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VENUS
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(32) |
5th rate
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Built in 1758, Okill, Liverpool.
Renamed HEROINE in 1809.
Sold in 1828. |
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- 1760 Capt. Harrison.
On 10 January 1761 VENUS and JUNO (32), Capt. Philips, were 50 leagues to the westward of Scilly when they fell in with the French frigate LA BRUNE (32). After a chase of some hours the VENUS came up with her and engaged her for more than two hours, when the JUNO coming up and firing a few guns, LA BRUNE struck. VENUS had four men killed and 18 wounded; among the latter were Capt. HARRISON, his first lieutenant and the master. The JUNO had 2 men wounded. The BRUNE had 19 killed and 39 wounded. VENUS brought LA BRUNE, and a French privateer of St. Malo with six carriage and six swivel guns, into Plymouth on the 16 January. - 1784 Capt. C. HUDSON. cruiser in the Irish Channel.
- 1793 Capt. Jonathan FAULKNOR.
On 19 May 1783 VENUS and NYMPHE sailed from Spithead on a cruise to the southward.
On the 25th. they separated in a chase and on the 27th. VENUS, about daylight, fell in with a large French frigate, LA PROSERPINE (36). After an action from 8 o'clock in the morning until half past eleven the enemy was silenced but continued to run with VENUS raking her on both quarters. She would have struck but her consort LA CLEOPATRE worked up to her assistance. VENUS was very much damaged in her masts, sails, yards and rigging. All her lower shrouds were shot away put one. Two men were killed and twenty wounded. VENUS had no marines on board, was 20 men short of complement and had only three petty officers of the quarter-deck. If NYMPHE had been able to join her the two French frigates must have been taken.
LA CLEOPATRE was taken by NYMPHE on 18 June. - 1794 Capt. BROWN, 06/1794.
- 1795 Capt. L. W. HALSTED, 02/1795.
Capt. GRAVES (2), 12/1795.
Portsmouth. - On 23 December 1798 VENUS came across the ship MARINER of London off Start Point.
MARINER had been bound for Nevis with horses and various merchandise when she had been struck by a tremendous sea on the quarter which had thrown her on her beam ends, carried away the mizzen mast and washed the whole watch of seven men off the deck.
Only two of them managed to regain the ship. She lay on her beam ends for many hours and eight of the horses were drowned before they could get her upright.
TRITON escorted her into Plymouth. - 1800 Ditto, Ireland.
- 1803 Ditto, Leeward Is.
- 1805 Capt. Henry MATSON, Channel.
At daylight on 10 July VENUS gave chase to a strange sail some 500 miles W. S.W.
of Ushant and after a run of 66 miles over 6 hours they came up with and captured the French privateer brig HIRONDELLE of Dunkirk. She was armed with four 6-pounders (two thrown overboard in the chase) and twelve 3-pounders and had sailed from Gigeon in Spain on 27 June.
On her previous cruise the privateer had captured the QUEEN CHARLOTTE packet, Capt. Mudge, on 16 May after an action of two hours. - On the morning of 19 March 1806 a small lugger-rigged French fishing boat appeared about 6 miles off Dover and when VENUS stood round the South Foreland the boat made towards her and a French officer handed over a packet of dispatches.
Ad. HOLLOWAY, the commanding officer in the Downs forwarded the dispatches to London by express.
The incident led to intense speculation.
The official information was that the communication related to the exchange of prisoners, and it was noted that the French officer was Capt. Majendie, Ad. Villeneuve's first captain, who had been allowed to return to France to negotiate a cartel. - 1807 Ditto, Leeward Is.
During the forenoon of 10 January 1807 about 300 miles east of Barbados a sail was seen from the masthead.
They gave chase and after 16 hours caught up with and captured the French privateer brig DETERMINEE from Guadeloupe. She mounted 14 guns and had a complement of 108 men.
Sixteen days into her fourth cruise she had taken no prizes.
VENUS took her into Carlisle Bay, Barbados.
The French privateer schooner ETOILE was captured about 25 miles east of Barbados on 20 January. She mounted 6 guns, 2 of which were thrown overboard in the chase, carried 54 men and had sailed from Cayenne on the 17th.
The chase was shortened when the enemy had to bear up when CYGNET hove in sight to windward. - 1809 Capt. CRAWFORD, coast of Spain.
In March VENUS was assisting the local patriots investing the castle and town of Vigo and, in response to a letter from Capt. CRAWFORD saying that another frigate would contribute to the surrender of the fortress, Capt. M'KINLEY in LIVELY joined him from Villagarcia on the evening of the 23rd.
On the 27th. Capt. CRAWFORD delivered answers to proposed articles of capitulation and that evening 1304 officers and men of the 2nd corps of the French army in Spain surrendered.
447 horses, 117,153 francs, field pieces, muskets and ammunition were taken and handed over to Don Pedro Murillo, commander of
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