy lifted anchor, however the convoy had lost them by 11:00, and the convoy reached Algiers intact. For his conduct in the action, la Porte-Yssertieux received a promotion to bevret de capitaine de vaisseau (Bevret Captain).
besieged Toulon and on 16 December 1793 the British decided to evacuate the port while destroying as much as possible of the materials that they could not take away. Montréal was one of two powder hulks in the port, the other being the Iris.Iris had been a former American vessel, launched in 1776 as . She was taken by the British in 1777 and brought into the service as , but had been captured by the French in 1781. An Anglo-Spanish force was sent to scuttle them on the night of 18 December, but instead of doing so, the Spanish troops decided to set fire to the two powder hulks; the subsequent explosions destroyed both.
Niger class frigate
The Niger-class frigates were 32-gun sailing frigates of the fifth rate produced for the Royal Navy. They were designed in 1757 by Sir Thomas Slade, and were an improvement on his 1756 design for the 32-gun s....
fifth-rate
Fifth-rate
In Britain's Royal Navy during the classic age of fighting sail, a fifth rate was the penultimate class of warships in a hierarchal system of six "ratings" based on size and firepower.-Rating:...
frigate 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...
. She was launched in 1761 and served in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
and the American War of Independence. The French captured her in 1779 and she then served with them under the name Montréal. An Anglo-Spanish force destroyed her during the occupation of Toulon early in the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
Construction and commissioning
Montreal was ordered from Sheerness Dockyard on 6 June 1759, one of an eleven ship class built to a design by Thomas SladeThomas Slade
Sir Thomas Slade was an English naval architect, most famous for designing HMS Victory, Lord Nelson's flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.-Career Outline:...
. She was laid down on 26 April 1760, launched on 15 September 1761, and was completed by 10 October 1761. She had been named Montreal on 28 October 1760, and was commissioned under her first commander, Captain William Howe, in September 1761, having cost £11,503.17.11d to build, including money spent fitting her out.
British career
Montreal was first assigned to serve in the Mediterranean, which she sailed for in December 1761. She was paid off in July 1764 after the conclusion of the Seven Years' War. She was almost immediately recommissioned under Captain Keith Stewart, and returned to the Mediterranean in July that year. By 1766 Montreal was under the command of Captain Phillips CosbyPhillips Cosby
Vice Admiral Phillips Cosby was a Royal Navy officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War.-Naval career:Cosby joined the Royal Navy as an ordinary seaman in 1747. He was given command of a schooner at the Siege of Louisbourg in 1758 and was present at the capture of Quebec in 1759.Promoted...
, still in the Mediterranean, though she returned home in September 1767, bringing the body of the Duke of York, who had died in Monaco
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
. Montreal was paid off at some point in 1769, though she recommissioned in December that year under Captain James Alms
James Alms
James Alms was an officer of the Royal Navy who saw service during the War of the Austrian Succession, the Carnatic and Seven Years' War and the American War of Independence, rising to the rank of post-captain....
. Montreal returned to the Mediterranean the following year, and was under the command of Captain Christopher Atkins from about September 1772. She paid off again in March 1773, and was surveyed at Chatham
Chatham Dockyard
Chatham Dockyard, located on the River Medway and of which two-thirds is in Gillingham and one third in Chatham, Kent, England, came into existence at the time when, following the Reformation, relations with the Catholic countries of Europe had worsened, leading to a requirement for additional...
in April. A small to middling repair was carried out between July 1777 and February 1778, and she recommissioned in November 1777 under Captain Stair Douglas. She sailed to North America in April 1778, and was afterwards sent to the Mediterranean. While in North America Douglas was court-martialled for firing a gun into a small boat during some horseplay, killing a midshipman
Midshipman
A midshipman is an officer cadet, or a commissioned officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Kenya...
. He was acquitted on the grounds that he had not meant to kill. While in the Mediterranean Montreal formed part of Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Duff's squadron.
Capture
On 4 May 1779 Montreal was sailing off GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
in company with when they encountered the French ships Bourgogne
French ship Bourgogne (1767)
The Bourgogne was a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.She was commissioned in 1772, and served in the squadron of the Mediterranean, with a refit in 1775, and another in 1778....
, under the command of Captain de Marin and Victoire, under command of Captain d'Albert Saint-Hippolyte, both ships of the 76th squadron out of Toulon. Thetis engaged Victoire and was able to escape, but Bourgogne captured Montreal.
The French took her into service as Montréal.
French service
In July 1780, Montréal was escorting six ships destined for AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
. She was under the command of Captain de Vialis de Fontbelle, who was also in charge of the convoy. At 5:30 in the morning, on 30 July 1780, de Vialis de Fontbelle noticed that four vessels to leeward had had taken up pursuit of the convoy while the convoy was somewhere between the Tower of Cachique and Cape Caxine, about 12 miles from the Cape. At 6:00, it was determined that the four pursuing ships were enemy vessels, and that a fifth pursuer was coming up. At this time, de Vialis de Fontbelle signalled the convoy to make best speed to the Tower of Cachique. He sought refuge under its guns as it was under the control of a vassal of Algiers. The French identified the pursuing British squadron as consisting of two frigate
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"...
s, two brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
s, and a xebec
Xebec
A xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
.
By 6:45, the two sides had begun exchanging long-range fire. The British ships were trying to cut inside the convoy, between shore and the convoy, and between the convoy and the Montréal. By around 8:00, the two brigs had engaged the convoy. The 20-gun , under Captain Sir Charles Knowles
Sir Charles Knowles, 2nd Baronet
Sir Charles Henry Knowles, 2nd Baronet GCB was an officer of the Royal Navy, who saw service during the American War of Independence, and the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, eventually rising to the rank of Admiral...
, and xebec
Xebec
A xebec , also spelled zebec, was a Mediterranean sailing ship that was used mostly for trading. It would have a long overhanging bowsprit and protruding mizzen mast...
, under Commander Hugh Lawson, engaged Montréal off the Barbary coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
.
The convoy successfully anchored underneath the guns of Cachique. However, during the opening of close combat, de Vialis de Fontbelle received two mortal wounds, one to the right arm and one to the left calf. He therefor turned over command to his second in command, the Count of LaPorte-Yssertieux, before dying. Montréal demasted one of the English vessels, which led the brigs to disengage to protect her. By 9:30, the English commander signaled withdrawal.
The two hour engagement was inconclusive. Minorca suffered two men killed, while three men were killed and two wounded on Porcupine. The convoy suffered four dead, including Captain de Vialis de Fontbelle.
Later, three English ships gave chase when the convoy lifted anchor, however the convoy had lost them by 11:00, and the convoy reached Algiers intact. For his conduct in the action, la Porte-Yssertieux received a promotion to bevret de capitaine de vaisseau (Bevret Captain).
Fate
The French later used Montréal as a powder hulk. The British captured her when they occupied Toulon in August 1793 in support of the monarchists there. The French Revolutionary forcesFrench Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the ancien regime under Louis XVI in 1792 and the formation of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary...
besieged Toulon and on 16 December 1793 the British decided to evacuate the port while destroying as much as possible of the materials that they could not take away. Montréal was one of two powder hulks in the port, the other being the Iris.Iris had been a former American vessel, launched in 1776 as . She was taken by the British in 1777 and brought into the service as , but had been captured by the French in 1781. An Anglo-Spanish force was sent to scuttle them on the night of 18 December, but instead of doing so, the Spanish troops decided to set fire to the two powder hulks; the subsequent explosions destroyed both.