HMS Galatea (1776)

HMS Galatea was a 20-gun Sphinx-class sixth-rate post-ship of the Royal Navy. She was designed by John Williams and built by Adam Hayes in Deptford Dockyard being launched on 21 March 1776. She served during the American War of Independence.

History
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameHMS Galatea
Ordered15 April and 1 December 1773
BuilderDeptford Dockyard
Laid downOctober 1774
Launched21 March 1776
CompletedBy 26 May 1776
FateBroken up in April 1783
General characteristics
TypeSphinx-class sixth-rate post-ship
Tons burthen429 23/94 bm
Length
  • 108 ft (33 m) (gundeck)
  • 89 ft 8 in (27.33 m) (keel)
Beam30 ft (9.1 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement140
Armament20 × 9-pounder guns
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Galatea.

History

In 1776, the ship was sent to North America under the command of Captain Thomas Jordan with a crew of 200.[1] She took part in the capture of 30 American ships. On 1 January, 1778 she captured merchant schooner Jolly Robin. On 3 January captured the Dutch schooner St. Ann with a cargo from Virginia to Curacao.[2] On 6 January, 1778 captured the merchant sloop Speedwell off Charles Town, South Carolina at (33°18′N 76°28′W).[3] On 8 January, 1778 she captured schooner Favorite at (33°14′N 76°38′W).[4] On 21 January, 1778 she captured the Continental Congress owned, Continental Navy Officered trading brigantine Chance off Charles Town, South Carolina (32°17′N 77°29′W) . During the operation one of her boats was stove in and her longboat sank.[5] On 28 January, 1778 she captured brig "Katy" off Charles Town, South Carolina (33°00′N 78°26′W).[6] On 15 May, 1778 she captured American sloop Black Joke at (33°36′N 77°35′W).[7] An American naval squadron led by Samuel Elbert attacked the ship near St. Simons Island in what became known as the Frederica naval action. Although the Americans captured her other three escort ships, Galatea's crew ran her aground and managed to escape without being captured.

On 28 April 1779 the American cutter "Revenge", captained by Gustavus Conyngham, was captured and the crew were held aboard the Galatea. By his own report he was kept in irons until he reached prison, and was given no more than a “cold plank as my bed, a stone for a pillow”. Additionally, he was not fed properly, causing him to lose fifty pounds while imprisoned on the ship en route to his English prison.

Fate

She was broken up at Sheerness in April 1783.

References
  1. Clark, William Bell; Morgan, William James; Crawford, Michael J. (1964). Naval documents of the American Revolution, Volume 7. Naval History Division, Dept. of the Nav.
  2. "Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 11 AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  3. "Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 11 AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  4. "Naval Documents of the American Revolution" (PDF). US Government Printing Office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  5. "Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 11 AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  6. "Naval Documents of The American Revolution Volume 11 AMERICAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778 EUROPEAN THEATRE: Jan. 1, 1778–Mar. 31, 1778" (PDF). U.S. Government printing office via Imbiblio. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  7. "NAVAL DOCUMENTS OF The American Revolution" (PDF). history.navy.mil. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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