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FOX (32) Built in 1780, Bursledon.
Broken up in 1816.

  • 1794 Capt. Pulteney MALCOLM, 11/1794.
    In February 1795 she escorted a convoy to the Mediterranean, afterwards going to Quebec and then serving in the North Sea.
  • In 1797 SYBILLE, FOX and TRIDENT escorted a fleet to the East Indies where FOX captured the 20-gun MODESTE off Vizagapatam in March.
    At the end of the year the squadron operated in the China seas under the command of Capt. Edward COOKE of SYBILLE.
  • On 5 January 1798 they sailed from Macao Roads to attempt to cut out two valuable vessels, the REY CARLOS and the MARQUESETA, from under the batteries at Manilla.
    They captured a small coaster from Manilla on the 12th. and relieved her of 5,000 dollars before letting her go.
    They also learnt that four Spanish sail-of-the-line and four frigates were at Cavite, but that only one of each was ready for sea.
  • They passed Corregidor Island under French colours and the following day, when the wind fell to a flat calm, a boat with an officer came alongside FOX to enquire who they were.
    Capt. MALCOLM, through his multilingual pilot, informed them that they belonged to M. Serci's squadron and were there to form a junction with the Spanish ships.
    The Spaniard was bursting with information, and they learnt that it would be 3 months before the Spanish ships would be ready.
    They also learnt that the REY CARLOS was aground in Cavite and that the MARQUESETA had re-landed the 500,000 dollars she had taken on board when Capt. PAKENHAM in RESISTANCE had appeared off the islands.
    Two more Spanish boats arrived and their occupants joined Capt. MALCOLM in his cabin to learn the true situation.
    The English seamen exchanged clothes with the Spaniards and took possession of three gun-vessels rowed by 88 oars and mounting one long gun and 4 swivels.
    They had 152 officers and men on board.
    This caused puzzlement ashore and yet another boat arrived.
    About this time a breeze sprang up and the ships were free to move so all the Spanish officers and men, some 232 in all, were entertained with good food and drink before being sent on shore in a very good humour and with a high idea of British hospitality.
  • They anchored off Corregidor for the night of 14 January and the following morning made for Sambangen on the island of Majindiao to obtain wood and water.
    SYBILLE towed one of the prizes and FOX the other two.
    One of the gun vessels broke adrift in a heavy squall on the 19th. and although Capt. MALCOLM brought to, and continued to fire guns and show lights until morning, she was not seen again, and it was supposed she had foundered.
    Lieut. RUTHERFORD, a midshipman and 12 men were lost with her.
  • They hoisted Spanish colours as they approached Sambangen at daybreak on the 22nd but unfortunately SYBILLE took the ground as they stood towards the anchorage, and the wind dying prevented FOX from approaching the fort. She had to suffer the enemy fire for some hours.
    At noon, with SYBILLE afloat and the wind more favourable they engaged the batteries.
    FOX was opposed to the westernmost battery and its 14 guns returned an accurate fire.
    The boats of the two ships were manned by small-arms men and marines and they pulled for the shore to storm the enemy works.
    Capt. MALCOLM's boat was swamped by a shot.
    He got the men out of her on to a bank but the water was too deep for them to get ashore so he had to re-embark and was towed back to the ship by the gun vessels commanded by Lieuts. ELPHINSTONE and KENNEDY.
    The two captains decided that it would be wiser to discontinue the attack and they retired to repair damage.
    FOX had 4 men killed and 17 wounded, SYBILLE 2 killed and 1 wounded.
  • They proceeded to Pollock Bay to the northward and FOX completed her water.
    Early on the morning of 31st. SYBILLE's boats, making their last trip, were ambushed by natives.
    Capt. MALCOLM manned his boats and joined Capt. COOKE ashore.
    Two men were found dead in the boats with ten missing.
    These, held prisoner, were rescued some months later through the good offices of the Sultan of Mindanao.
  • In 1797 Col. Wellesley of the 33rd., with his library of 200 books, having rejoined his regiment at the Cape, took passage in FOX for Calcutta, arriving in February.
  • Capt. MALCOLM was appointed to SUFFOLK in June 1798.
  • 1799 Capt. Henry STUART, East Indies.
  • 1802 Capt. James Giles VASHON, East Indies.
    At the beginning of 1803 FOX was sent by Vice Ad. RAINIER to suppress pirates on the Guzzurat coast.
    Capt. VASHON had two H. E.I. Co.
  • 18-gun-brigs under his orders, the TERNATE, commanded by Lieut. DOBBIE of CENTURION which was under repair at Bombay, and the TEIGNMOUTH.
    They were both manned from ARROGANT (74).
    He also had an armed pattamar, a large dhow from the Coromandel coast.
  • They arrived off Baite Island on 26 February and took soundings to find a passage into the harbour and on the 28th., with TERNATE leading, they sailed in and anchored within 400 yards of the fort which had stone walls about 40 feet high.
    The guns in the fort were soon silenced and Capt VASHON took a party ashore to burn 22 pattamars which had been pulled up on the beach.
    The following day 7 more pattamars and a brig were also destroyed.
    Their losses were one man killed and 13 wounded, including Mr Peter RAINER.
  • On 19 March Capt. VASHON decided to storm the fort and, supported by fire from the two brigs, the assault was made by 220 seaman and marines led by Lieuts. DOBBIE, ANDERSON, DAVIES, FLINT and COLLIER.
    The fort was garrisoned by about 2,000 men and they beat back the attack with British losses of 40 men killed and wounded.
    Lieuts. DAVIES and DOBBIE and Capt. VASHON were severely wounded, the latter two each had a musket ball in the chest but the captain's could not be removed and the wound ultimately proved fatal.
    Both brigs were damaged, the TEIGNMOUTH having grounded off the fort, TENTATE took the wounded and the captain's dispatches back to Bombay.
  • FOX was rebuilt at Bombay in 1805.
  • 1807 Capt. Hon Alexander COCHRANE, East Indies.
  • 1811 Capt. William WELLS.
    He returned in her to England at the close of 1811 carrying specie to the value of half a million sterling.
  • 1812 armed en flute.
    Capt. David PATERSON, Mediterranean.
  • 1813 north America.
  • On 11 July Rear Ad. COCKBURN, in SCEPTRE, anchored in off Ocracoke bar with FOX, ROMULUS and NEMESIS, troop-ships, the CONFLICT brig and the HIGHFLYER and COCKCHAFER tenders, having on board a body of troops of the 102nd regiment.
    His orders were to put an end to the commerce from the port of Ocracoke via the inland waterways.
    Armed seamen and marines in SCEPTRE's boats preceded the others to attack enemy shipping on the 12th., while Capt. PATTERSON commanded the division of flat and heavier boats, with as many troops as they could carry, to attack land positions.
    CONFLICT and the tenders followed with the remainder of the troops.
  • The first division captured the ANACONDA brig mounting eighteen long 9-pounders and a letter of marque schooner mounting 10 guns.
    The troops landed and took possession of Portsmouth and Okracoke Island.
  • 1814 Capt. J. K. KINSMAN, Quebec.
  • 1815 Capt. F. J. WILLOCK.


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