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SIRIUS
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(36) |
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Built in 1797, Deptford.
Destroyed in 1810. |
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- Capt. Richard KING, 06/1797, attached to the North Sea fleet under the orders of Lord DUNCAN.
On 24 October 1798 SIRIUS gave chase to two Dutch ships in the Texel.
When he arrived within musket shot one of the enemy ships brought to and fired a shot to windward and hauled down her colours.
Her consort kept making all sail but SIRIUS caught her up and she surrendered after a running fight lasting about half an hour with 8 men killed and 14 wounded.
The prizes were the WAAKZAAMHEID (26), and the FURIE (36).
They had on board 287 French troops and 4,000 stand of arms.
SIRIUS had only one man man wounded out of 261.
The former was taken into the Royal Navy under her original name and FURIE as WILHELMINA. - Soon after this SIRIUS captured the FAVORIE (6) from Cayenne to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, indigo and camphor, and a Spanish brig taking iron and bale goods from Corunna to Monte Video.
- On 28 January 1801 SIRIUS intercepted the French frigate DEDAIGNEUSE (36) which had been chased by OISEAU for about 28 hours. She surrendered after an action of some 45 minutes with several men killed and 17 wounded.
The frigate was carrying dispatches from Cayenne to Rochefort and was taken into Plymouth by OISEAU's first lieutenant. She was taken into the Royal Navy under the same name. - On the same day SIRIUS and AMETHYST captured the Spanish letter of marque CHARLOTTA, 16 hours out of Ferrol, about 20 miles off Cape Belem.
- On 2 September 1801 a court martial on board CAMBRIDGE in the Hamoaze at which Lieut. LEWIS of SIRIUS was found guilty of leaving the quarter-deck during his watch when SIRIUS was night look-out frigate of the inshore squadron off Brest.
He was dismissed the service.
On the 9th. the Master and the Gunner were tried for drunkenness and neglect of duty.
The Master was dismissed his ship and the Gunner acquitted.
Lieut. RAINS, the first lieutenant, was also charged, at the instance of the Master, with drunkenness and leaving his quarters during action, but the evidence was so vague and contradictory that he was honourably discharged. - After the Peace of Amiens SIRIUS was senior ship in a light squadron employed against smugglers. She was put out of commission in August 1802.
- 1803 Capt. PROWSE, Channel.
SIRIUS went into the Barnpool on 31 July to reset her rigging and when she sailed from Plymouth for a cruise on 15 August it was estimated that the captain's share of prize money for the ship since the beginning of the war was £30,000. She was victualled for four months. - 1804 On 28 February she returned to Plymouth after a cruise off Brest with Capt. WILKINSON and his boat's crew.
They had escaped in the cutter when the HUSSAR (38) was wrecked at the beginning at February near the Saints and got on board one of the cruisers.
They brought welcome news of the safety of the rest of HUSSAR's people. - SIRIUS cruised in the Channel during the rest of the year.
- In the spring of 1805 SIRIUS was off the Penmarks and on 22 July she was with Vice Ad. Sir Robert CALDER in his action with the combined Franco/Spanish fleet which was fought in thick fog over a period of four hours off Ushant.
SIRIUS lost two killed and three wounded. - 1806 Mediterranean.
SIRIUS was some 20 miles to the eastward of Civita Vecchia on 17 April when Capt. PROWSE received information that a French force had sailed from there during the morning bound for Naples.
In the afternoon they were seen from the masthead and just after sunset the frigate closed with a ship, three brigs and five heavy gun vessels, formed into a compact order of battle.
They were within six miles of the mouth of the Tiber near a dangerous shoal, lying to, awaiting an attack.
At seven both sides opened fire within pistol shot in an engagement which lasted for two hours before the Commodore surrendered the ship.
Because of the crippled condition of SIRIUS Capt. PROWSE was unable to pursue the remainder of the flotilla although several of them were much disabled.
The prize was the BERGERE, armed with eighteen long 12-pounders and commanded by Capt. Chaney Duolvis with a crew of 189 men.
A fine vessel, she was taken into the Royal Navy under the same name. - SIRIUS lost Mr William ADAIR, master's mate, five seamen and three marines killed.
Twenty people were wounded including Mr James BRETT, acting master, Mr Meyricke LLOYD, midshipman, and Mr John ROBINSON, master's mate.
One seaman died later of his wounds. - 1807 Ditto,Mediterranean.
- 1808 Capt. Samuel PYM.
under repair at Chatham. - 1809 East Indies.
On 16 September 1809 troops were embarked at Rodriguez on board NEREIDE, OTTER and the H. E.I. C.'s schooner WASP to carry out an attack on St. Paul's in Bourbon (Reunion), a noted resort of French cruisers and privateers preying on British shipping in the Indian Ocean They were joined off Mauritius by RAISONABLE, SIRIUS and BOADICEA. - In the attack on 21 September, soldiers from the 56th. regiment 136 royal marines and 100 seamen were landed and carried three of the forts.
The squadron went in, fired their broadsides and then hauled out again.
SIRIUS stood in again and anchored her within half a musket shot of the French frigate CAROLINE, two captured East Indiamen, STREATHAM and EUROPE and a brig of war, GRAPPLER. She opened so heavy a fire that the whole struck their colours after 20 minutes. - In the early summer of 1810 preparations were started for the capture of the island of Bourbon (Reunion).
SIRIUS, with IPHEGENIA and MAGICIENNE under Capt. PYM's orders had been cruising off Mauritius and on 6 July they rendezvoused with troopers and transports from Rodriguez and Capt. Josias ROWLEY in BOADICEA and Capt WILLOUGHBY in NEREIDE.
The 3650 troops were divided among the ships and on the 7th. they made for their different points of disembarkation.
On the 9th. SIRIUS was ordered to anchor in the bay of St. Paul where she was fired on by all the batteries although she was showing a flag of truce.
Capt. PYM noticed that a brig was making preparations to sail during the night so at 11 o'clock he sent Lieut. George NORMAN in the barge to bring her out.
The brig had sailed two hours earlier but after a hard row of nearly 12 hours he came up with her and boarded her through her fire and took possession. She was the privateer EDWARD of Nantes with four 12-pounders and 30 men on board. She was taking dispatches to France. - When SIRIUS was joined off Mauritius by IPHEGENIA, NEREIDE and the gunbrig STAUNCH after the capture of Reunion it was decided to attack the Isle de la Passe lying at the entrance to Port Sud-Est.
The boats of the frigates with 400 men attempted an attack on 10 August but the weather was too bad so, to deceive the French, the ships sailed to the other side of Mauritius.
SIRIUS returned on the 12th. and Capt. PYM sent in 5 boats (including 2 from IPHEGENIA) with 71 officers and men under Lieut. George NORMAN assisted by Lieuts. Henry CHADS and John WATLING. - Lieut. CHADS separated from SIRIUS's boats and landed unopposed but the others, after safely passed two batteries while clouds covered the moon, came under fire from the third which killed and wounded several men.
Lieuts. NORMAN and WATLING were beaten back when they attempted to scale the works, NORMAN being shot through the heart.
Lieut. WATLING succeeded in a second attempt and was afterwards joined by Lieut. CHADS.
He took command as senior officer.
SIRIUS's losses were 5 killed and 12 wounded. - On 21 August SIRIUS recaptured the WYNDHAM, a British East Indiaman, recently taken by two French frigates and a corvette.
WYNDHAM, with 26 guns and manned with 30 French sailors was taken by 11 unarmed sailors from the gig under Lieut. WATLING and the jolly-boat under Mr John ANDREWS, midshipman.
Due to an oversight there were no arms in the boats and the British used the stretchers as clubs.
WYNDHAM was brought out under fire from the shore batteries. - When he was joined by NEREIDE Capt. PYM resolved to enter the port to recapture another Indiaman but SIRIUS ran aground in the inner passage and remained there for several hours during which the French moved further in and erected several batteries.
IPHEGENIA and MAGICIENNE arrived on the 23rd. and the attack was resumed.
NEREIDE was to anchor between VICTOR and BELLONE, SIRIUS alongside BELLONE, MAGICIENNE between CEYLON and MINERVE and IPHEGENIA alongside the latter.
SIRIUS grounded again and remained stationary on a coral reef as did MAGICIENNE.
IPHEGENIA was prevented by a shoal from closing with her opponent so the French were able to devote all their effort against NEREIDE. She surrendered after losing 230 killed and wounded out of 281.
Since SIRIUS and MAGICIENNE could not be moved they were both burnt and the people evacuated to the Isle de la Passe in IPHEGENIA. She had expended all her powder and ammunition and
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