HMS Nightingale (1805)

Summary

HMS Nightingale was a 16-gun brig-sloop of the Seagull class of the British Royal Navy, launched in July 1805. She served during the Napoleonic Wars, primarily in the North Sea, where she captured a number of merchant vessels. The Navy sold her in 1815. She then became a merchantman, trading across the Atlantic, particularly between Liverpool and South America. She was last listed in 1829.

Nightingale
History
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Nightingale
Ordered12 December 1804
BuilderJohn King, Dover
Laid downApril 1805
Launched29 July 1805
FateSold 1815
United Kingdom
NameNightingale
Acquired1815
FateLast listed 1829
General characteristics [1]
Class and type16-gun brig-sloop
Tons burthen2842694, or 293, or 296[2] bm
Length
  • 93 ft 1+14 in (28.4 m) (overall)
  • 76 ft 1+14 in (23.2 m) (keel)
Beam26 ft 6 in (8.1 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
Sail planSloop
Complement95
Armament14 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder bow guns

Royal Navy edit

In August 1805 Commander William Wilkinson commissioned Nightingale for the North Sea.[1] Nightingale was in company with Texel and Lynx on 6 April when Texel captured the Einigheid.[3][a] That same day the same three British ships, together with the hired armed vessels Norfolk and Chapman, captured the Jonge Ebeling, Freundschaft, and Morgenstern.[b] Six days later Nightingale captured the Prussian ship Frou Gesiner.[6] The capture of the Twee Gebroders followed on 26 April.[6] Then Nightingale captured the Prussian ships Jonge Gerrite, and De Drie Gebroeders on 23 May.[7]

On 24 January 1807, Nightingale arrived at Edinburgh from Tunningen with news of a French defeat north of Warsaw.[8] In the autumn Nightingale was present at the second battle of Copenhagen.[c] On 20 October she received orders to accompany a small squadron that would escort the transport ships back to Yarmouth.[10] She carried Captain the Honourable Charles Paget, of Cambrian. He had taken up Admiral Gambier's offer to let him return to Britain with the duplicate despatches announcing Denmark's capitulation.[11]

On 25 July 1809, Nightingale captured the Danish vessel Emanuel.[12] That same day she captured Cutter No 16.[6]

On 8 August three Danish vessels arrived at Leith. They were prizes to Naiad, Nightingale, and Snake.[13]

Then on 16 August Nightingale captured the Danish vessel Transport No 52. (Childers was in company at the capture of Transport No. 52.[14]) Lastly, on 12 October, she captured the Helena Maria.[12]

April 1810 saw Nightingale capture five vessels: Martini Jacobi, C. Stysring, master (15 April), Godes Fisne, A. Brede, master (18 April), Amicitia, Paul Paulson, master, (17 April), Magneten, H. Kilrub, master, (21 April), and a sloop, No. 60, name unknown (21 April.[15] Nightingale was also in sight on 17 April when Mercurius captured Carolus, L.J. Kramer, master, and Enighied, N. Frius, master.[16] That same day Nightingale was in company with Tartar when they captured Amicitia, Paul Poulson, master.[17]

Commander John Eveleigh replaced Wilkinson in November 1810.[1] Nightingale and Forward were in company on 12 April 1811 when they captured Caroline and Berentine.[18]

Commander Christopher Nixon replaced Eveleigh in early 1812. Rifleman and Nightingale, under Nixon's command, were in company when they captured the vessels Liebe (27 February 1812), Maria Dorothea (7 March), Anna Serina (9 March) and Bodel Maria (24 March).[19] Then on 19 May Rifleman and Nightingale were again in company when they captured the Palmtract.[20]

On 29 January 1813, Nightingale captured the American ship Calumet, of 187 tons bm, which had been carrying a cargo of tobacco from Boston to Marstrand. Nightingale sent her into Leith.[21] Then on 9 March 1813, Nightingale was in company with Brev Drageren when they captured the Danish sloop Enigheiden.[d] On 11 September Nightingale was at Leith receiving a 4-inch false keel.[1]

Disposal edit

The Navy put Nightingale up for sale on 23 November 1815 at Sheerness.[24] She was sold that day for £810.[1]

Merchantman edit

Nightingale first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) in 1816 with D.Gray, master, Denniston, owner, and trade London–Charleston.[2]

Year Master Owner Trade Source
1820 D.Munn Denniston & Co. Liverpool–Buenos Aires LR
1825 Shannon Captain & Co. Liverpool–Rio de Janeiro LR

Fate edit

Nightingale was last listed in LR in 1829 with unchanged information.

Notes edit

  1. ^ An earlier prize money notice referred to Nightingale as an ordnance store ship.[4]
  2. ^ A first-class share of the prize money was worth £10 1s 1d; a fifth-class share, that of a seaman, was worth 1s 7½d.[5]
  3. ^ The prize money for an able seaman was £3 8s 0d.[9]
  4. ^ A sixth-class share of the prize money was worth 4s 10½d.[22] At a second payment in December 1817, a first-class share was worth £12 16s 7¼d; a sixth-class share was worth 4s 10½d.[23]

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Winfield (2008), p. 307.
  2. ^ a b LR (1816) Seq.№N7.
  3. ^ "No. 16459". The London Gazette. 26 February 1811. p. 388.
  4. ^ "No. 16393". The London Gazette. 4 August 1810. p. 1168.
  5. ^ "No. 17334". The London Gazette. 21 February 1818. p. 355.
  6. ^ a b c "No. 16411". The London Gazette. 6 October 1810. p. 1587.
  7. ^ "No. 16229". The London Gazette. 14 February 1809. p. 215.
  8. ^ The Lady's Magazine: Or Entertaining Companion for the Fair Sex, Appropriated Solely to Their Use and Amusement (February 1807), Vol. 38, p.108.
  9. ^ "No. 16275". The London Gazette. 11 July 1809. p. 1103.
  10. ^ Parliament (1808), p.72.
  11. ^ Paget & Paget (1896), pp. 352–3.
  12. ^ a b "No. 16046". The London Gazette. 18 September 1810. p. 1469.
  13. ^ Lloyd's List №4378.
  14. ^ "No. 16458". The London Gazette. 23 February 1811. p. 363.
  15. ^ "No. 16436". The London Gazette. 18 December 1810. p. 2024.
  16. ^ "No. 16459". The London Gazette. 26 February 1811. p. 385.
  17. ^ "No. 16465". The London Gazette. 19 March 1811. p. 531.
  18. ^ "No. 16552". The London Gazette. 14 December 1811. p. 2415.
  19. ^ "No. 16678". The London Gazette. 5 December 1812. p. 2455.
  20. ^ "No. 16754". The London Gazette. 17 July 1813. p. 1416.
  21. ^ "No. 16715". The London Gazette. 27 March 1813. p. 629.
  22. ^ "No. 17306". The London Gazette. 18 November 1817. p. 2347.
  23. ^ "No. 17311". The London Gazette. 6 December 1817. p. 2474.
  24. ^ "No. 17077". The London Gazette. 7 November 1815. p. 2227.

References edit

  • Paget, Arthur, Sir; Paget, Augustus Berkeley, Sir (1896). The Paget papers:diplomatic and other correspondence of the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Paget, G.C.B., 1794-1807. With two appendices 1808 & 1821-1829. Vol. 2. W. Heinemann.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Parliament proceedings (1809) Naval papers respecting Copenhagen, Portugal, and the Dardanelles, presented to parliament in 1808.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.