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SCEPTRE
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(74) |
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Built in 1802, Deptford.
Sold in 1821. |
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- 1803 Capt. A. C. DICKSON.
On 20 June SCEPTRE came into Plymouth for a refit after a cruise and sailed again on the 28th. to join the Channel fleet.
In July she sailed for the East Indies station.
On 21 December 1803 in the eastern Indian Ocean, SCEPTRE and ALBION captured the French ship CLARISSE of 12 guns and 157 men. - 1804 Capt. Joseph BINGHAM, East Indies, who removed from the St. FIORENZO.
- On 11 November 1806 SCEPTRE and CORNWALLIS, Capt. Johnston, made a dash into St. Paul's Bay, Isle of Bourbon, and attacked the shipping there.
This consisted of the frigate SEMILLANTE, three armed ships and twelve captured British ships.
(The eight taken by SEMILLANTE were valued at one and a half million pounds) Unfortunately the heavy cannonade calmed what little breeze there was and the two ships found it difficult to manoeuvre so no vessels were recaptured.
The two ships, much affected by scurvy, had to retire to Madagascar for their crews to recuperate. - SCEPTRE returned home in 1808 accompanied by two homeward bound Danish East Indiamen captured by Capt. BINGHAM off the Cape of Good Hope.
- She was paid off but, after repair and re-fitting, SCEPTRE was re-commissioned by Capt. BINGHAM and joined Sir Richard STRACHAN in the expedition to the Scheldt in 1809.
- 1809 Capt. Samuel James BALLARD, 10/1809, Leeward Is.
During the passage from England Capt. BALLARD trained his crew in the use of the broadsword.
This later proved of value when they were used ashore. - He arrived off Martinique with ALFRED and FREJUS under his orders, to find that four French frigates had captured and burnt the JUNON, belonging to the Halifax squadron, about 150 miles to the windward of Guadeloupe.
SCEPTRE, BLONDE, THETIS, FREIJA, CASTOR, CYGNET, HAZARD, RINGDOVE and ELIZABETH proceeded to attack two of the enemy frigates anchored in Anse la Barque about nine miles to the N. W. of the town of Basse Terre on 18 December.
BLONDE, THETIS and the three sloops bore the brunt of the attack and forced the French to abandon their ships and then set fire to them.
Capt. CAMERON, who was killed in the attempt, landed with the boats of HAZARD and destroyed the shore batteries.
The two frigates were the LOIRE and the SEINE - Towards the end of January 1810 SCEPTRE escorted a division of the troops destined for the attack on Guadeloupe from St. Lucia to to the Saintes.
While other troops were landed on the island he created a diversion off Trois Rivieres before landing his troops and marines between Anse la Barque and Basse Terre.
Until the surrender of the island capt.
BALLARD commanded the detachment of seamen and marines attached to the army. - SCEPTRE visited most of the West Indian islands before sailing from St. Thomas's in August with the homebound trade. She arrived at Spithead on 25 September 1810 and was docked and re-fitted.
- SCEPTRE was employed in the Channel watching the enemy in Brest and the Basque Roads until January 1813.
- 1813 Capt. ROSS, America.
Flagship of Rear Ad. COCKBURN. - On 11 July 1813 SCEPTRE with ROMULUS, FOX, NEMEDIS and CONFLICT, and the HIGHFLYER and COCKCHAFER tenders, anchored off the Ocracoke bar.
They had on board detachments of troops under the orders of Lieut. Col Napier. - An advanced division of the best pulling boats commanded by Lieut. WESTPHALL and carrying armed seamen and marines from SCEPTRE was ordered to attack the enemy's shipping.
They were supported by Capt. ROSS with the rocket-boats.
The flat and heavier boats followed with the bulk of the 102nd regiment and the artillery.
The only opposition came from a brig and a schooner, which were the only armed vessels in the anchorage.
When they were attacked by Lieut. WESTPHALL and some rockets the brig, the ANACONDO (18) was abandoned and the schooner, the privateer ATLAS (10) struck. - The troops took possession of Portsmouth and Ocracoke Island without opposition.
- 1815 Out of commission at Chatham.
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