HMS ''Cornelia'' was a

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

32-gun

fifth-rate In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower. Rating The rating system in the Royal N ...

''Narcissus''-class

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

, launched in 1808 at

South Shields South Shields () is a coastal town in South Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England; it is on the south bank of the mouth of the River Tyne. The town was once known in Roman Britain, Roman times as ''Arbeia'' and as ''Caer Urfa'' by the Early Middle Ag ...

. She participated in the Invasion of Ile de France in 1810 and the invasion of Java in 1811. She was broken up in 1814.

Career

''Cornelia'' commissioned in November 1808, under the command of Captain Henry Folkes Edgell. He sailed her for the East Indies on 30 December. In 1810 was deployed to the squadron at the

Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...

. In the autumn, she joined the invasion fleet under Admiral Albemarle Bertie that executed the successful Invasion of Ile de France in November 1810. On 13 May 1810 ''Cornelia'' was in company with ''Sir Francis Drake'' and when they captured some slaves at

Diego Garcia Diego Garcia is the largest island of the Chagos Archipelago. It has been used as a joint UK–U.S. military base since the 1970s, following the expulsion of the Chagossians by the UK government. The Chagos Islands are set to become a former B ...

. In August or September 1811 Captain

William Fitzwilliam Owen Vice Admiral William Fitzwilliam Owen (17 September 1774 – 3 November 1857), was a British naval officer and explorer. He is best known for his exploration of the west and east African coasts, discovery of the Seaflower Channel off the coa ...

replaced Edgell. Owen commanded ''Cornelia'' during the invasion of the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

in 1811, and the capture of Java that year. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the NGSM with clasp "Java" to all surviving claimants from the campaign. In 1813, ''Cornelia'' returned to England as escort to a convoy from China.

Fate

''Cornelia'' was paid off at

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

in 1813 placed in

ordinary Ordinary or The Ordinary often refer to: Music * ''Ordinary'' (EP) (2015), by South Korean group Beast * ''Ordinary'' (album) (2011), by Every Little Thing * "Ordinary" (Alex Warren song) (2025) * "Ordinary" (Two Door Cinema Club song) (2016 ...

. She was broken up at Sheerness in June 1814.

Notes

Citations

References

*
Ships of the Old Navy
Frigates of the Royal Navy Ships built on the River Tyne 1808 ships {{UK-mil-ship-stub