French brig Gironde (1793)

The French brig Gironde was launched at Rochefort in 1793 as a Dédaigneuse-class gun-brig of the French Navy. In 1797 she was struck from the lists and sold. She became a privateer operating out of Bordeaux. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1800 but never commissioned her; it sold her in 1801.

History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameGironde
NamesakeGironde
BuilderRochefort Dockyard
Laid downMay 1793
LaunchedJuly 1793
Renamed
  • 1794: Bec d'Ambez (for the Bec d'Ambès)
  • 1795:Gironde (16 May 1795)
Captured14 July 1800
Great Britain
NameHMS Gironde
Acquired1800 by capture
FateSold 7 September 1801
General characteristics [1]
Class and typeDédaigneuse-class gun-brig[2]
Tons burthen2592⁄94 bm [1]
Length
  • Overall: 91 ft 7 in (27.9 m)
  • Keel: 72 ft 6 in (22.1 m)
Beam25 ft 11 in (7.9 m)
Depth of hold12 ft 1+3⁄4 in (3.7 m)
Sail planBrig
Complement
  • Privateer:141
  • British service:67 men
Armament
  • French Navy: 3 × 24-pounder guns + 10 swivel guns.
  • Privateer: 16 guns
  • British service: 14 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder chase guns

French service

Gironde was renamed Bec d'Ambez in early 1794, but reverted to Gironde in May 1795. She took part in the Expédition de Cayenne in 1795. The French Navy struck her from the lists in 1797.[3][4]

Gironde was sold at Bordeaux in 1797 and re-rigged.[1] She then became a privateer.

In February 1798, Gironde captured Blinmont, of Wilmington, and took her into Bordeaux.[5]

In November 1798 Lloyd's List reported that Gironde had captured several vessels near the Newfoundland Banks. The vessels were Clermont, Commerce, and George, and two other English vessels and one Portuguese.[6][lower-alpha 1]

Gironde captured George, Christopher Whipple, master, of New York, in August 1798. The British recaptured her on 23 September.[7]

Commerce, Robert Caleff, master, Richard Calef, owner, had departed her homeport of Norfolk (Virginia), with a cargo of tobacco for London. Gironde, Captain Darigand, captured Commerce on 11 October off Newfoundland and took her into Santander, where she arrived on 8 November. There the French consul condemned vessel and cargo as English property; they were sold for 723,916 Spanish reals.[8]

HMS Pomone recaptured, on 9 April 1799, an American schooner that Gironde had taken on 1 April. The schooner had been sailing from Caracas to Corunna with a cargo of cocoa and indigo.[9]

On 17 April, Gironde captured Minerva, James Thomas, master, which was sailing in company with Nymphe, James Hardy, master, of Philadelphia. Both vessels were armed and they resisted before being forced to strike. Gironde brought them into Bordeaux.[10]

In early 1800 Gironde captured the American ship Alknomac, Francis Miller, master, James and Edwin Gairdner, owners, and sent her into Lorient and Île de Ré. Following the Convention of 1800, the Conseil des Prises released Alknomac on 28 October 1801, with no damages.[11]

HMS Fisgard captured the privateer Gironde on 28 July 1800.[12] Captain T.B.Martin, of Fisgard, stated Gironde had been a particularly successful and active vessel. She had on board 53 English prisoners, the masters and crews of four vessels that she had captured.[13]

The four vessels Gironde had captured whose crew were aboard her were:[13]

  • Swan sloop, Andrew Miller, Master, from Oporto and carrying wine;[lower-alpha 2]
  • Countess of Lauderdale, Thomas Bennett, master, from Demerary, carrying sugar and cotton;
  • Active brig, Benjamin Tucker, master, from Bermuda, carrying sugar and cotton; and
  • Young William, Charles Bacon, master, returning from the South Sea's with a cargo of (whale) oil.[lower-alpha 3]

Royal Navy

Gironde arrived at Plymouth on 14 August 1800.[16] After her arrival she was laid up. The Royal Navy named and registered her, but did not commission her.

The "Principal officers and commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" offered Gironde for sale on 24 August 1801.[17] She sold 7 September for £705.[1]

Notes
  1. The slave ship Brooks recaptured Clermont as Brooks was returning to England after having delivered her slaves to Jamaica.
  2. A Portuguese vessel recaptured Swan and sent her into Lisbon.[14]
  3. Young William was recaptured and sent into Cork.[15]

Citations
  1. Winfield (2008), p. 287.
  2. Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 274.
  3. Demerliac (1999), p. 130, no.868.
  4. Roche (2005), p. 225.
  5. Williams (2009), p. 85.
  6. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 3042. 6 November 1798. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049069.
  7. Williams (2009), p. 160.
  8. Williams (2009), p. 106.
  9. "No. 15125". The London Gazette. 16 April 1799. p. 358.
  10. Williams (2009), p. 249.
  11. Williams (2009), p. 50.
  12. "No. 15426". The London Gazette. 10 November 1801. p. 1362.
  13. "No. 15286". The London Gazette. 19 August 1800. p. 951.
  14. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4073. 1 August 1800. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049070.
  15. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4074. 5 August 1800. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049070.
  16. "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4078. 19 August 1800. hdl:2027/uc1.c3049070.
  17. "No. 15396". The London Gazette. 11 August 1801. p. 991.

References
  • Demerliac, Alain (1999). La Marine de la Révolution: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1792 à 1799 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 9782906381247. OCLC 492783890.
  • Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
  • Williams, Greg H. (2009). The French assault on American shipping, 1793-1813: a history and comprehensive record of merchant marine losses. McFarland. ISBN 9780786438372.
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
  • Winfield, Rif; Roberts, Stephen S. (2015). French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786–1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-204-2.
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