HMS ''Fox'' was a 32-gun ''Active''-class

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 ...

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 ...

of the

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 ...

. She was launched on 2 June 1780 at

Bursledon Bursledon is a village on the River Hamble in Hampshire, England. It is located within the borough of Eastleigh. Close to the city of Southampton, Bursledon has a railway station, a marina, dockyards and the Bursledon Windmill. Nearby villages ...

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Berkshire to the north, Surrey and West Sussex to the east, the Isle of Wight across the Solent to the south, ...

by George Parsons.

Early career

''Fox'' was sent to the Caribbean in late 1781 and in January the following year under Captain Thomas Windsor captured two Spanish frigates. In March 1783 under Captain George Stoney captured the Spanish frigate ''Santa Catalina''. ''Fox'' was at

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

on 20 January 1795 and so shared in the proceeds of the detention of the Dutch naval vessels,

East Indiamen East Indiamen were merchant ships that operated under charter or licence for European Trading company, trading companies which traded with the East Indies between the 17th and 19th centuries. The term was commonly used to refer to vessels belon ...

, and other merchant vessels that were in port on the outbreak of war between Britain and the Netherlands. In March 1797, near

Visakhapatnam Visakhapatnam (; List of renamed places in India, formerly known as Vizagapatam, and also referred to as Vizag, Visakha, and Waltair) is the largest and most populous metropolitan city in the States and union territories of India, Indian stat ...

, ''Fox'' captured the French privateer ''Modeste'', under Jean-Marie Dutertre.Demerliac, p. 308, no 2898 Took part in the bloodless Raid on Manila in January 1798. Given that ''Fox'' served in the navy's Egyptian campaign between 8 March and 2 September 1801, her officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal that the

Admiralty Admiralty most often refers to: *Admiralty, Hong Kong * Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964 *The rank of admiral *Admiralty law Admiralty can also refer to: Buildings * Admiralty, Tra ...

issued in 1847 to all surviving claimants.

Napoleonic Wars

On 12 May 1809, ''Fox'', Commander Henry Hart, brought into

Madras Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...

, her prize ''Caravan'', Aikin, master. ''Caravan'' was the former ''Cartier'', Aikin, master, that the privateer had captured in October 1807. ''Caravan'' had been carrying stones for building forts,

arrack Arrack is a Distillation, distilled alcoholic drink typically produced in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, made from the Fermentation (food), fermented sap of coconut flowers or sugarcane, and also with grain (e.g. red rice) or fruit depending upon ...

, coffee, and several carriages and bandies.

War of 1812

From April to June 1812 ''Fox'' was at Woolwich Dockyard being refitted as a 16 gun troopship.Winfield, (2008) In September 1814 ''Fox'' was in a squadron, with as flagship, that carried the advance guard of Major General Keane's army, which was moving to attack New Orleans. Under the rules of prize-money, the troopship ''Fox'' shared in the proceeds of the capture of the American vessels in the Battle of Lake Borgne on 14 December 1814.

Fate

''Fox'' was broken up in April 1816.

Notes

Citations

References

* * Hannings, Bud. (2012). ''The War of 1812: A Complete Chronology with Biographies of 63 General Officers''. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. * * * Frigates of the Royal Navy Ships built on the River Hamble 1780 ships War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom {{UK-mil-ship-stub