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CYGNET
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Built in 1804, Yarmouth.
Wrecked in 1815. |
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- 1805 Daniel M'CLOUD, Channel.
Off Brighton in October. - 1806 Robert Bell CAMPBELL, West Indies.
On 24 May 1806 she captured the French schooner IMPERIALE off Dominica. - 1807 W. MAUDE, Leeward Is.
- 1807 Edward DIX.
He was promoted into CYGNET by Sir Alexander COCHRANE at Tortola on 26 September 1807.
He sailed from there with a convoy of nine merchant ships but unfortunately five of them foundered with all their crews during the passage to England.
After repair CYGNET was employed in the North Sea. - After a chase of nine hours on 27 July 1808 CYGNET captured the Danish privateer brig CHRISTIANA armed with twelve 12-pounder carronades and two long nines, and manned with sixty men.
Formally an English merchant brig, she was victualled for one month and had sailed three days earlier from Christiana to intercept the homeward-bound Greenland-men off the north of Shetland. - The Danish privateer sloop GIENGIELDEREN was taken on 4 October 70 miles W. by N. of Bergen after a five hour chase. She was armed with four guns and carried 25 men and had left Bergen three days previously for an eight week cruise off the coast of Scotland.
- During an engagement with some coastal batteries in Norway Capt. DIX's hat was struck by 9-pound shot.
He suffered no more injury than inflammation to the top of his head and bad vision for some days. - One of CYGNET's boats rescued five men who had been clinging to the wreck of a vessel.
They had been exposed to dreadful weather without food for several days, their hands and feet frostbitten.
Nine of their companions had perished.
A few days later, on 14 October a change in the wind drove CYGNET under St. ABB's Head as she was trying to enter the Firth of Forth.
Here she remained a quarter of a mile off shore for two days held by a single cable as the wind increased to hurricane force.
All her guns were thrown overboard and the masts cut away.
On Sunday the 16th., when they had given up hope, the wind shifted and a vessel sent by Vice Ad. VASHON was able to tow them safely to Leith.
Here the Captain and his ship's company marched in procession to church to give thanks for their escape. - After re-fitting CYGNET sailed for the West Indies.
On 18 December 1809 she was with SCEPTRE (74) Capt. BALLARD, BLONDE, THETIS, FREIJA and CASTOR frigates, CYGNET, HAZARD and RINGDOVE sloops and the ELIZABETH schooner off Guadeloupe when they attacked two French frigates which were anchored at Port a la Duche, about 12 miles N. W. of the town of Basse Terre. - BLONDE, THETIS, CYGNET, HAZARD and RINGDOVE bore the brunt of the action because they were so far ahead of the other ships but one of the enemy frigates was soon dismasted and the men soon began to desert their ships and soon after set fire to them.
The boats of the squadron under Capt. CAMERON of HAZARD then landed and stormed the batteries which had been firing at them with cannon and musketry.The enemy frigates were LOIRE and SEINE.
Although pierced for 40 guns they had none mounted on their quarter decks or forecastles.
They did not have a full complement of seamen but had 400 troops on board and 50 artillery men.
All but seven of the enemy escaped but all the stores for the garrison of Guadeloupe were destroyed. - In his report to Sir Alexander COCHRANE Capt. BALLARD acknowledged the assistance he had received from Capt. DIX and CYGNET.
Capt DIX was immediately promoted to post rank, his commission being dated from the day of the action. - 1810 Thomas DONNITHORNE, 07/1810, Jamaica.
He died there on 6 October 1810 aged 28 years after seven days illness.
He was mourned by the people of CYGNET who regarded him as a "humane and indulgent captain." - 1811 Robert RUSSELL (1), Downs North Sea Channel.
- 1815 Ditto, Irish station.
CYGNET was wrecked in the Courantine river, Guiana, on 7 March 1815.
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