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TRITON
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(32) |
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Built in 1796, Deptford.
Broken up in 1820. |
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- Capt. John GORE, 06/1796.
Plymouth.
On 11th. and 12th. of December 1798 TRITON and SAN FIORENZO captured the Spanish privateer St. JOSEPH (4); the brand new French brig RUSEE (14) and recaptured the the GEORGE brig of London which had been taking coals, copper, and bottles from Bristol to Lisbon.They were all sent in to Plymouth. - At the beginning of January 1799, while returning to Cawsand Bay, she captured the French privateer brig IMPROMPTU of 14 brass guns.
New off the stocks, coppered, she was bound for a cruise off the Western Islands.
Her commander was Capt. Lanelong of Bordeaux.
The prize arrived in Plymouth on 9 January.
On he same day TRITON sailed for Portsmouth with all her French prisoners. - On 30 January 1799 TRITON brought into Plymouth the French privateer AMIABLE VICTOIRE (18) captured in the Channel the previous day after a chase of eight and a half hours.
Quite new, she had sailed from Cherbourg on the evening of the 28th. with a crew of 86 men. - On 17 and 18 October 1799 the Spanish frigates THETIS and SANTA BRIGIDA were captured off the north coast of Spain by ETHALION, NAIAD, ALCMENE and TRITON, and on 14 January 1800 the prize money from the dollars taken on board them was paid out as follows:
Captains: 40,730.18. 0
Lieutenants: 5,091.7.3
Warrant officers: 2,468.10.9
Midshipmen etc.: 791.17.0
Seamen and marines: 182.4.9
The prize money from the sale of hulls,stores, masts, rigging etc.
of the two frigates was still to come. - On the morning of 13 September 1799 a lugger was sighted coming out of L'Orient.
TRITON gave chase and captured her. She was the ST. JAQUES, with six 4-pounders and 16 men, carrying 662 13" shells to Rochefort. - In 1800 TRITON was with the squadron off the Stevenet Rock and on the morning of Tuesday 11 February she captured the French national brig VEDETTE (formally the BARRACOUTA cutter) of 14 guns and 84 men bound for L'Orient from Brest.
The prize arrived safely in Falmouth on the 19th.
The SAN SEBASTIAN, detained by TRITON and STAG while on passage from Santander to Altona, arrived in Plymouth on 15 April. - TRITON was chasing a cutter off the Penmarks when the eleventh gun abaft the main mast on the larboard side burst while it was being fired.
Lieut. ALFORD and a gunner's mate were killed and eighteen seamen and marines badly wounded.
The deck was ripped up and the captain's cabin much damaged.
Capt. GORE had Lieuts. ALFORD and THOMPSON and the Purser dining with him when the gun was reported ready and Lieut. ALFORD had just opened the cabin door when the explosion blew his head from his body back into the cabin.
The man who fired the gun was almost unhurt, as was an officer who was to forced into the quarter-gallery.
The wounded were taken into the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth on 12 March.
During the forenoon of 13 March the remains of Lieut. ALFORD and the gunner's mate were taken from the hospital to Stonehouse chapel-yard and interred with full naval and military honours. - 1801 Capt. R. L. FITZGERALD, Channel station.
- 1807 Guardship at Waterford.
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