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DORIS
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Built in 1795, Gravesend.
Wrecked in 1805. |
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- Capt. Hon. C. JONES, 11/1795.
Lord RANELAGH, 07/1797, Channel. - 1801 Capt. John HALLIDAY, Channel.
The French ship HURON was captured on 20 January and on the 23rd. she took the FAVOURITE, bound for Bordeaux from L'Orient with staves, copper and hides. - On 20 February DORIS and ALCMENE sent into Falmouth the MERCURY letter of marque which had been on passage from Livorno to London with a valuable cargo of silks and bale goods.
When she captured a French privateer and put a prize crew on board, two of her seamen joined the French prisoners to seize the MERCURY and were taking her in to L'Orient when the two frigates came in sight and recaptured her. - The BELLONA brig, master Mr Dean, from Galway to Londonderry with a cargo of kelp, oats, bread, herrings, etc, which had been captured by the French privateer RUSE (14) was recaptured by DORIS and sent into Plymouth on 14 July.
- On 26 November DORIS recaptured the COUNTESS of BUTE of Glasgow. She had been taking barrelled salmon and oil from Newfoundland to Naples and Livorno when, after separating from her convoy off the Newfoundland banks on the 10th. she was captured by the French privateer BRAAVE on the 19th.
- 1801 Capt. HALLIDAY.
At the end of January 1801 MAGICIENNE, THAMES and DORIS captured two very valuable French East Indiamen and three brigs off Bordeaux.
They arrived in Plymouth on the 30th.
Dispatches to Napoleon from Mauritius were discovered in the false bottom of a chest on one of the Indiamen, the HURON, and forwarded to Earl ST. VINCENT. - 1801 Capt. Charles BRISBANE, Channel.
In July 1801 DORIS, BEAULIEU and URANIE were anchored off Brest watching the combined fleet. - On the 21st. the French corvette CHEVRETTE which was anchored in Camaret Bay, saw the British ships and decided that it would be safer to move further into the bay under the protection of shore batteries.
As a further precaution troops were put on board, a redoubt built on Pointe du Grand Gouin and a guard boat mounting two 32-pounders was stationed at the entrance. - That evening seven boats from DORIS and URANIE, six from BEAULIEU and two from ROBUST left to attack the enemy.
Lieut. Woodley LOSSACK of the VILLE DE PARIS went off with six boats in search of the guard boat.
When he did not return Lieut. MAXWELL, realising that they were still 6 miles from the corvette, decided to take command and at half past midnight they pulled through a hail of grape and musket balls to board her. She was cut adrift, the sails set and those Frenchmen who were not killed, wounded or jumped overboard, took refuge below where they kept up musket fire and tried to blow up the quarter deck. - In the morning the prize joined the frigates off Pointe de St. Mathieu.
Lieut. Henry Walter BURKE of DORIS was wounded in the shoulder by grape shot and died later of fever in Plymouth hospital, Lieut. Sinclair of BEAULIEU's marines was killed as he was defending a wounded midshipman, Mr CROFTON of DORIS.
Sixteen seamen from DORIS were also wounded. - 1803 Capt. R. H. PEARSON, Channel.
While cruising off Ushant on 18 May 1803, DORIS fell in with the French lugger AFFRONTEUR, mounting fourteen long 9-pounders and commanded by Lieut. Marce Dutoya with 92 men. She was captured after a running fight in which her first captain and 8 men were killed and 14 wounded.
DORIS had only one man wounded. - On 24 June DORIS captured a small French privateer PELAGIE of 4 guns and 37 men. She had come from Nantes through the passage du Raz and intended to go through the Passage du Four into the Channel. She was scuttled on the orders of Rear Ad. CAMPBELL.
Capt. Patrick CAMPBELL, 09/1803, Channel. - On 12 January 1805 DORIS, on her way to Quiberon Bay, struck the Diamond Rock and started to make so much water through a leak under the fore-foot that Capt. CAMPBELL was forced to throw her guns overboard.
They managed to ride out a gale during the following day and, when the weather moderated, the pumps started to gain on the leak, so they set a course for England accompanied by the FELIX schooner.
During the third night, in a heavy sea, the leak increased and the ship became waterlogged and would not answer the helm.
Capt. CAMPBELL anchored her near the mouth of the Loire and transferred the crew to the FELIX and a Danish brig.
DORIS was was then set on fire and she burned until her after magazine blew up and she sank.
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