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ALBEMARLE
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5th rate
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The French LA MENAGERE taken in December 1779.
Sold in 1784. |
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- 1781 Capt. Horatio NELSON, 08/1781, Woolwich.
When he first saw her on the 23 August she was in dock being coppered. - On 3 January 1782 ALBEMARLE arrived at Portsmouth to be docked for repairs after being run on board by an East India storeship during a gale.
Her fore-mast, bowsprit, head and quarter-gallery were carried away and much damage done to the hull.
ALBEMARLE and DAEDALUS sailed from Portsmouth at the beginning of April and arrived in Cork after a passage of 10 days in very bad weather to escort a convoy of between 30 and 40 merchantmen to the St. Lawrence.
They sailed on 21 April and parted from DAEDALUS on 7 May during a gale some 900 miles to the westward of Cape Clear.
ALBEMARLE and four of the convoy arrived at St. John's Newfoundland on the Monday 27 May and NELSON found himself trapped in the harbour until the wind changed.
The rest of the Quebec convoy made it to a harbour some miles to leeward and he sailed to join them on 3 June. - They delivered the convoy on 1 July and ALBEMARLE sailed on a cruise four days later, returning to Quebec on 17 September with all on board suffering from scurvy.
While in Boston Bay on 14 August they had a lucky escape from a French squadron consisting of four sail of the line and a frigate.
They outran all but the frigate but when they brought to and offered battle the enemy vessel stood away from them.
On 13 November ALBEMARLE arrived safely in New York with a convoy.
Here he requested Lord HOOD to seek Ad. DIGBY's permission to take him with him to the West Indies but while ALBEMARLE was on her way to join Lord HOOD at Sandy Hook on the 17th. she was recalled to New York for 48 hours. - The fleet arrived in Jamaica on 4 February 1783 in need of top-masts for the line-of-battle ships.
Fortunately ALBEMARLE captured one of two French mast ships with nearly 100 top-masts and a number of lower masts and yards.
Unfortunately she was captured in sight of the fleet so the prize money, more than 20,000 pounds, had to be shared.
The other mast ship was run ashore and lost.
ALBEMARLE returned to Portsmouth in June 1783 to be paid off.
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