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CENTURION
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Built in 1774, Harwich.
Hospital ship 1809. |
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- 1793 Capt. OSBORN.
- 1797 Capt. John Sprat RAINIER, 12/1797, East Indies.
When Napoleon's invaded Egypt in 1799 news reached Bombay that the French had brought the frames of several ships with them to set up at Suez.
CENTURION was sent to Mocha where she met the ALBATROSS brig and together they proceeded to Suez, the first British war ships to do so.
During the year spent on that station her first lieutenant, Mr William DOBBIE, surveyed the roads of Jeddah, Cossire and various other anchorage. - In the summer of 1800 CENTURION, DAEDALUS, Capt. BALL, senior officer, BRAAVE and SYBILLE blockaded the port of Batavia and on 23 August they took the arsenal at Onrust where five armed vessels were captured and 22 merchantmen were destroyed.
One of the prizes, a 16-gun-brig, was named ADMIRAL RAINIER and placed under the command of Lieut. William DOBBIE. - On 21 January 1800 T. TRING, a seaman from CENTURION, was executed on board SUFFOLK at Bombay.
He had been among the prize crew sent with a captured vessel to the Cape but when they were retaken on the passage and carried to Mauritius, TRING and one other had volunteered to serve in the French PRUDENTE.
When PRUDENTE was taken in turn by DAEDALUS, TRING pretended to be an American and went with her in to the Red Sea while his companion was killed in the action.
He was recognised when they met up with CENTURION. - In 1802, following the Peace of Amiens, Vice Ad. RAINIER moved his flag from SUFFOLK to CENTURION intending to return home in her but on 4 December while the admiral was at Madras, she nearly foundered in a hurricane while on her way from Ceylon.
While under bare poles her masts went over the side and she was pooped by the sea smashing through her stern windows resulting in nearly 8 feet of water in the hold.
The guns had to be jettisoned to keep her afloat and she made her way under jury rig to Bombay to be repaired and re-masted. She then returned to Chatham. - 1804 Capt. James LIND (act.), East Indies, in the absence of Capt. RAINIER then dangerously ill in sick quarters.
- On the morning of 18 September 1804 CENTURION was at anchor in Vizagapatam Road waiting for the Indiaman PRINCESS CHARLOTTE and the country ship BARNABY to finish loading before convoying them to Madras.
A line-of-battle ship, soon identified as the French MARENGO (80) and two frigates, were seen coming down before the wind towards them.
Capt. LIND was ashore supervising the the loading of the cargo so Mr James Robert PHILIPS, the first lieutenant, the two merchant ships to run close in shore for protection.
(In complying BARNABY ran on shore and was lost in the surf, PRINCESS CHARLOTTE struck her colours.) CENTURION cut her cable and and sheeted home the topsails, bringing her broadside to bear on the enemy and preventing the ship from being boarded or raked although one frigate did get in a broadside.
CENTURION stood in shore with MARENGO and one frigate on the starboard side and the other frigate to larboard, all less than half a mile distant, exchanging fire. - Meanwhile Capt. LIND had rushed down to the beach and commandeered a native boat but, as soon as the firing started the crew tried to pull back to the shore and neither threats nor promises would make them go farther out.
After about three quarters of an hour the French ships stood out to sea and Capt. LIND was able to get on board.
He found CENTURION unmanageable due to her damaged sails and rigging so he anchored her at the back of the surf about a mile and a half N. E. of the town.
MARENGO came to anchor about a mile away and started firing.
CENTURION's long 12's on the main deck had been replaced by short range 32-pounder carronades so only the long 24's on the the lower deck could be used in reply.
One of the frigates annoyed them with fire on the quarter whilst the other carried off the Indiaman.
After two hours MARENGO and the frigates stood out to sea taking their prize with them.
The frigates were the SEMILLANTE and the ATALANTE. - CENTURION was considerably damaged with several shot between wind and water; one of which came through into the gunner's store room.
None were killed although one of the nine wounded died later.
Capt. LIND praised the efforts of his other lieutenants; David PRINGLE, Richard COOTE and William F. CARROLL. - Capt. LIND was knighted when he returned home in the spring of 1805.
He died in June 1823. - 1805 under repair at Chatham.
- In February 1808 her master, Mr John BRENHOLM was dismissed the service after charges of drunkenness were proved.
As a storeship under Capt. G. P. MONKE, she sailed to Halifax with a convoy on 17 August and finished up as a receiving hulk there. - 1793 Capt. S. OSBORN.
- 1797 Capt. John Sprat RAINIER, 12/1797, East Indies. When Napoleon's invaded Egypt in 1799 news reached Bombay that the French had brought the frames of several ships with them to set up at Suez. CENTURION was sent to Mocha where she met the ALBATROSS brig and together they proceeded to Suez, the first British war ships to do so. During the year spent on that station her first lieutenant, Mr William DOBBIE, surveyed the roads of Jeddah, Cossire and various other anchorages.
- In the summer of 1800 CENTURION, DAEDALUS, Capt. BALL, senior officer, BRAAVE and SYBILLE blockaded the port of Batavia and on 23 August they took the arsenal at Onrust where five armed vessels were captured and 22 merchantmen were destroyed.
- One of the prizes, a 16-gun brig, was named ADMIRAL RAINIER and placed under the command of Lieut. William DOBBIE.
- On 21 January 1800 T. TRING, a seaman from CENTURION, was executed on board SUFFOLK at Bombay. He had been among the prize crew sent with a captured vessel to the Cape but when they were retaken on the passage and carried to Mauritius, TRING and one other had volunteered to serve in the French PRUDENTE. When PRUDENTE was taken in turn by DAEDALUS, TRING pretended to be an American and went with her in to the Red Sea while his companion was killed in the action. He was recognised when they met up with CENTURION.
- In 1802, following the Peace of Amiens, Vice Ad. RAINIER moved his flag from SUFFOLK to CENTURION intending to return home in her but on 4 December while the admiral was at Madras, she nearly foundered in a hurricane while on her way from Ceylon. While under bare poles her masts went over the side and she was pooped by the sea smashing through her stern windows resulting in nearly 8 feet of water in the hold. The guns had to be jettisoned to keep her afloat and she made her way under jury rig to Bombay to be repaired and remasted. She then returned to Chatham.
- 1804 Capt. James LIND (act.), East Indies, in the absence of Capt. RAINIER then dangerously ill in sick quarters.
- On the morning of 18 September 1804 CENTURION was at anchor in Vizagapatam Road waiting for the Indiaman PRINCESS CHARLOTTE and the country ship BARNABY to finish loading before convoying them to Madras. A line-of-battle ship, soon identified as the French MARENGO (80) and two frigates, were seen coming down before the wind towards them. Capt. LIND was ashore supervising the the loading of the cargo so Mr James Robert PHILIPS, the first lieutenant, the two merchant ships to run close in shore for protection. (In complying BARNABY ran on shore and was lost in the surf, PRINCESS CHARLOTTE struck her colours.) CENTURION cut her cable and and sheeted home the topsails, bringing her broadside to bear on the enemy and preventing the ship from being boarded or raked although one frigate did get in a broadside. CENTURION stood in shore with MARENGO and one frigate on the starboard side and the other frigate to larboard, all less than half a mile distant, exchanging fire.
- Meanwhile Capt. LIND had rushed down to the beach and commandeered a native boat but, as soon as the firing started the crew tried to pull back to the shore and neither threats nor promises would make them go farther out. After about three quarters of an hour the French ships stood out to sea and Capt. LIND was able to get on board. He found CENTURION unmanageable due to her damaged sails and rigging so he anchored her at the back of the surf about a mile and a half N. E. of the town. MARENGO came to anchor about a mile away and started firing. CENTURION's long 12's on the main deck had been replaced by short range 32-pounders carronades so only the long 24's on the the lower deck could be used in reply.
- One of the frigates annoyed them with fire on the quarter whilst the other carried off the Indiaman. After two hours MARENGO and the frigates stood out to sea taking their prize with them. The frigates were the SEMILLANTE and the ATALANTE.
- CENTURION was considerably damaged with several shot between wind and water; one of which came through into the gunner's store room. None were killed although one of the nine wounded died later. Capt. LIND praised the efforts of his other lieutenants; David PRINGLE, Richard COOTE and William F. CARROLL.
- Capt. LIND was knighted when he returned home in the spring of 1805. He died in June 1823.
- 1805 under repair at Chatham.
- In February 1808 her master, Mr John BRENHOLM was dismissed the service after charges of drunkeness were proved. As a store-ship under Capt. G. P. MONKE, she sailed to Halifax with a convoy on 17 August and finished up as a receiving hulk there.
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