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HMSTerpsichore(1785)

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For other ships with the same name, seeHMS Terpsichore.

Print byThomas Whitcombedepicting HMSTerpsichorecapturingMahonesaon 13 October 1796
History
Royal Navy Ensign (1707-1801)Great Britain
NameHMSTerpsichore
Ordered29 July 1782
BuilderJames Betts,Mistleythorn
Laid downNovember 1782
Launched17 December 1785
CompletedBy November 1786
FateBroken up in November 1830
General characteristics
Class and type32-gunAmazon-classfifth-ratefrigate
Tons burthen6824⁄94bm
Length
  • 126 ft (38.4 m) (overall)
  • 103 ft 8 in (31.6 m) (keel)
Beam35 ft1+1⁄2in (10.7 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 2 in (3.7 m)
PropulsionSails
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement220
Armament
  • Upper deck: 26 × 12-pounder guns
  • QD:4 × 6-pounder guns + 4 × 18-poundercarronades
  • Fc:2 × 6-pounder guns+ 2 × 18-pounder carronades

HMSTerpsichorewas a 32-gunAmazon-classfifth-ratefrigateof theRoyal Navy.She was built during the last years of theAmerican War of Independence,but did not see action until theFrench Revolutionary Wars.She served during the French Revolutionary andNapoleonic Wars,in a career that spanned forty-five years.

Terpsichorewas launched in 1785, but was not prepared for active service until the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793. She was initially sent to serve in theWest Indieswhere in 1794 CaptainRichard Bowentook command. Bowen commandedTerpsichoreuntil his death in 1797, and several of her most memorable exploits occurred during his captaincy.Terpsichoreserved mostly in the Mediterranean, capturing three frigates, and in 1797 went as far as to attack the damaged Spanishfirst rateSantísima Trinidad,as she limped away from theBattle of Cape St Vincent.Santísima Trinidadmounted 136 guns toTerpsichore's 32, and was the largest warship in the world at time.Terpsichoreinflicted several casualties, before abandoning the attack.

Terpsichorepassed through several commanders after Bowen's death at Tenerife, and went out to theEast Indies,where her last commander was CaptainWilliam Augustus Montagu.Montagu fought an action with a large French frigate in 1808, and though he was able to outfight her, he was not able to capture her.Terpsichorereturned to Britain the following year, and spent the last years of the war laid upin ordinary.She survived in this state until 1830, when she was broken up.

Construction and commissioning[edit]

Terpsichorewas ordered from James Betts, of Mistleythorn on 29 July 1782 and laid down there in November that year.[1]She was launched on 29 July 1785 and completed between 31 January and November 1786, at a cost of £8,295.18.3d, with a further £104.15.2d spent on her boats, plus £4,025 for fitting out and coppering.[1][2]The war with America was over by the time she was ready for service, and with no immediate use for her with the draw-down of the navy,Terpsichorewas placedin ordinaryatChatham.[1]

Early years and French Revolutionary Wars[edit]

With the outbreak of theFrench Revolutionary Warsin February 1793, many ships that had been laid up were reactivated.Terpsichorewas repaired by Pitcher, ofNorthfleetfor the sum of £2,979 between March and August 1793, and was then fitted for service atWoolwichfor a further £5,833 between August and 8 October 1793.[1]After nearly a decade spent laid up she commissioned under her first captain, Sampson Edwards, in August 1793 and sailed for theLeeward Islandsin December that year.[1]She captured theprivateerMontagueon 16 August 1794, and in September that year Sampson left the ship, being replaced by CaptainRichard Bowen.[1]Bowen was sent to North America, where he learnt thatHMSDaedalus,under CaptainSir Charles Knowles,was being blockaded in theChesapeakeby two French frigates. Bowen set out to relieve him, an act he accomplished on 17 May, when the two British ships escaped to sea. The French attempted to pursue, but broke off when the British offered battle.[3]TerpsichoreandDaedalussailed in company toHalifax,after which Bowen returned to the Caribbean.[4]Bowen andTerpsichorethen operated in support of the British forces onGuadeloupe,which were under pressure from French forces, and helped to resupply them until it was deemed necessary to evacuate them.Terpsichorecovered the withdrawal, with Bowen receiving a wound to the face from French shot while assisting in the evacuation of the last of the troops.[4]The wound became dangerous in the Caribbean climate, and Bowen was sent home aboardTerpsichorewith the despatches.[5]

North Sea and Mediterranean[edit]

Mahonesa[edit]

Further information:Action of 13 October 1796
CaptainRichard Bowen,Terpsichore's commander for many of her greatest exploits until his death at theBattle of Santa Cruz de Tenerifein 1797

Bowen and theTerpsichorespent some time in theNorth Sea,until December 1795, when his old patron, Jervis, replaced AdmiralWilliam Hothamas commander of theMediterranean Fleet.[5]Jervis requested Bowen to come out and take command of a squadron of small vessels operating aroundGibraltarin defence of British trade and the garrison there.[5]In early October 1796 the British squadron under Sir John Man was chased into Gibraltar by a Spanish fleet. Bowen set out inTerpsichoreto report this to Jervis, and having rendezvoused withHMSPallasof Jervis's fleet on 10 October, began the return voyage to Gibraltar.[5]While offCartagenaon 13 October, a frigate was spotted under full sail. Bowen's crew had been reduced by sickness, but he decided to chase down the mysterious sail. After closing on her, and determining that she was attempting to manoeuvre into a position to better fight theTerpsichore,Bowen ordered a gun be fired to test her intent.[6]This was instantly met with a broadside, and a general action began. After an hour and forty minutes the frigate surrendered, and was discovered to be the SpanishMahonesa.[7]Terpsichorehad four men wounded during the battle and none killed.[1]Mahonesawas taken into service with the British asHMSMahonesa.[8]Bowen received a piece of plate valued at 100guineas.[9]

Vestale[edit]

Bowen refittedTerpsichoreand departed on another cruise, capturing several small vessels on 12 and 13 November, sending them to Gibraltar, and on 22 November he learned from an American brig that he had encountered off Cape St. Mary's, that a Spanish ship bound forCadizfromMontevideowas in the area.[10]Bad weather prevented Bowen from locating the Spanish vessel at first, and he also had to escape from a Spanish ship of the line that appeared and chasedTerpsichorefor a while. The Spanish ship was found to be anchored in Cadiz, and at 10 am the next day Bowen entered the harbour, captured the ship and brought her out.[10]Bowen continued to cruise off Cadiz, and while sailing through a gale on the morning of 12 December, the lookouts spotted a frigate. Bowen gave chase, with both ships hampered by the rough weather, so that it was only after 40 hours that Bowen was able to bringTerpsichorealongside and at 10 o'clock on the night of 13 December the two ships engaged each other.[10]After two hours the frigate surrendered, and was discovered to be the 36-gun FrenchVestale,with 270 men aboard.[11]She had lost her captain and 40 men killed, while her second captain and another 50 men were wounded. TheTerpsichorehad casualties of a quartermaster and three seamen killed, and nineteen wounded.[11]

Shortly after the French surrender all ofVestale's masts and herbowspritwent by the board. She began to drift towards the breakers off Cadiz, while her crew were drunk. The British prize-crew managed to regain control, and both ships managed to ride out the storm that night.[11]It was not until the following evening that the wind changed sufficiently for Bowen to attempt to tow his prize away.[9]The line became snagged on a rock, and had to be cut for the safety of both vessels. When dawn broke the next day Bowen discovered that the French had risen up against the prize crew and retaken the ship, sailing her into Cadiz. Now bereft of his prize, Bowen returned to port empty handed, writing to Jervis that 'As we feel conscious of having done out duty, to the utmost of our power, we endeavour to console ourselves with the expectation of our conduct being approved.'[9]Jervis confirmed this, writing

Dear Bowen, The intelligence we received from the patrons of two pilot-boats, when off Cadiz, on the 17th December, that the French frigate then lying between the Diamond and Procros, had been dismasted and captured by an English frigate, impressed us all with an opinion, that the Terpsichore had achieved this gallant action. I lament exceedingly that you and your brave crew were deprived of the substantial reward of your exertions; but you cannot fail to receive the tribute due to you from the government and country at large.[9]

Santísima Trinidad[edit]

Terpsichoreattacking theSantissima Trinidad,2 weeks after the Battle of St. Vincent, byJohn Christian Schetky

Bowen was at Gibraltar when news of Jervis's victory at theBattle of Cape St Vincentof 14 February 1797 arrived. He immediately set out to join the fleet, and having fallen in with several other British frigates, includingHMSEmerald,came across the Spanishfirst rateSantísima Trinidad.The Spanish ship was flying theUnion Jackabove her own colours, indicating that she was in the hands of a British prize-crew, but the bad weather meant no meaningful exchange could take place between the frigates and the Spanish vessel, and it was suspected that the British colours were being used as aruse de guerre.[12]After the frigates lost sight of the ship in bad weather, Bowen hurried to report the sighting to Jervis. While returning to his station he again fell in withSantísima Trinidad,and determined to see if she would surrender to him. He opened fire on the massive Spanish vessel, at the time the world's largest warship, carrying 136-guns on four decks, over a hundred more guns thanTerpsichore.[12]The Spanish ship resisted Bowen's fire, and he broke off the attack. It was later discovered that Bowen's attack had killed nine men, and left a number of others badly wounded.[13]

Cutting out ofPrincipe Fernando[edit]

In April Jervis sent Bowen inTerpsichoreaccompanied byDidoto reconnoitre off Tenerife, where they found the Cadiz-bound Philippine frigatesPrincipe FernandoandEl Principe d'Asturiain the Bay of Santa Cruz. On the night of 17/18 April a joint cutting out expedition was mounted by the two British frigates, each sending three boats of which those fromTerpsichoreunder the command of its first lieutenant (LieutenantGeorge Thorp) successfully captured the nearer of the Indiamen to the shore,[14]Principe Fernando,sailing and towing her to sea while under fire from shore batteries for two hours.

Santa Cruz[edit]

Jervis again sent Bowen to reconnoitre offTenerifein mid-1797, and at midnight on 18 June he captured a rich ship from theManillasbound for Cadiz.[13]

Next,Terpsichoreparticipated in the bombardment ofCadizon 5 July.[15]

Bowen and Rear-AdmiralHoratio Nelsonthen prepared plans for an assault onSanta Cruz de Tenerife.[16]In theBattle of Santa Cruz de Tenerifeon 24 July Bowen was assigned to lead the landing parties onto the Mole. He led forty or fifty of his men and managed to land on the mole and take the battery covering the harbour by storm, spiking its guns, and was advancing into the town in pursuit of the fleeing Spanish.[16]As he did so the Spanish fired a large round ofgrapeshotonto his party, killing Bowen, his first lieutenant (George Thorp) and many of his men, while Nelson and his men, who were just landing, were caught in the fire, Nelson being hit in his right arm.[16]Bowen's body was recovered the next morning and returned to the British ships after the withdrawal.[16]He was buried at sea on 27 July.[16]

Later French Revolutionary Wars[edit]

Bowen was succeeded by CaptainWilliam Hall Gage,who took over command two days after Bowen's death, on 26 July 1797.[1]Terpsichoreworked to enforce the blockade ofMaltathroughout 1798.

On 7 May 1798Terpsichorecaptured the French NavyxebecPierre,near Toulon south of Cape Sicié.[a]

A marine caused a major incident on 10 August 1798 onTerpsichore.He was on guard at a cabin door when he fired his musket into a box of gunpowder, which blew up. The explosion injured the captain, first lieutenant, doctor, master, and 20 seamen, four of whom later died.[19]

On 23 June 1799Terpsichorecaptured the 14-gunSan Antonio.[1]

On 25 July 1800Terpsichorewas part of a squadron that also includedNemesis,Prevoyante,Arrow,and thehired armedluggerNile.The squadron encountered the Danish frigateHDMSFreja,which was escorting a convoy of two ships, two brigs and twogalliots.[20]Baker hailed her and said that he would send a boat to board the convoy. The Danish captain refused, and said that if a boat approached he would fire on it. Baker sent a midshipman and four men in a boat, and the Danes fired several shots, which missed the boat, but one of which killed a man onNemesis.Nemesisthen opened fire with her broadside. After an engagement of about 25 minutes,Freja,much damaged,struck.She had suffered eight men killed and many wounded; bothNemesisandArroweach suffered two men killed and several wounded.[21]The British broughtFrejaand her convoy into the Downs on 6 August.[20]They later released her, and presumably the rest of the convoy. This incident led to strained relations withDenmark,and, in order to anticipate any hostile move fromCopenhagen,the British government despatchedEarl Whitworthin August on a special mission to Copenhagen. The Danes not being ready for war, his mission staved off hostilities for about a year. In 1807, after thesecond battle of Copenhagen,the British capturedFrejaand took her into the Royal Navy as HMSFreya.

Terpsichorethen sailed for the Mediterranean. On 18 October, an Anglo-Portuguese squadron shared in the capture of theRagusanpolaccaMadonna Della Gratia e San Gaetano,which was carrying plate, amongst other cargo. The British vessels wereAlexander,Terpsichore,Bonne Citoyenne,andIncendiary,and the Portuguese vessels,Principe Real,Reynha de Portugal,Alfonso di Albuquerque,and the corvetteBenjamin.[22]

Terpsichorethen had a succession of different commanders over the next five years. Captain John Mackellar took command in 1801, transferring fromJamaica,sailingTerpsichoreto theEast Indiesin June that year with dispatches and a large quantity of specie.[23]

In DecemberTerpsichorewas atBombayundergoing repairs when theEast India Company(EIC) Governor of the Bombay Presidency received a warning from the Portuguese authorities that they feared that the French were going to try and takeDaman and Diu.HMSIntrepidwas also undergoing repairs at Bombay so Mackellar volunteered his services. The EIC gave him command of the 48-gunMarquis Cornwallis,and a small flotilla consisting of the country shipUpton Castle,Betsey(an armed HEIC brig), some other vessels, and 1000 troops. The expedition sailed toDamanandDiuto persuade the Portuguese governor to resist any French incursion. The governor accepted the British reinforcements, which, as it turned out, were not needed.[23]

Then on 27 March 1802 the authorities in Bombay received news that the Governor, the HonourableJohnathan Duncan,while negotiating with local princes inGujarat,had come under attack and had had to take refuge atSurat.The Political Department then instructed Mackelllar to takeTerpsichore,HMSTrident,and two Indiamen, and sail toGoa.There he met with Sir William Clarke, who was conducting a siege of the city. Mackellar loaded 3000 troops from the siege and within seven days of leaving Bombay had arrived at Surat. The troops enabled Duncan to regain control of the area.Terpischoreand Mackellar then returned to the siege of Goa.[23]

Mackellar was court-martialled on 20–26 May 1802 and dismissed the service for violating the Second (drunkenness and scandalous conduct) and Thirty-third (failure to follow orders while on shore) Articles of War.[b]

Napoleonic Wars[edit]

Fleetwood PellewcommandingTerpsichoreagainst Dutch vessels in Batavia Roads 24 November 1806

In 1803Terpsichorecame under CaptainJames Vashon,who was succeeded the following year by CaptainWalter Bathurst.[1]Bathurst captured the privateerZephyrin the East Indies on 27 August 1804, before being succeeded in April 1805 by CaptainHenry Lambert.[1]Commander Joseph Bogue may have been in charge ofTerpsichoreuntil his death in July 1806, or possibly serving alongside Captain William Lye.[1]ThereafterTerpsichorewas commanded by several lieutenants in an acting capacity, starting with Lieutenant Augustus Collins in 1807, who captured the 12-gunJaseuron 10 July 1807.[1]Lieutenant William Wells took over later in 1807, and in 1808 command passed to CaptainWilliam Augustus Montagu.[1]

On 28 January 1808Terpsichorewas at Calcutta. News had been received of theoutbreak of warbetween Great Britain and Denmark. Captain Elliot ofModestesent his boats, together with those ofTerpsichoreandDasherup theHooghly RivertoSeramporeto seize the seven Danish merchant vessels there.[24][c]

Sémillante[edit]

On 15 March 1808Terpsichorewas sailing some 60 miles offCeylonwhen a mysterious sail was spotted coming up fast.[26]The ship came up at 5.50 that evening, hoisted English colours and fired a shot, before changing tack. She fired a second shot at 6.45, at which Montagu hauled up and hove-to. As the strange ship approached, Montagu was able to determine her to be hostile, andTerpsichoreopened fire, which was returned and a general action began.[26]The enemy ship, which was the 40-gun French frigateSémillanteunder CaptainLéonard-Bernard Motard,closed at 7.10 and threw some combustible materials onto the deck, which caused a large explosion amongst boxes of powder.[27]The explosion unmanned four guns and started fires, which the officers and men ofTerpsichorestruggled with but successfully extinguished.[27]The two ships exchanged fire for sometime, each trying to manoeuvre into an advantageous position, untilSémillanteceased fire at 8 and bore round to escape. The reason for this was thatSémillanteapparently suffered an explosion in a room near the magazine during the action. To reduce risk, the crew flooded the magazine, leaving her without usable powder,Sémillantehad no choice but to break off the action withTerpsichoreand return to port.[27]Terpsichorehad been badly damaged in her sails and rigging, but gave chase, and for the next four days pursued the fleeing French. By 20 March most of the damage toTerpsichorehad been repaired, and she was fast closing on the French ship, under fire from her stern-chasers.[28]The French eventually resorted to throwing overboard her boats, lumber, water and provisions and soSémillantewas finally able to pull away and escape her pursuers.[28]Terpsichore's losses were almost entirely caused by the explosion of the powder boxes, and amounted to one lieutenant and twenty men killed and twenty-two wounded, two of them mortally.[28]

At 2am in morning of the 20th,Terpsichoresighted a sail, which Montagu initially believed wasSémillante.However, the vessel turned out to be the brigCadry,a prize toPiémontaise.[d]Montagu put a prize crew on boardCadryand sent her intoMadras.Terpsichoreherself returned toPoint de Galle.[29]

A report fromÎle de Francestated that the principle damage toSémillantewas due to an explosion in a room near the magazine, during the action. To reduce risk, the crew flooded the magazine; without usable powder,Sémillantehad no choice but to attempt to break off the action withTerpsichoreand return to port.Sémillantereportedly had five men killed and six wounded, including Motard, who may have had to have his arm amputated.[30]It is not clear from the report how many casualties were due to the action and how many to the explosion.Sémillantewas so seriously damaged that the French removed her armament and decommissioned her on 10 July.

During this action the future French Admiral Charles Baudin was severely wounded, losing an arm. Baudin recounts, in his memoirs, the kindnesses showed to him by an Englishwoman, wife of Captain Skene, master of theGilwell,a prizeSémillantehad taken earlier.[31]

Return to England[edit]

Terpsichorewas refitted, and remained in the Indian Ocean until she returned to Britain with a convoy.[1]On 15 February 1809 she sailed from Point de Galle withHMSCullodenescorting a fleet of 15 East Indiamen bound for England.

On 14 March, off Mauritius, a gale developed. Four of the ships,Bengal,Calcutta,Jane, Duchess of Gordon,andLady Jane Dundas,parted company with the main convoy. They were never heard of again.

Later years[edit]

On her return to England,Terpsichorewas fitted as areceiving shipat Chatham in December 1810. She spent between 1812 and 1813 laid up therein ordinary.She was atPortsmouthbetween 1814 and 1815, and spent her last years at Chatham between 1816 and 1829.[1]She was broken up at Chatham in November 1830.[1][2]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^Pierre,of six 6-pounder guns and 60 men, had been launched at Toulon Dockyard in August 1795.[17]French records give the location of the capture as about four miles further east at Cape Cépet, and the commander ofPierreasenseigne de vaisseauCamus.[18]
  2. ^In 1804 he became for six years the governor of the naval hospital atHalifax(Melville Island (Nova Scotia)). He returned to the Navy in 1815, commanded several vessels, and eventually became an Admiral.[23]
  3. ^The seven wereWaldemarr,Elizabeth,Freya,Holstein,Maria,Mary,andNymphe.[25]
  4. ^PiémontaisehadstrucktoHMSSt Fiorenzoon 8 March.

Citations[edit]

  1. ^abcdefghijklmnopqWinfield.British Warships of the Age of Sail: 1714-1792.p. 206.
  2. ^abColledge.Ships of the Royal Navy.p. 347.
  3. ^Campbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 77.
  4. ^abCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 78.
  5. ^abcdCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 79.
  6. ^Campbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 80.
  7. ^Campbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 81.
  8. ^Colledge.Ships of the Royal Navy.p. 212.
  9. ^abcdCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 82.
  10. ^abcCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 83.
  11. ^abcCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 84.
  12. ^abCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 86.
  13. ^abCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 87.
  14. ^Letters from Lieutenant George Thorp to his family
  15. ^"No. 14032".The London Gazette.29 July 1797. p. 717.
  16. ^abcdeCampbell.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 89.
  17. ^Winfield & Roberts (2015),p. 295.
  18. ^Fonds Marine,p. 216.
  19. ^Grocott (1997),p. 60.
  20. ^abNaval Chronicle,Vol. 4, p. 157.
  21. ^London Chronicle,26–29 July 1800, p. 104.
  22. ^"No. 15810".The London Gazette.25 May 1805. p. 709.
  23. ^abcdMarshall (1824), Vol. 2, Part 1, pp. 218–20.
  24. ^Seton-Karr & Sandeman (1868), Vol. 4, p. 196.
  25. ^"No. 16982".The London Gazette.7 February 1815.
  26. ^abJames.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 282.
  27. ^abcJames.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 283.
  28. ^abcJames.Naval history of Great Britain.p. 284.
  29. ^Asiatic Register,(1811), Vol. 10, pp. 251–2.
  30. ^Asiatic Register,(1811), Vol. 10, p. 67.
  31. ^"L'Amiral Baudin" by Jurien De La Gravière, p. 50 (590 on the file) to 53 (593)

References[edit]

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