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ADAMANT
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(50) |
4th rate
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Built in 1780, Liverpool.
Hospital ship in 1809.
Broken up in 1814. |
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- In November 1779 Lieut. Isaac COFFIN (later an Admiral) was appointed to ADAMANT, which was about to be launched, and in June 1780 he brought her round to Plymouth under jury masts. In the following August she sailed for New York with a convoy.
- 1782 Capt. D. GRAVES, North America.
- 1784 Capt. W. H. KELLY, Flag ship of Rear Adm, HUGHES in the West Indies.
- 1789 Capt. KNOX, flagship of Sir Richard HUGHES, North American station. ADAMANT sailed for Halifax in June 1789.
In June 1790 Capt. KNOX was obliged to retire from the service due to bad health and Lieut. William HOPE of the RATTLE sloop was appointed by Sir Richard to act in his place.
Later in the year he acted as captain of PENELOPE before returning to ADAMANT. His appointment was not confirmed by the Admiralty and ADAMANT paid off at Plymouth in the summer of 1792. - 1793 Capt. W. BENTINCK.
- 1794 Capt. Henry D'Esterre DARBY, 06/1794. ADAMANT was employed in escorting the trade to and from the Mediterranean and the West Indies.
Capt. DARBY removed to BELLEROPHON in the summer of 1706. - 1796 Capt. H. WARRE, 11/1796.
- 1798 Capt. William HOTHAM, 03/1797, Downs.
In 1799 she joined the squadron commanded by Capt. George LOSACK in JUPITER at the Cape of Good Hope.
On 10 May 1799 the boats of JUPITER, TREMENDOUS and ADAMANT recaptured the American ship PACIFIC which had been run ashore by the French near the River Noire on the west coast of Mauritius. Part of her cargo of bale goods and sugar was saved before she was burnt. - On 11 December ADAMANT and TREMENDOUS chased a French frigate ashore about three miles from Port Louis, Mauritius, under some batteries at the mouth of the river Tombeau. The enemy hauled down her colours after several broadsides were fired at her and two cutters from ADAMANT and one from TREMENDOUS were sent in under Mr Edward Grey, the first lieutenant of ADAMANT, to destroy her. He was assisted by Lieut. OWEN of ADAMANT's marines and Lieut. SYMES of TREMENDOUS.
The boats came under fire from the shore and, as they approached, two launches filled with men were seen leaving the frigate. Two and a half hours later the boats returned with the few officers and men they had found on the frigate. They had set fire to her and shortly afterwards she blew up. She was PRENEUSE of 44 guns and 300 men commanded by Capt. L'Hermite.
During the cruise ADAMANT captured the BENJAMIN, a sloop laden with coffee, and the BIENFAIT, a brig laden with rice, bound for Mauritius. - In November ADAMANT, together with LANCASTER and RATTLESNAKE, was sent to cruise off Mauritius. Capt. HOTHAM sent Lieut GREY to bring out from Port Louis a ship under Hamburg colours which had insulted the British flag. Two men were killed and ten wounded but the enemy loss was much greater.
- 1803 Out of commission at Chatham.
- 1805 Capt. George BURTON, Downs.
On 8 April 1805 he was off Spurn Head with INFLEXIBLE under his orders when they recaptured the schooner NIMBLE of Aberdeen and the brig MARY of Lynn with French prize crews of 10 men between them from the French privateer lugger ALERT(4). They went in chase of the lugger and she was taken by INFLEXIBLE's boats on the 13th. - 1806 Capt. John STILES.
On 6 May 1806 ADAMANT, which was escorting an East India convoy, encountered and captured the Spanish ship NOSTRA SENORA DE LOS DOLORES, alias REPARADORA, of 30 guns some 600 miles north of Tristan da Cuhna. She had sailed four weeks previously from Monte Video with a crew of 315 French, Spaniards, Portuguese and Americans. The principal officers were French and she was commanded by an officer in the Spanish Navy, Stanislaus Comaud.
ADAMANT parted with the convoy four days later and, on 20 May, arrived in Table Bay with the prize and two victuallers, ALEXANDER and ROYAL CHARLOTTE. She sailed immediately to return to St. Helena but, meeting a violent gale, which carried both main-topsail-yards away, Capt. STILES decided to make for Simon's Bay to refit and water and try and to clear the scurvy affecting many of the crew.
At Simon's Bay he found a French lieutenant and his boat's crew which had come ashore from the frigate CANNONNIERE (late MINERVE taken in 1803) not knowing that the Cape was in British hands. He took them on board ADAMANT as prisoners.
The Hon. East India Co. presented Capt. STILES with a piece of plate value 500 guineas for his care and attention to two fleets of East Indiamen which he had convoyed. - 1807 Capt. M. MALBON, 10/1807, Jamaica.
- 1808 Out of commission at Chatham.
- 1810 Capt. M. BUCKLE, 07/1810.
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