HMS Ringdove (1806)
Encyclopedia
HMS Ringdove (or Ring Dove) was a Royal Navy
18-gun Cruizer-class
brig-sloop that Matthew Warren built at Brightlingsea
and launched in 1806. She took some prizes and participated in three actions or campaigns that qualified her crew for clasps to the Naval General Service Medal. The Admiralty sold her in 1829 to Samuel Cunard
, who would go on to found the Cunard Line
.
On 7 January Ringdove was in the company of Ariadne when Ringdove captured the French letter of marque
lugger
Trente et Quarante. The lugger was three months old and 16 days out of Dunkirk without having taken any prizes. She was under the command of M. Fanqueux, carried 16 guns (6 and 9-pounders), of which 14 were mounted, and had a crew of 65.
Next day, two brigs, which turned out to be the Excise vessel Royal George and Sappho
, were chasing a French lugger when Ariadne and Ringdove came on the scene. Royal George, J.T. Currie (or Curry), Commander, then captured the French lugger, which was the privateer Eglee (or Eglé), under the command of M. Olivier. She was armed with 16 guns, all 3 or 4-pounders, and had left Dunkirk on 31 December. She had made one capture, the brig Gabriel, of Yarmouth, which she had taken the night before and scuttled. Captain A. Farquhar of Ariadne saw Gabriel still floating and dispatched Ringdove to investigate. Andrews reported that the brig was sinking so fast that it was impossible to save her. However, Gabriel's Master and crew were aboard Eglé. Farquhar then sent Trente et Quarante and Eglé into Yarmouth.
Later in 1808 Ringdove came under the temporary command of Lieutenant George Peak and was deployed to the Shetland Islands
. Within a few weeks, Peak had captured the Danish privateer
Forden Shieold (or Torden Skiöld) off Bergen, Norway on 30 March. She was only four hours out of port. Initially Forden Shieold would not surrender but after a few shots from Ringdove had killed one man and wounded two others she struck. The bad weather prevented Peak from taking her crew of 62 men prisoners until the next day. The privateer was pierced for 14 guns, but only carried ten 6-pounder guns. She had already captured five prizes in voyages over the previous four months. Peak was commended for his capture and the crew received prize money
for the hull, stores and head money at Leith the following October.
On 14 December 1808 Ringdove sailed for the Leeward Islands. She was at the invasion
of Martinique
in February 1809. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance to all remaining survivors of the campaign of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique".
George Andrews returned to command, but then in June 1809 command passed to Commander Humphrey Fleming Senhouse
. He remained in command until December.
Command passed to Commander William Dowers. Ringdove took part in the Action of 17 December 1809
in which a British squadron, first under Captain Volant Vashon Ballard
and then under Captain Samuel James Ballard
, destroyed two French frigates, the Loire and the Seine. During the operations, French batteries opened fire on the British force, one shot striking Ringdove, then off Pointe Lizard. Dowers landed a shore party that stormed the battery, capturing it in 15 minutes. He demolished the position and withdrew to his ship, rejoining Volant Ballard off Anse la Barque at Basse Terre Island.
Subsequently, Ringdove was also at the Invasion of Guadeloupe
, and the invasion of Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius. These actions led to the award in 1847 of the clasps "Anse La Barque 18 Decr. 1809" and "Guadaloupe" to the Naval General Service Medal. Ringdove remained in the Leeward Islands through 1812.
July 1812 proved a month of successful prize-taking for Ringdove. On 7 July she captured the brig Enterprise, of 193 tons (bm
), from St. Ube's, bound to New York. The Enterprise was carrying a cargo of salt. The next day she captured the Russel, bound to Marblehead and laden with fish. On 9 July Ringdove captured the Hunter, which was sailing to Sable Island with a cargo of fish. Nine days later Ringdove captured the ship Magnet, of 172 tons (bm), from Belfast, bound to New York, with passengers, and a small quantity of linen. Apparently Ringdove was in company with the hired ketch Gleaner. On 19 July Ringdove captured the schooner Rover, of 98 tons (bm), sailing from Liverpool for Amelia Island. Rover was carrying coals, earthenware, and hardware. Once again Gleaner was in sight. On the same day she Ringdove captured the ship Four Sisters, of 204 tons (bm), from Lisbon, bound to New York, and laden with 1000 dollars. The next day Ringdove captured the brig Hesper, of 264 tons (bm). Hesper was sailing in ballast from Liverpool to Norfolk. The run of good fortune continued into August when on 1 August Ringdove captured three vessels. First came the Eight Sisters, bound to Boston, and sailing in ballast. Second was the Hannibal, bound to St. Bartholomew with a cargo of flour. Lastly, Ringdove captured the Orpha, which was sailing to Puerto Rico, also with a cargo of flour. At some point Ringdove also captured the San Pedro and the Marstrand.
On 2 June 1813 she sailed for the North America station. On 30 June she was one of the vessels that were present at the capture of the Letter of marque
Ulysses, Sam Hill, Master. Then, on 28 July, she retook the brig Stamper which had been sailing Liverpool to Halifax
. Ringdove returned to the Jamaica station in 1814.
and was paid off there. There she underwent a major repair from January to July 1818. In August 1821 her forecastle and head were housed over. She was then fitted for sea between December 1822 and February 1823. Commander George Rich recommissioned her in November 1822 for the West Indies. Commander Edwin Rich, his brother, succeeded him in July 1823.
In August 1826 she was under Commander Edward Thornbrough at Halifax, Nova Scotia
. In April 1827 command transferred to Commander Charles English.
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...
18-gun Cruizer-class
Cruizer class brig-sloop
The Cruizer class was an 18-gun class of brig-sloops of the Royal Navy. Brig-sloops were the same as ship-sloops except for their rigging...
brig-sloop that Matthew Warren built at Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea
Brightlingsea is a coastal town in the Tendring district of Essex, England, located between Colchester and Clacton-on-Sea, situated at the mouth of the River Colne, on Brightlingsea Creek. It has an estimated population of 8500....
and launched in 1806. She took some prizes and participated in three actions or campaigns that qualified her crew for clasps to the Naval General Service Medal. The Admiralty sold her in 1829 to Samuel Cunard
Samuel Cunard
Sir Samuel Cunard, 1st Baronet was a British shipping magnate, born at Halifax, Nova Scotia, who founded the Cunard Line...
, who would go on to found the Cunard Line
Cunard Line
Cunard Line is a British-American owned shipping company based at Carnival House in Southampton, England and operated by Carnival UK. It has been a leading operator of passenger ships on the North Atlantic for over a century...
.
Napoleonic Wars
Ringdove was commissioned in 1806 under Commander George Andrews for the Baltic and the North Sea.On 7 January Ringdove was in the company of Ariadne when Ringdove captured 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...
lugger
Lugger
A lugger is a class of boats, widely used as traditional fishing boats, particularly off the coasts of France, Scotland and England. It is a small sailing vessel with lugsails set on two or more masts and perhaps lug topsails.-Defining the rig:...
Trente et Quarante. The lugger was three months old and 16 days out of Dunkirk without having taken any prizes. She was under the command of M. Fanqueux, carried 16 guns (6 and 9-pounders), of which 14 were mounted, and had a crew of 65.
Next day, two brigs, which turned out to be the Excise vessel Royal George and Sappho
HMS Sappho (1806)
HMS Sappho was a Cruizer class brig-sloop built by Jabez Bailey at Ipswich and launched in 1806. She defeated a Danish brig, the Admiral Yawl in a single-ship action during the Gunboat War,The vessel's name varies by account. Variants include: Admiral Juhl, Admiral Jawl, Admiral Juul, and Admiral...
, were chasing a French lugger when Ariadne and Ringdove came on the scene. Royal George, J.T. Currie (or Curry), Commander, then captured the French lugger, which was the privateer Eglee (or Eglé), under the command of M. Olivier. She was armed with 16 guns, all 3 or 4-pounders, and had left Dunkirk on 31 December. She had made one capture, the brig Gabriel, of Yarmouth, which she had taken the night before and scuttled. Captain A. Farquhar of Ariadne saw Gabriel still floating and dispatched Ringdove to investigate. Andrews reported that the brig was sinking so fast that it was impossible to save her. However, Gabriel's Master and crew were aboard Eglé. Farquhar then sent Trente et Quarante and Eglé into Yarmouth.
Later in 1808 Ringdove came under the temporary command of Lieutenant George Peak and was deployed to the Shetland Islands
Shetland Islands
Shetland is a subarctic archipelago of Scotland that lies north and east of mainland Great Britain. The islands lie some to the northeast of Orkney and southeast of the Faroe Islands and form part of the division between the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the North Sea to the east. The total...
. Within a few weeks, Peak had captured the Danish privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
Forden Shieold (or Torden Skiöld) off Bergen, Norway on 30 March. She was only four hours out of port. Initially Forden Shieold would not surrender but after a few shots from Ringdove had killed one man and wounded two others she struck. The bad weather prevented Peak from taking her crew of 62 men prisoners until the next day. The privateer was pierced for 14 guns, but only carried ten 6-pounder guns. She had already captured five prizes in voyages over the previous four months. Peak was commended for his capture and the crew received prize money
Prize money
Prize money has a distinct meaning in warfare, especially naval warfare, where it was a monetary reward paid out to the crew of a ship for capturing an enemy vessel...
for the hull, stores and head money at Leith the following October.
On 14 December 1808 Ringdove sailed for the Leeward Islands. She was at the invasion
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
in February 1809. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issuance to all remaining survivors of the campaign of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique".
George Andrews returned to command, but then in June 1809 command passed to Commander Humphrey Fleming Senhouse
Humphrey Fleming Senhouse
Captain Sir Humphrey Fleming Senhouse, KCH, CB , was a British officer in the Royal Navy. He served in the Napoleonic Wars, War of 1812, and First Anglo-Chinese War.- Early life :...
. He remained in command until December.
Command passed to Commander William Dowers. Ringdove took part in the Action of 17 December 1809
Roquebert's expedition to the Caribbean
Roquebert's expedition to the Caribbean, was an unsuccessful operation by a French naval squadron to transport supplies to Guadeloupe in December 1809 at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. Over the previous year, British Royal Navy squadrons had isolated and defeated the French Caribbean colonies...
in which a British squadron, first under Captain Volant Vashon Ballard
Volant Vashon Ballard
Volant Vashon Ballard CB was a Rear-Admiral of the Royal Navy. He served as a midshipman with George Vancouver on his voyage to the north-west coast of America.-Early career:...
and then under Captain Samuel James Ballard
Samuel James Ballard
Samuel James Ballard was a Vice-Admiral in the Royal Navy, baptised 28 March 1765 at St Thomas, Portsmouth, the son of Samuel Ballard, a burgess and chandler of Portsmouth, and Lydia née Flint daughter of James Flint of Epsom in Surrey.-Naval career:Ballard entered the navy in December 1776, under...
, destroyed two French frigates, the Loire and the Seine. During the operations, French batteries opened fire on the British force, one shot striking Ringdove, then off Pointe Lizard. Dowers landed a shore party that stormed the battery, capturing it in 15 minutes. He demolished the position and withdrew to his ship, rejoining Volant Ballard off Anse la Barque at Basse Terre Island.
Subsequently, Ringdove was also at the Invasion of Guadeloupe
Invasion of Guadeloupe (1810)
The Invasion of Guadeloupe was a British amphibious operation fought between 28 January and 6 February 1810 over control of the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe during the Napoleonic Wars. The island was the final remaining French colony in the Americas, following the systematic invasion and capture...
, and the invasion of Sint Maarten and Sint Eustatius. These actions led to the award in 1847 of the clasps "Anse La Barque 18 Decr. 1809" and "Guadaloupe" to the Naval General Service Medal. Ringdove remained in the Leeward Islands through 1812.
July 1812 proved a month of successful prize-taking for Ringdove. On 7 July she captured the brig Enterprise, of 193 tons (bm
Builder's Old Measurement
Builder's Old Measurement is the method of calculating the size or cargo capacity of a ship used in England from approximately 1720 to 1849. It estimated the tonnage of a ship based on length and maximum beam...
), from St. Ube's, bound to New York. The Enterprise was carrying a cargo of salt. The next day she captured the Russel, bound to Marblehead and laden with fish. On 9 July Ringdove captured the Hunter, which was sailing to Sable Island with a cargo of fish. Nine days later Ringdove captured the ship Magnet, of 172 tons (bm), from Belfast, bound to New York, with passengers, and a small quantity of linen. Apparently Ringdove was in company with the hired ketch Gleaner. On 19 July Ringdove captured the schooner Rover, of 98 tons (bm), sailing from Liverpool for Amelia Island. Rover was carrying coals, earthenware, and hardware. Once again Gleaner was in sight. On the same day she Ringdove captured the ship Four Sisters, of 204 tons (bm), from Lisbon, bound to New York, and laden with 1000 dollars. The next day Ringdove captured the brig Hesper, of 264 tons (bm). Hesper was sailing in ballast from Liverpool to Norfolk. The run of good fortune continued into August when on 1 August Ringdove captured three vessels. First came the Eight Sisters, bound to Boston, and sailing in ballast. Second was the Hannibal, bound to St. Bartholomew with a cargo of flour. Lastly, Ringdove captured the Orpha, which was sailing to Puerto Rico, also with a cargo of flour. At some point Ringdove also captured the San Pedro and the Marstrand.
On 2 June 1813 she sailed for the North America station. On 30 June she was one of the vessels that were present at the capture of the 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...
Ulysses, Sam Hill, Master. Then, on 28 July, she retook the brig Stamper which had been sailing Liverpool to Halifax
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...
. Ringdove returned to the Jamaica station in 1814.
Post-war
Ringdove remained in the West Indies until the end of 1815 when she returned to PortsmouthPortsmouth
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...
and was paid off there. There she underwent a major repair from January to July 1818. In August 1821 her forecastle and head were housed over. She was then fitted for sea between December 1822 and February 1823. Commander George Rich recommissioned her in November 1822 for the West Indies. Commander Edwin Rich, his brother, succeeded him in July 1823.
In August 1826 she was under Commander Edward Thornbrough 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 April 1827 command transferred to Commander Charles English.