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GRASSHOPPER
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Built in 1806, Hythe (Cruizer class).
Taken in 1811. |
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- She was launched from Messrs.
Richards' Yard at Hythe on Monday 29 September and was taken into Portsmouth harbour for fitting out. - 1807 Thomas SEARLE, from the end of 1806, coast of Spain.
In November 1807 GRASSHOPPER and RENOMMEE were employed watching the Spanish squadron in the harbour at Carthagena and on the 6th. a detachment of boats from the two vessels under Lieut. William WEBSTER of RENOMMEE was sent in to cut out some enemy vessels lying at anchor under the Torre de Estacio on the coast of Murcia.
Under a heavy fire of grape and canister from the tower the boats took possession of a Spanish brig and a French tartan, both armed with six guns, but with little wind and a strong current they both ran aground and it was impossible to get them off.
After three hours they had to be abandoned; they would have been burnt but there were so many men, women and children on board, many wounded, that the boats could not remove them.
Mr Thomas BASTIN, the purser of GRASSHOPPER, who was a volunteer in his boat, was very badly wounded, as was the coxswain of RENOMMEE's pinnace. - On 11 December, while she was detached to look out off Cape Palos, she captured the Spanish SAN JOSEF armed with twelve 24-pounders and manned by 99 men.
The brig, commanded by Don Antonio de Torres Teniento de Navaro, came out to attack GRASSHOPPER accompanied by ST. MEDUSA MESTRIO (10) and ST. AIGLE MESTRIO (8) but after 15 minutes close action she struck her colours and ran on shore.
GRASSHOPPER's people managed to re-float her.
The other two Spanish vessels fled as soon as the brig struck.
Capt. SEARLE was hit in the head by a splinter and two others were also wounded. - During April 1808 GRASSHOPPER accompanied ALCESTE, 38, and MERCURY, 28, Capt. Murray MAXWELL, in a sweep through the Gulf of Cadiz.
0ff Rota on the 4th. they attacked a large Spanish convoy escorted by about twenty gunboats and covered by a flying battery on the beach.
While the frigates opened fire on the convoy GRASSHOPPER, sailing in shoal water, drove the enemy from the guns using grape, then repulsed a division of gunboats which came out from Cadiz.
After more than two hours they had taken 7 of the convoy and sunk 2 of the gunboats.
GRASSHOPPER was badly damaged and had 1 man mortally wounded; three others including the gunner were slightly wounded.
The prizes were loaded with timber for the arsenal at Cadiz.
At the time of the attack there were eleven sail of the line in Cadiz. - Off Faro in Portugal on 23 April, GRASSHOPPER, in company with RAPID, 14, Lieut. Henry BAUGH, captured two Spanish merchantmen from South America each having cargo worth £30,000, together with two of their escorting gunboats.
When they were chased by the two British brigs, the Spanish vessels sought shelter among the shoals off Faro and the protection of a shore battery but Capts.
SEARLE and BAUGH came within grape-shot range and started an action which lasted two and a half hours until the people on shore deserted their guns and two of the gunboats struck and the other two were driven ashore. - GRASSHOPPER lost one man killed.
3 seamen were seriously wounded and SEARLE was shot through the thigh by a musket ball.
The two captured gunboats had 40 killed and wounded between them.
Capt. SEARLE sent 14 of the Spanish wounded ashore because he had no means of caring for his own wounded and those of the enemy.
The master, Mr Henry BELL, was responsible for the intricate navigation among the shoals and the purser, Mr Thomas BASTIN took command of the after guns since there was only one lieutenant, Mr CUTFIELD, on board. - On Thursday 17 May a court martial was held on Mr James ANDERSON, one time master of GRASSHOPPER, for drunkenness and neglect of duty.
He was dismissed his ship and rendered incapable of serving as an officer again. - Capt. SEARLE was promoted to post rank two days later and on leaving GRASSHOPPER he was presented with a sword, valued at 80 guineas, by the crew.
Lieut. CUTFIELD was promoted to commander the same day. - 1811 Henry FANSHAWE, 06/1808, Spithead Baltic convoy.
On 18 December 1811 HERO, EGERIA, PRINCE WILLIAM and GRASSHOPPER left Wingo Sound with a convoy of more than 120 vessels.
The convoy was split by severe weather as they entered the North Sea and on 23rd. GRASSHOPPER and HERO were in company with only 18 sail.
By the evening only 4 vessels were in sight and they soon vanished in heavy snow squalls.
During the night GRASSHOPPER grounded briefly on a sand bank which the pilot assumed to be Smith's Knoll, about 45 miles east of Cromer, so Capt. FANSHAWE ordered the brig to be steered S. S.E.
to try and get out to sea but she still kept striking.
They eventually reached open water and anchored in 3 fathoms with HERO, as they thought, anchored not far off. - With daylight they found the true picture.
They were within the Northern Haak, some 5 or 6 miles off Texel Island with HERO on her beam ends on the Haak Sand being battered by the surf.
Both ships hoisted flags of truce but vessels were unable to get out of the Texel to their assistance.
GRASSHOPPER's attempts to launch her boats to help HERO also came to nothing and all her people were lost.
Although Capt. FANSHAWE lightened ship by throwing everything overboard except for the guns (those remained because of fears of being bilged on them), no passage out could be found and, when the weather moderated he was forced to cut her cable and, after beating some 3 or 4 miles over the flats he succeeded in getting round the point and struck to the Dutch fleet under Vice Ad. De Winter.
On the morning of the 25th. nothing could be seen of HERO, she had
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