|
SEVERN
|
(44) |
5th rate
|
Built in 1786, Bristol.
Wrecked in 1804. |
|
|
- 1799 Woolwich.
- 1800 Capt. WHITBY.
On 26 April 1800 SEVERN and SCORPION sailed from Portsmouth with a large convoy for the West Indies.
They were accompanied by AMAZON for the first part of the voyage. - 1802 Capt. BARKER, Jamaica.
SEVERN returned to England at the end of November. - 1803 Woolwich
- 1804 Armed en flute.
Capt. Philip d'AUVERGNE, Prince of Bouillon, Jersey.
In December SEVERN, lying in Grouville Bay, Jersey, was damaged in a gale which broke her rudder and one fluke of her anchor and injured her bottom.
It was intended that she should return to England for repairs and on the 19th. THISBE, at Guernsey received orders to take a new anchor and cable to Jersey for SEVERN.
However THISBE was damaged when she was fouled by NIOBE and a gale coming up she was obliged to use SEVERN's cable to prevent her drifting on to rocks.
However during the same gale on the night of the 19th. which blew from the N. E. directly on to the land, SEVERN lost her masts, parted all anchors and drove on shore.
The tide was out and she was seen drifting on rocks at the edge of the sand nearly a mile out, while the commander on board, Lieut. d'AUVERGNE, the brother of the Prince, endeavoured to turn her head off.
Some of the local inhabitants and the soldiers from the garrison, wading up to their knees in water, tried to drag boats across the sand in a vain attempt to reach the ship.
It was not until two boats from ALCMENE, riding out the storm to windward, managed to get ropes from the SEVERN to the shore that the people on board, more than 300, could be got off to safety.
When she was carried closer inshore by the spring tide parties from the 18th. and 69th. regiments were employed getting her stores out as she lay wrecked, high and dry on the sand.
Fortunately no lives were lost.
ALCMENE went round to St. Helier when the weather moderated.
|
|
|
