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FOWEY
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(24) |
6th rate
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Built in 1749, Lepe. She carried 24 nine-pounders.
Sunk in 1781 in action. |
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- 1752 Capt. George MACKENZIE 1757 Capt. Henry PHILIPS, January 7th. (He adopted the name TOWRY in 1760) Newfoundland.
- 1758 Capt. George Anthony TONYN, appointed 14 Nov.
Captured several small privateers while serving as a cruiser on the home station - a Dunkirker cruising for the Hamburg trade in June 1760 and the RUSSIAN of Bayonne, carrying six carriage guns, fifteen swivels and 48 men, taken off the Lizard in June 1761. He was promoted to BRUNE at the end of 1761. - 1762 Capt. Joseph MEAD being on a cruise off Cape Tiberoon fell in with, and after a severe engagement, captured the VENTURA, a Spanish frigate of 26 guns and 300 men - 40 of whom were killed and 24 wounded.
- 1759 Capt. George Anthony TONYN, with the fleet under Vice Ad. Saunders which took part in the attack on Quebec.
- 1762 Capt. Joseph MEAD, with Rear Ad. RODNEY's fleet in the expeditions against Martinique and Havana.
FOWEY fell in with the Spanish frigate VENTURA off Cape Tiberon, They damaged each other considerably in an action lasting an hour and a half before night separated them. The following morning the action continued until the VENTURA struck with 40 killed, although she was more heavily armed with 26 twelve pounders. FOWEY lost 10 killed and 24 wounded. - 1775 Capt. George MONTAGU.
In July she seized the brig JOHN, Hugh Kennedy, master, carrying pork from North Carolina to the West Indies. The cargo was taken for the army.
In 1776 FOWEY was stationed in and cruising off the Delaware under the orders of Capt. HAMMOND of ROEBUCK, reinforcing the ROEBUCK and LIVERPOOL, and was also employed escorting convoys. She sailed for England from New York on 13 November and on 5 December she captured the American brig GEORGE WASHINGTON (10). She arrived at the end of December and was ordered to Chatham for repairs and fitting out for sea before returning to her American station. - 1779 Capt. John HENRY.
FOWEY was at Savannah with ROSE (20) VIGILANT (20) KEPPEL (12) GERMAINE (12) and SAVANNAH (14) with a number of galleys in September when the French Admiral d'Estaing arrived in the mouth of the river with twenty ships of the line and several thousand troops, which were debarked at Thunder Bluff, and summoned General Prevost to surrender Savannah. Prevost asked for, and was given 24 hours to consider the matter. This gave the British time to sink the ROSE in the channel and bring reinforcements up through the swamps from Port Royal.
D'Estaing's attack on Savannah was further delayed while he prepared siege batteries with trenches protecting the approaches to the town. A heavy bombardment started on Sunday 4 October and continued until the 9th., when d'Estaing, despite American objections, decided on a frontal assault. It was repulsed with heavy losses.
The Royal Navy had 4 killed and 16 wounded out of total British losses of 55. The French lost 637 and the Americans 457.
The siege was abandoned nine days later and the French returned to their ships, the Americans to Charleston. - 1781 Capt. Peter Aplin, at Yorktown with CHARON (44) GUADALOUP (28), VULCAN, fireship, and some transports.
The ships could not escape because of de Grasse's fleet in Chesapeake Bay. On the evening of 10th. October and through the night American and French batteries kept up a continuous bombardment, the French firing red-hot shot from a battery over the creek. These set fire to the ships and they burned through the night. At the capitulation of Yorktown eight days later "At a small distance from the shore ships could be seen burnt down to the water's edge further out in the channel the Masts, Yards & even the top-gallant masts of some might be seen, without any vestige of the hulls."
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