HMS Amethyst (1799)

HMS ''Amethyst'' was a Royal Navy 36-gun ''Penelope''-class fifth-rate frigate, launched in 1799 at Deptford. ''Amethyst'' served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, capturing several prizes. She also participated in two boat actions and two ship actions that won her crew clasps to the Naval General Service Medal. She was broken up in 1811 after suffering severe damage in a storm.

French Revolutionary Wars

''Amethyst'' was commissioned in May 1799 under the command of Captain John Cooke. She then operated on the Dutch coast later that year. During the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland, ''Amethyst'' conveyed the Duke of York to the Netherlands and later participated in the evacuation of the force following the campaign's collapse.

On 18 December she and recaptured the brig ''Jenny''. Eleven days after that, ''Amethyst'' and ''Beaulieu'' recaptured the ships ''Dauphin'', ''Cato'', ''Cabrus'', and ''Nymphe''.

On 29 December ''Amethyst'' captured the French privateer brig ''Aventurier'' (or ''Avanture''). ''Aventurier'', out of Lorient, was armed with 14 guns and had a crew of 75 men. One month earlier, on 29 November, ''Aventurier'' had captured the American ship ''Cato'' and taken her master, John Parker, and his crew prisoner. When ''Amethyst'' captured ''Aventurier'' Cooke freed the Americans and informed Parker that ''Cato'' had been sent to Cork. Cooke sent ''Aventurier'' into Plymouth from where Parker and his mate traveled to Cork. ''Aventurier'' was sold at Plymouth in April 1800 and became the British privateer

On 7 January 1800, the French armed ship ''Huzelle'' (or ''Ursule''), came into Plymouth. She had been carrying passengers from Cayenne, including women and children, when ''Amethyst'' captured her. On her way into a British port, the French privateer ''Providence'', of 14 guns and 152 men, had recaptured her and sent her to Bordeaux. However, before she got there, ''Beaulieu'' and again captured her and sent her into Plymouth. ''Huzelle'' was low on provision with the result that a five-year-old child died while she was in Plymouth Sound; as she anchored at Catwater, M.P. Symonds, the broker for the prize, delivered fresh provisions to ''Huzelle''. Among ''Huzelle''s passengers were a Colonel Molonson of Invalids, and a naturalist, M. Burnelle, with a cabinet of curiosities for the French National Museum at Paris.

Later that month, on the 26th, encountered the French frigate ''Dédaigneuse'' and gave chase. and ''Amethyst'' joined the next day. On the 28th ''Oiseaux'' and ''Sirius'' effected the capture. Unfavourable winds kept ''Amethyst'' from joining the action. She was brought into Royal Navy service as HMS ''Dedaigneuse''.

In February 1800 ''Amethyst'' was in company with when on 15 February they captured the French privateer cutter ''Valiant'' (or ''Vaillante''), of Bordeaux, after a long chase. ''Valiant'' was armed with one long 18-pounder, two long 12-pounder, and twelve 6-pounders guns. She had a crew of 131 men who had been out four days, but had not yet captured anything.

On 24 February, ''Nymphe'', in company with ''Amethyst'', captured the French letter of marque ''Modeste'', of about 600 tons burthen. She was pierced for 16 guns and had a crew of 70 men. She had left the ÃŽle de France some nine weeks earlier and was sailing for Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, coffee, tea, sugar, indigo, and the like. Still in company with ''Nymphe'', ''Amethyst'' captured ''Julius Pringle'' and recaptured ''Active'' (4 March) and ''Amity'' (21 March). The French privateer ''Mars'' had taken ''Active'', Clark, master, on 17 February. ''Active'' had been sailing from Chepstow to Portsmouth, and after her recapture came into Bearhaven.

Then on 31 March, ''Amethyst'', with ''Nymphe'', captured ''Mars''. ''Mars'' was armed with twenty 12-pounder guns and two 36-pounder obusiers, and carried a crew of 180 men. Cooke described her as being "one of the finest Privateers fitted out of Bourdeaux." The British took ''Mars'' into service as .

''Amethyst'' also captured a valuable American ship attempting to dock in a French port. This may have been ''Caroline'', captured on 14 April.

In early June Cooke met up with Captain Sir Edward Pellew's squadron at Quiberon Bay. The squadron engaged in a successful large scale raid on Morbihan, though ''Amethyst''s role, if any, is unclear.

''Amethyst'' was among the vessels of a squadron that shared the proceeds for the recapture on 28 June 1800 of ''Lancaster''. She was also part of Pellew's squadron, which shared in the proceeds of the capture of ''Vigilant'', ''Menais'', ''Insolent'', ''Ann'', and the wreck of a vessel that was sold, and the recapture of ''Industry''.

On 29 July, a boat each from ''Viper'', ''Impetueux'' and ''Amethyst'', all manned by volunteers under the command of Lieutenant Jeremiah Coghlan of ''Viper'', cut out the French naval brig ''Cerbère'', armed with three 24-pounder and four 6-pounder guns. ''Cerbère'' was manned by 87 men under the command of ''lieutenant de vaisseau'' Menage and was moored in a port within pistol-shot of three batteries and near a number of naval vessels. The attack was a success, with the British boarding party of some 20 men losing only one man killed and eight wounded, including Coghlan; none of the casualties were from ''Amethyst''s boat, which did not take part in the actual boarding. The French lost six men killed and 20 wounded. In admiration for the feat, Pellew's squadron gave up their share of the prize money, with the result that it accrued in its entirety to the cutting-out party. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "29 July Boat Service 1800" to the four surviving claimants from the action.

Next, ''Amethyst'' participated in an abortive invasion of Ferrol. On 29 August, in Vigo Bay, Admiral Sir Samuel Hood assembled a cutting-out party from the vessels under his command consisting of two boats each from ''Amethyst'', , , , and , four boats from , as well as the boats from , , and ''Impetueux''. The party went in and after a 15-minute fight captured the French privateer ''Guêpe'', of Bordeaux, and towed her out. She was of 300 tons burthen and had a flush deck. Pierced for 20 guns, she carried eighteen 9-pounders, and she and her crew of 161 men were under the command of Citizen Dupan. In the attack she lost 25 men killed, including Dupan, and 40 wounded. British casualties amounted to four killed, 23 wounded and one missing. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "29 Aug. Boat Service 1800" to all surviving claimants from the action.

On 9 October, ''Amethyst'' returned to Plymouth from a secret mission. She and ''Nymphe'' would share in the prize money for a captured a French East Indiaman. During their stay in port the prize netted them £36,000.

In 1801, ''Amethyst'' operated off Spain, capturing two Spanish privateers and the French corvette ''Général Brune''. On 26 January, encountered and gave chase while unfavorable winds kept ''Amethyst'' from joining the action. The British brought ''Dédaigneuse'' into Royal Navy service as HMS ''Dedaigneuse''.

Later on 28 January ''Sirius'' and ''Amethyst'' captured the Spanish Letter of Marque ''Charlotta'' (or ''Carlotta'') of Ferol, 16 hours out of Ferol on her way to Curaçao. The capture took place about six or seven leagues from Cape Belem in Galicia. The hired armed cutter ''Earl St Vincent'' shared in the capture.

The next day captured the Spanish privateer ''Intrepido Cid''. ''Amethyst'' and ''Sirius'' shared in the prize money by agreement.

On 16 March, ''Amethyst'' encountered and captured ''Nostra Signora del Carmen'', a Spanish privateer schooner. ''Nostra Signora'' was armed with six guns and had a crew of 65 men. She had left Rigo the previous evening and had not captured anything. Cooke decided to destroy her as she appeared unfit to take into the navy.

On 12 April, ''Amethyst'' captured French navy corvette ''General Brune''. ''General Brune'' was a former merchant ship and she was sailing from Guadeloupe to Bordeaux. She was under the command of Citizen Martin, ''lieutenant de vaisseaux''. She was armed with fourteen 6-pounders guns and had 108 men on board, including Général Péalardy, the late governor of Guadaloupe, and his suite.

On 10 September ''Amethyst'' captured the French lugger ''Alert'', and recaptured a ship.

In October 1801 Captain Charles Taylor took command of ''Amethyst'', only to be replaced in the next month by Captain Henry Glynn, for the North Sea. During the Peace of Amiens, ''Amethyst'' sailed on anti-smuggling patrols off the coast of Scotland under the command of Captain Alexander Campbell.

On 30 July 1802, ''Amethyst'' and the frigates, and , sailed from Plymouth for the Isle of Wight. There they were to pick up Dutch troops that they were to return to Holland.

During the autumn and winter of 1802–03 ''Amethyst'' was sent to the Northern Station, based at Leith. On Wednesday 27 October 1802, 38 miles off Tod Head, she captured ''Vlugheid'', smuggling cutter from Flushing. Aboard were John Dangerfield and eleven other seamen. On 18 November 1802, three or four leagues from the Isle of May, Campbell captured ''Fly'', a smuggling lugger from Flushing, "laden with 570 Ankers of Gineva and eighty five Bails of Tobacco". On Tuesday 30 November ''Amethyst'' gave chase to three more smuggling luggers, but lost them due to lack of wind.

Captain Campbell wrote to the Admiralty on 27 October 1802 requesting that he might keep the seamen captured on ''Vlugheid'', because ''Amethyst'' was 29 short of complement. However, Dangerfield and the others were released on 22 November.

In a letter to the Admiralty dated 10 November Capt. Campbell reported that the smugglers were attempting to bribe the seamen to desert from His Majesty’s ships on the Leith station "so as to disable them from cruising". In a letter dated 27 October 1802, at sea, he had complained that "The Revenue Cruizers belonging to Leith are seldom out of Harbour. I have not seen or heard of any of them during my cruise altho' there are several smuggling vessels on the coast".

Napoleonic Wars

In the months before the resumption of war with France, the Navy started preparations that included impressing seamen. The crews of outbound Indiamen were an attractive target. and were sitting in the Thames in March 1803, taking their crews on board just prior to sailing. At sunset, a press gang from HMS ''Immortalite'' rowed up to ''Woodford'', while boats from ''Amethyst'' and approached ''Ganges''. As the press gangs approached they were noticed, and the crews of both Indiamen were piped to quarters. That is, they assembled on the decks armed with pikes and cutlasses, and anything they could throw. The officers in charge of the press gangs thought this mere bravado and pulled alongside the Indiamen, only to meet a severe resistance from the crewmen, who had absolutely no desire to serve in the Royal Navy. The men from ''Immortalite'' suffered several injuries from shot and pike that were thrown at them, and eventually the marines opened fire with muskets, killing two sailors on ''Woodford''. Even so, the press gangs were not able to get on board either Indiaman, and eventually withdrew some distance. When ''Woodford''s officers finally permitted the press gang from ''Immortalite'' to board, all they found on board were a few sickly sailors.

Some seven months later, on 11 November 1803 ''Amethyst'' captured ''Spes'', H. L. Cornelia, master. Three days later, ''Amethyst'' captured ''Johannes''. That same day ''Amethyst'' captured ''Irene'', L. J. Lubbens, master.

In June 1804, a court martial dismissed Campbell from command of ''Amethyst'' and stripped him of all his seniority on the Captain's List for misconduct in an action with four Dutch vessels off the coast of Norway. Command transferred to Captain John Spranger.

On 24 July ''Amethyst'', while in company with , captured ''Agnela''. On 30 July ''Amethyst'' captured the ''Ebenezer'', and then on 1 August ''Amethyst'' captured ''Juno''. In December ''Amethyst'' participated in the pursuit of a French squadron under Admiral Willaumez.

In November 1805 ''Amethyst'' encountered the brig-sloop off the coast of Madeira. After a series of ambiguous and misinterpreted moves by the other, the two captains mistook each other for enemies and opened fire. Both vessels survived and the two captains proceeded to exchange mutually recriminatory letters.

''Amethyst'' was among the vessels that shared in the proceeds of the capture, on 25 July 1805, of the ''Jonge Jacob''.

Captain Michael Seymour replaced Spranger. On 15 May 1807, ''Amethyst'' captured the privateer ''Josephine'' some 20 leagues from Scilly. ''Josephine'' was armed with four 2-pounders guns and small arms. She had a crew of 45 men, but had put ten on board ''Jane'', which had been sailing from Lisbon. ''Josephine'' had sailed from the ÃŽle de Batz and ''Jane'' was her only capture. When ''Amethyst'' captured ''Josephine'', ''Amethyst'' was in company with and .

Then on 9 September ''Amethyst'' captured the Danish ship ''Twende Venner''.

Later, on 18 October, ''Amethyst'' recaptured the ship ''Susannah''. ''Amethyst'' also recaptured the American brig ''Rising Sun''.

On 10 March 1808 ''Amethyst'' captured the Spanish brig ''Vigilantie''. Eleven days later ''Amethyst'' recaptured the Portuguese schooner ''Inseperavil Unio''.

On 3 May ''Amethyst'' and captured the French sloop ''Actif''. Sixteen days later, ''Amethyst'', ''Conflict'', and were in company when they captured the French schooner ''Annais''. The next month, on 10 June, ''Amethyst'' and ''Conflict'' captured the Spanish schooner ''Carmelita''. Fourteen days later, ''Amethyst'' captured the American brig ''Sally Tracey''. Then ''Amethyst'' was again in company with ''Growler'' when they captured ''St. Etienne'', ''Maria Julia'', and six chasse marees on 9 July. Lastly, on 17 September ''Amethyst'' captured sundry spars.

In November 1808 ''Amethyst'' captured the French frigate ''Thétis'' at the action of 10 November 1808. British casualties in the engagement were severe, with 19 killed and 51 wounded, but French losses were several times larger, with 135 dead and 102 wounded. ''Amethyst'' had been severely damaged in the engagement and repairs took 71 days to complete at Plymouth. Seymour's victory was rewarded: Seymour himself was presented with a commemorative medal, £100 (with £625 to share among the wounded) and the freedoms of Cork and Limerick. The Admiralty awarded him a gold medal; this was one of only 18 actions that it so honoured. In addition, first lieutenant Goddard Blennerhasset was promoted to commander, the junior officers were advanced, and the Royal Navy purchased ''Thétis'', commissioning her as HMS ''Brune''. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Amethyst Wh. Thetis" to the still living survivors of the battle.

In 1809, ''Amethyst'' was with Sir Robert Stopford's squadron off Rochefort. She saw action in the early stages of the Battle of Brest Roads and in April captured the French frigate ''Niémen'', under the command of Mons. Dupotet, Capitaine de Frigate, at the action of 6 April 1809. ''Niémen'' had 47 killed and 73 wounded; ''Amethyst'' had eight killed and 37 wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Amethyst 5 April 1809".

Later in the year, Seymour participated in the Walcheren Expedition, providing naval support to the transports. On 11 August she was part of a squadron under Captain William Stewart that forced the passage between shore batteries at Flushing and Cadsand. ''Amethyst'' had one man killed and one man wounded in the operation. Seymour left the ship in 1809; his replacement in September was Captain Jacob Walton.

''Amethyst'' and shared in the prize money for the capture on 7 August 1810 of ''Marie Ange'' and ''Marie Louise''.

Fate

On 15 February 1811 ''Amethyst'' was anchored in Plymouth Sound, intending to sail the next day join the fleet off Brest with provisions, including live bullocks. To facilitate her departure Walton decided to use only her bower anchor. A heavy storm caught her and blew her on shore near Cony Cliff Rocks, Mount Batten, before her crew could lower a second anchor. Lines were passed to the shore that enabled most of the crew to reach safety, though eight men did die. Most of the ship's stores were salvaged over the next few days. Still, the ship was too badly damaged to salvage and by 10 March wave action had broken up the hull.

The subsequent court martial found Walton and Robert Owen, the master, negligent and reprimanded both for allowing ''Amethyst'' to be anchored so close to shore and with only one anchor. The court also barred Owen for a year from serving in anything larger than a sixth rate.

Notes

Citations

References

*Crawford, Abraham (1851) ''Reminiscences of a Naval Officer, During the Late War: With Sketches and Anecdotes of Distinguished Commanders, Volume 1''. (H. Colburn).
*Daly, Gavin (2007) "English Smugglers, the Channel, and the Napoleonic Wars, 1800–1814". ''Journal of British Studies'' 46 (1), pp. 30–46.
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*Willis, Sam (2008) ''Fighting at Sea in the Eighteenth Century''. (Woodbridge:Boydell Press).
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