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TEMERAIRE (98) Built in 1798, Chatham.
Sold in 1838.

  • 1799 Capt. Peter PUGET, 04/1799. (Rear Ad. Sir J. B. WARREN in August 1799 and Rear Ad. WHITSHED from November) Channel.
  • 1801 Capt. MARSH, Channel.
  • 1803 Out of commission at Plymouth. She was commissioned in October 1803 by Capt E. HARVEY.
  • 1805 off Cadiz.
    At the battle of Trafalgar TEMERAIRE was directed to take station astern of VICTORY. Because of the damaged state of the latter station keeping was very difficult and TEMERAIRE suffered from the enemy's heavy raking fire. She opened fire at NEPTUNE and REDOUBTABLE losing her mizzen-top-mast to the latter. TEMERAIRE hauled up to avoid being raked by the NEPTUNE (80) and discovered REDOUBTABLE coming out of the smoke and nearly on board her; meanwhile NEPTUNE wore and opened such a heavy raking fire from her broadside that TEMERAIRE lost her fore-yard and main-top-mast and her fore-mast and bowsprit were damaged. Although unmanageable she continued to bombard REDOUBTABLE with her larboard guns killing or wounding more than 200 of her crew as the Frenchman's bowsprit passed over TEMERAIRE's gangway. Hand grenades from the French fighting tops set fire to TEMERAIRE's foresail but this was soon extinguished.
    The British crew of 660 was now reduced to about 550 effective and since these had mostly been sent below by Capt. HARVEY for shelter from the hand grenades it must have seemed to FOUGUEUX, approaching on her starboard side, that she was completely disabled. However, as the French ship approached within 100 yards, TEMERAIRE's broadside opened and crippled her. She ran foul of the British ship and was immediately boarded by Lieut. Thomas Fortescue KENNEDY; Mr James ARSCOTT, master; Mr Robert HOLGATE, midshipman, with 20 seamen and 6 marines. Within ten minutes the French had been driven off the quarter-deck and Lieut. KENNEDY and his 28 followers had taken complete possession of her.
    The main-mast of REDOUBTABLE fell across the after-part of TEMERAIRE and formed a bridge onto the French ship and a party under Lieut. John WALLACE went over to take possession.
    TEMERAIRE's losses were heavy: 47 officers and men were killed and 76 wounded and 43 more were lost on board her two prizes in the gale that followed the battle. Eight feet of her lower deck on the starboard side had been stove in and her masts and rigging badly damaged so she re-fitted at Gibraltar before returning to England with ROYAL SOVEREIGN,TONNANT, COLOSSUS and LEVIATHAN.
    Capt. HARVEY was made a rear admiral and all the lieutenants were promoted to commander.
    Capt. LAMOUR took command of TEMERAIRE.
  • 1807 Re-fitting at Portsmouth Capt. Sir Charles HAMILTON, Channel fleet.
  • 1808 Ditto, coast of Spain.
  • 1811 Capt. Joseph SPEAR, 03/1811, (flagship of Rear Ad. PICKMORE, third in command, in the Mediterranean).
  • On 7 August 1811 the British fleet anchored in Hyeres Bay.
    When they were getting under weigh on the 13th. the wind fell and TEMERAIRE drifted close to a battery of 36 pounders on the Cap des Medes at the N. E. end of the island of Porquerolles. The second shot struck the master, Mr Robert DUNCAN, while he was talking to Capt. SPEAR at the gangway, took off one of his legs and badly wounded the other, then passed though the quarter deck and dismounted one of the main deck guns. Five seamen were wounded by splinters. The TEMERAIRE immediately opened a heavy fire on the enemy battery which prevented any other shots hitting her while she was towed out of range. Mr DUNCAN would not allow the surgeon to operate until a miniature of his wife had been hung around his neck. He went on to make a good recovery and was still alive 16 years later.
    TEMERAIRE's main mast had been sprung for some considerable time so she took the opportunity of going to Port Mahon to refit it. While there fever broke out in the ship and soon nearly half the officers and crew, including Capt. SPEAR were in hospital. The rear admiral and his captain would have removed to ROYAL GEORGE which had been sent out to relieve TEMERAIRE but, due to Capt. SPEAR's bad health, Sir Edward PELLEW decided to send him home in command of his own ship and by the time TEMERAIRE got as far north as Cape St. Vincent everyone's health improved.
  • 1812 Out of commission at Plymouth. She was first laid up in the Hamoaze and then removed to Sheerness where she was used as a receiving ship from 1824.


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