The 16-gun French Mutine-class corvette Aurore was launched in 1799. The British frigateHMS Thames captured her in 1801; she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1803 and named HMS Charwell (or Cherwell). Charwell served in the Channel, South Atlantic, and Indian Ocean. She was laid up in 1810 and sold in 1813.
Aurore was built to a design by Charles-Henri Le Tellier.[1] From April to July 1800 she was on a liaison mission to Île de France, via Brest and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. On 23 September she was fitted out at Brest. She then sailed again for Île de France. At the time her captain was lieutenant de vaisseau Charles Girault.[4]
On 18 January Thames, under the command of Captain William Lukin, captured Aurore. She carried as a passenger the Governor’s Aide de Camp, who was carrying dispatches.[5]
She arrived at Plymouth on 6 February. She was then fitted out there between March and June 1803.[1] The Royal Navy already had an Aurore in service (as a prison ship), so renamed the prize HMS Charwell after the River Cherwell, a tributary of the River Thames.
British careerEdit
Charwell was commissioned in April 1803 under Commander Phillip Dumaresq.[a] In early May Charwell was in the Hamoaze completely rigged and fitted for sea, but was short a crew.[6] Once he had succeeded in forming a crew, Dumaresque sailed her in the Channel.[1] However, by 1 September she was back in the Hamoaze. She had grounded on some rocks on the French coast. There she had had to throw her guns overboard to lighten her sufficiently that the next incoming tide could lift her. At Plymouth she was going to have some of her copper plates removed to permit inspection of her hull.[7]
On 13 September 1803 Cerberus served as flagship to Admiral Sir James Saumarez. Saumarez commanded a small squadron comprising the sloops of war Charwell and Kite, the schooner Eling, the cutter Carteret, and the bomb vesselsSulphur and Terror.[8] The squadron massed for a bombardment of the port of Granville where there were some gunboats moored. The squadron bombarded the port several times over the next two days. On 15 September, as Cerberus was withdrawing, she grounded. For the three hours it took to refloat her nine gunboats harried her, but without effect.[8] When the rest of the squadron, came up they drove the gunboats away. The British retired with no information on what, if anything, the bombardment had achieved.[8]
In September 1806 Charwell was at Guernsey, under Commander Phillip Brown. However, in October Commander Edwin Chamberlyn replaced Brown. Charwell then sailed with the convoy to the River Plate where the British planned to attack Montevideo.[1] At Montevideo, the Navy furnished guns and men for batteries. In the siege Charwell had one man killed and one missing.[9]
In April 1807 Commander the Honourable William Gordon replaced Chamberlyn. Then in 1809 Lieutenant Charles Robb sailed her for the Cape of Good Hope.[1] On 15 July 1808 Nereide, Otter, and Charwell shared in the capture of the French brig Lucie, and her cargo of slaves.[b]
On 28 June 1809, Charwell captured the French letter of marqueHyène. Hyène was on her way from Bordeaux to Iles de France with a cargo of wine and naval stores when Charwell captured her.[11] Admiral Bertie, commander of the Cape of Good Hope Station, described Hyène as "a very fine vessel of 230 tons, pierced for 18 Guns and masted as a man of war".[12][c]
In March 1810 Commander James Tomkinson replaced Robb. He then sailed Charwell back to Britain as escort to a convoy.[1]
FateEdit
Charwell was laid up at Deptford in July 1810. The Admiralty first offered her for sale in August 1812.[14] She was sold 28 April 1813 for £700.[1]
NotesEdit
^Dumaresque had been captain of Calpe in 1801 and had sailed for several months in company with Thames, then under the command of Captain Aiskew Paffard Hollis.
^A first-class share of the bounty-money was worth £8 16s 6½d; a sixth-class share was worth 3s 1d.[10]
^In February 1829 bounty money was paid. A first-class share was worth £47 6s 1½d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth 16s 9¼d.[13] A month earlier head money for the 50 men of Hyène's crew had been paid.
Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. pp. 372–373. ISBN978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
Records of the Cape Colony from February 1793. (1900) Vol. 7. Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), Great Britain. Public Record Office
Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates (2nd ed.). Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-86176-246-7.
Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN978-1-84832-204-2.
September 02, 2023
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For other ships with the same name see French ship Aurore and HMS Charwell The 16 gun French Mutine class corvette Aurore was launched in 1799 The British frigate HMS Thames captured her in 1801 she was commissioned into the Royal Navy in 1803 and named HMS Charwell or Cherwell Charwell served in the Channel South Atlantic and Indian Ocean She was laid up in 1810 and sold in 1813 Aurore HistoryFranceNameAuroreBuilderLe HavreLaid downNovember 1797Launched16 July 1799Captured18 January 1801United KingdomNameCharwell or Cherwell Acquired18 January 1801 by captureFateSold 1813General characteristics 1 2 Class and typeMutine class corvette 3 Tonnage34581 94 bm Displacement379 400 tons French Length102 ft 1 in 31 1 m overall 78 ft 8 in 24 0 m keel Beam28 ft 9 in 8 8 m Depth of hold13 ft 1 1 4 in 4 0 m PropulsionSailsComplementFrench service 156 British service 96ArmamentFrench service 16 8 pounder guns British service 14 18 pounder carronades 2 9 pounder guns Contents 1 French career and capture 2 British career 3 Fate 4 Notes 5 Citations 6 ReferencesFrench career and capture EditAurore was built to a design by Charles Henri Le Tellier 1 From April to July 1800 she was on a liaison mission to Ile de France via Brest and Santa Cruz de Tenerife On 23 September she was fitted out at Brest She then sailed again for Ile de France At the time her captain was lieutenant de vaisseau Charles Girault 4 On 18 January Thames under the command of Captain William Lukin captured Aurore She carried as a passenger the Governor s Aide de Camp who was carrying dispatches 5 She arrived at Plymouth on 6 February She was then fitted out there between March and June 1803 1 The Royal Navy already had an Aurore in service as a prison ship so renamed the prize HMS Charwell after the River Cherwell a tributary of the River Thames British career EditCharwell was commissioned in April 1803 under Commander Phillip Dumaresq a In early May Charwell was in the Hamoaze completely rigged and fitted for sea but was short a crew 6 Once he had succeeded in forming a crew Dumaresque sailed her in the Channel 1 However by 1 September she was back in the Hamoaze She had grounded on some rocks on the French coast There she had had to throw her guns overboard to lighten her sufficiently that the next incoming tide could lift her At Plymouth she was going to have some of her copper plates removed to permit inspection of her hull 7 On 13 September 1803 Cerberus served as flagship to Admiral Sir James Saumarez Saumarez commanded a small squadron comprising the sloops of war Charwell and Kite the schooner Eling the cutter Carteret and the bomb vessels Sulphur and Terror 8 The squadron massed for a bombardment of the port of Granville where there were some gunboats moored The squadron bombarded the port several times over the next two days On 15 September as Cerberus was withdrawing she grounded For the three hours it took to refloat her nine gunboats harried her but without effect 8 When the rest of the squadron came up they drove the gunboats away The British retired with no information on what if anything the bombardment had achieved 8 In September 1806 Charwell was at Guernsey under Commander Phillip Brown However in October Commander Edwin Chamberlyn replaced Brown Charwell then sailed with the convoy to the River Plate where the British planned to attack Montevideo 1 At Montevideo the Navy furnished guns and men for batteries In the siege Charwell had one man killed and one missing 9 Main article Battle of Montevideo 1807 In April 1807 Commander the Honourable William Gordon replaced Chamberlyn Then in 1809 Lieutenant Charles Robb sailed her for the Cape of Good Hope 1 On 15 July 1808 Nereide Otter and Charwell shared in the capture of the French brig Lucie and her cargo of slaves b On 28 June 1809 Charwell captured the French letter of marque Hyene Hyene was on her way from Bordeaux to Iles de France with a cargo of wine and naval stores when Charwell captured her 11 Admiral Bertie commander of the Cape of Good Hope Station described Hyene as a very fine vessel of 230 tons pierced for 18 Guns and masted as a man of war 12 c In March 1810 Commander James Tomkinson replaced Robb He then sailed Charwell back to Britain as escort to a convoy 1 Fate EditCharwell was laid up at Deptford in July 1810 The Admiralty first offered her for sale in August 1812 14 She was sold 28 April 1813 for 700 1 Notes Edit Dumaresque had been captain of Calpe in 1801 and had sailed for several months in company with Thames then under the command of Captain Aiskew Paffard Hollis A first class share of the bounty money was worth 8 16s 6 d a sixth class share was worth 3s 1d 10 In February 1829 bounty money was paid A first class share was worth 47 6s 1 d a sixth class share that of an ordinary seaman was worth 16s 9 d 13 A month earlier head money for the 50 men of Hyene s crew had been paid Citations Edit a b c d e f g h Winfield 2008 p 268 Winfield amp Roberts 2015 p 174 Roche 2005 p 58 volume 1 Roche 2005 p 40 No 15334 The London Gazette 3 February 1801 p 149 Naval Chronicle Vol 9 p 417 Naval Chronicle Vol 10 p 258 a b c No 15622 The London Gazette 20 September 1803 pp 1272 1273 No 16019 The London Gazette 13 April 1807 pp 469 474 No 17279 The London Gazette 23 August 1817 p 1812 Lloyd s List no 4415 1 accessed 22 April 2014 Records 1900 p 150 No 18551 The London Gazette 17 February 1829 p 304 No 16626 The London Gazette 25 July 1812 p 1445 References EditRoche Jean Michel 2005 Dictionnaire des batiments de la flotte de guerre francaise de Colbert a nos jours Vol 1 Group Retozel Maury Millau pp 372 373 ISBN 978 2 9525917 0 6 OCLC 165892922 Records of the Cape Colony from February 1793 1900 Vol 7 Cape of Good Hope South Africa Great Britain Public Record Office Winfield Rif 2008 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793 1817 Design Construction Careers and Fates 2nd ed Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 86176 246 7 Winfield Rif Roberts Stephen S 2015 French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 1861 Design Construction Careers and Fates Seaforth Publishing ISBN 978 1 84832 204 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title French corvette Aurore 1799 amp oldid 1168540862, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
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