Grappler was a 14-gun brig (though pierced for 16 guns), that belonged to the East India Company's navy - the Bombay Marine. Grappler was launched in 1804. The French captured her in 1806, but the British recaptured her in 1809. She then disappears from readily available records.
The French frigate Piémontaise, under the command of Louis Jacques Epron, captured Grappler on 31 August 1806 or 6 September (accounts differ), off the Malabar Coast near Quilon. Grappler, under the command of Captain Ramsay, was carrying 14 cases containing 312,000 piastres.[1]
The French granted Grappler's crew and passengers "paroles" as prisoners of war and placed them on an Arab-owned ship called the Allamany. The Allamany arrived at Madras on 15 September and then continued on to Calcutta.
Recapture during the raid on Saint-Paul (1809)edit
The British eventually recaptured Grappler from the French in September 1809 in the daring raid on Saint-Paul on the Île de Bourbon (now Réunion) from the nearby British-held island of Rodrigues.[2] The British force consisted of a naval squadron under Commodore Josias Rowley and an Army force under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sheehy Keating. The Army contingent, which consisted of 368 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the 56th Regiment of Foot under the command Keating, embarked on HMS Nereide under Captain Robert Corbett, Otter under Captain Nesbit Willoughby and the East India Company schooner Wasp under Lieutenant Watkins. The rest of Rowley's squadron, the flagship HMS Raisonnable, and the frigates HMS Sirius under Captain Samuel Pym and HMS Boadicea under Captain John Hatley joined off St. Paul.[3] These ships contributed an additional 236 seaman volunteers and Royal Marines to the assault. The entire invasion force then embarked on Nereide, as Corbett had experience with coastline of the Île Bonaparte coastline.[4] On the early morning of 21 September the force seized the port of St. Paul.[5] There they destroyed its defences and recovered a number of British vessels. Nereide and the landing party captured the 44-gun French frigate Caroline, and recovered Grappler as well as the East IndiamenStreatham (850 tons (bm) and pierced for 30 guns) and Europe (820 tons (bm) and pierced for 26 guns).[6] The expedition also captured three small merchant vessels (Fanny of 150 tons, and Tres Amis and Creole of 60 tons each), destroyed three others, and burnt one ship that was building on the stocks. The British did not sustain any loss on board the squadron or to their vessels. The British completed the demolition of the different gun and mortar batteries and of the magazines by evening and the whole of the troops, marines, and seamen returned on board their ships.[2]
When the British captured Grappler, they noted that although she was pierced for 16 guns, she only had 11 on board. The enumeration however, listed only nine, six 18-pounder carronades mounted and three 6-pounder guns in the hold.[2]
Lloyd's List (LL) reported on 9 January 1811 that the captured vessels, except for Europe, which had been sent to Bombay, had all arrived at the Cape of Good Hope.[7]
Fateedit
Details of the subsequent fate of Grappler are currently unknown. In 1835 Captain Lloyd of the Bombay Marine became the "river surveyor" for the Hooghly River. He took over all functions and had a fleet of a brig, a schooner, the anchor vessel Grappler, and four rowboats.[8] Whether this was the same Grappler is an open question.
Austen, Harold Chomley Mansfield (1935). Sea Fights and Corsairs of the Indian Ocean: Being the Naval History of Mauritius from 1715 to 1810. Port Louis, Mauritius: R.W. Brooks.
Bhattacharya, Manoshi (2003). Charting The Deep: A History of the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department. New Delhi: Rupa & Co.
Cannon, Richard (1844). Historical Record of the Fifty-Sixth, or the West Essex Regiment of Foot. London: Parker, Furnivall and Parker. Digitised copy
James, William (2002) [1827]. The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 5, 1808–1811. Conway Maritime Press. ISBN0-85177-909-3.
Malleson, G. B. (1884). Final French struggles in India and on the Indian seas : including an account of the capture of the Isles of France and ... ; with an appendix containing an account of the expedition from India to Egypt in 1801. London: W. H. Allen & Co.
Shipping and Ship Building in India 1736-1839: a checklist of ship names. (London: India Office Records), 1995 p. 36.
Bombay Courier, 1806-1807.
Calcutta Gazette, 1806.
March 20, 2024
grappler, 1804, grappler, brig, though, pierced, guns, that, belonged, east, india, company, navy, bombay, marine, grappler, launched, 1804, french, captured, 1806, british, recaptured, 1809, then, disappears, from, readily, available, records, historyunited, . Grappler was a 14 gun brig though pierced for 16 guns that belonged to the East India Company s navy the Bombay Marine Grappler was launched in 1804 The French captured her in 1806 but the British recaptured her in 1809 She then disappears from readily available records HistoryUnited KingdomNameGrapplerOwnerEast India CompanyBuilderA Wadell Kiddapore Dockyards CalcuttaLaunched1804CapturedAugust or September 1806FranceAcquiredAugust or September 1806 by captureCapturedSeptember 1809United KingdomCapturedSeptember 1809 by captureFatePossibly an anchor vessel on the Hooghly RiverGeneral characteristicsTons burthen150 tonsArmament8 x 12 pounder carronades 2 x 6 pounder bow chasers originally Contents 1 Capture by the French 1806 2 Recapture during the raid on Saint Paul 1809 3 Fate 4 Citations 5 ReferencesCapture by the French 1806 editThe French frigate Piemontaise under the command of Louis Jacques Epron captured Grappler on 31 August 1806 or 6 September accounts differ off the Malabar Coast near Quilon Grappler under the command of Captain Ramsay was carrying 14 cases containing 312 000 piastres 1 The French granted Grappler s crew and passengers paroles as prisoners of war and placed them on an Arab owned ship called the Allamany The Allamany arrived at Madras on 15 September and then continued on to Calcutta Recapture during the raid on Saint Paul 1809 editThe British eventually recaptured Grappler from the French in September 1809 in the daring raid on Saint Paul on the Ile de Bourbon now Reunion from the nearby British held island of Rodrigues 2 The British force consisted of a naval squadron under Commodore Josias Rowley and an Army force under Lieutenant Colonel Henry Sheehy Keating The Army contingent which consisted of 368 soldiers from the 1st Battalion of the 56th Regiment of Foot under the command Keating embarked on HMS Nereide under Captain Robert Corbett Otter under Captain Nesbit Willoughby and the East India Company schooner Wasp under Lieutenant Watkins The rest of Rowley s squadron the flagship HMS Raisonnable and the frigates HMS Sirius under Captain Samuel Pym and HMS Boadicea under Captain John Hatley joined off St Paul 3 These ships contributed an additional 236 seaman volunteers and Royal Marines to the assault The entire invasion force then embarked on Nereide as Corbett had experience with coastline of the Ile Bonaparte coastline 4 On the early morning of 21 September the force seized the port of St Paul 5 There they destroyed its defences and recovered a number of British vessels Nereide and the landing party captured the 44 gun French frigate Caroline and recovered Grappler as well as the East Indiamen Streatham 850 tons bm and pierced for 30 guns and Europe 820 tons bm and pierced for 26 guns 6 The expedition also captured three small merchant vessels Fanny of 150 tons and Tres Amis and Creole of 60 tons each destroyed three others and burnt one ship that was building on the stocks The British did not sustain any loss on board the squadron or to their vessels The British completed the demolition of the different gun and mortar batteries and of the magazines by evening and the whole of the troops marines and seamen returned on board their ships 2 When the British captured Grappler they noted that although she was pierced for 16 guns she only had 11 on board The enumeration however listed only nine six 18 pounder carronades mounted and three 6 pounder guns in the hold 2 Lloyd s List LL reported on 9 January 1811 that the captured vessels except for Europe which had been sent to Bombay had all arrived at the Cape of Good Hope 7 Fate editDetails of the subsequent fate of Grappler are currently unknown In 1835 Captain Lloyd of the Bombay Marine became the river surveyor for the Hooghly River He took over all functions and had a fleet of a brig a schooner the anchor vessel Grappler and four rowboats 8 Whether this was the same Grappler is an open question Citations edit Austen 1935 p 95 a b c No 16341 The London Gazette 10 January 1810 pp 213 219 James 2002 p 197 Woodman 2001 p 283 Cannon 1844 pp 30 and 33 Malleson 1884 p 123 LL 4421 Bhattacharya 2003 p 60 References editAusten Harold Chomley Mansfield 1935 Sea Fights and Corsairs of the Indian Ocean Being the Naval History of Mauritius from 1715 to 1810 Port Louis Mauritius R W Brooks Bhattacharya Manoshi 2003 Charting The Deep A History of the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department New Delhi Rupa amp Co Cannon Richard 1844 Historical Record of the Fifty Sixth or the West Essex Regiment of Foot London Parker Furnivall and Parker Digitised copy James William 2002 1827 The Naval History of Great Britain Volume 5 1808 1811 Conway Maritime Press ISBN 0 85177 909 3 Malleson G B 1884 Final French struggles in India and on the Indian seas including an account of the capture of the Isles of France and with an appendix containing an account of the expedition from India to Egypt in 1801 London W H Allen amp Co Woodman Richard 2001 The Sea Warriors Constable Publishers ISBN 1 84119 183 3 Shipping and Ship Building in India 1736 1839 a checklist of ship names London India Office Records 1995 p 36 Bombay Courier 1806 1807 Calcutta Gazette 1806 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title HCS Grappler 1804 amp oldid 1167386284, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
