HMS Pelorus (1808)
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HMS ''Pelorus'' was an 18-gun of the British
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 built in
Itchenor West Itchenor is a village and civil parish, on the Manhood Peninsula, in the Chichester (district), Chichester Districts of England, District of West Sussex, England. It lies north of the B2179 Chichester to West Wittering road 4.5 miles ( ...
,
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
and launched on 25June 1808. She saw action in the Napoleonic Wars and in the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...
. On anti-slavery patrol off West Africa, she captured four slavers and freed some 1350 slaves. She charted parts of Australia and New Zealand and participated in the
First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...
(18391842) before becoming a merchantman and wrecking in 1844 while transporting
opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...
to China.


Napoleonic Wars

'' Pelorus'' was commissioned in July 1808 under Commander the Honourable James William King, and sailed for the
Leeward Islands The Leeward Islands () are a group of islands situated where the northeastern Caribbean Sea meets the western Atlantic Ocean. Starting with the Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, they extend southeast to Guadeloupe and its dependencies. In Engl ...
on 15December. In January 1809 Commander Thomas Huskisson was appointed commander of ''Pelorus'', but did not find out until May. Therefore, he was not her commander at the capture of Martinique in February. (Some accounts have her under the command of Captain
Francis Augustus Collier Rear Admiral Sir Francis Augustus Collier, CB, KCH (7 August 1785 – 28 October 1849) was a senior officer of the British Royal Navy during the early nineteenth century. Born into a naval family, Collier served in the French Revolutionary Wars ...
; however, he was commander of .) Under Huskisson she then took part in enforcing the blockade of
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France in the Caribbean. It consists of six inhabited islands—Basse-Terre Island, Basse-Terre, Grande-Terre, Guadeloupe, Grande-Terre, Marie-Galant ...
. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinique" to any surviving crewmen from that campaign who wished to claim it. On 16 October ''Pelorus'' and were in company when they came upon the French privateer schooner ''Général Ernouf'', moored under the guns of the battery of St. Marie on the east coast of the southern part of Guadeloupe. ''Hazard'' and ''Pelorus'' attempted to send in a cutting out party during the night, but the boats could not find a channel. The British went in again in the daylight despite fire from the battery and the schooner's long 18-pounder pivot-gun and two swivels. Fire from ''Hazard'' and ''Pelorus'' silenced the batteries but as the British came alongside the French crew, an estimated 80-100 men, fled ashore. There two field guns joined them in firing on the cutting-out party. Because the schooner was aground and chained to the shore the boarding party could not bring her out; instead, they set fire to her. However, a premature explosion injured some of them. In all, ''Hazard'' lost three men killed and four wounded; ''Pelorus'' lost three killed and five wounded. In February 1810 ''Pelorus'' participated in the capture of Guadeloupe. In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" to any surviving crewmen from that campaign who wished to claim them. Later the same year, under Commander Alexander Kennedy, ''Pelorus'' patrolled the Leeward Islands. In May, command transferred to Commander Joshua Rowley. In late December 1811 and early 1812, ''Pelorus'' was cruising off Plymouth. On 22 and 23 December 1811 she captured ''Marianne'' and ''Deux Freres''. On 6January 1812, she sent in a French ''
chasse maree A chasse, châsse or box reliquary is a shape commonly used in medieval metalwork for reliquaries and other containers. To the modern eye the form resembles a house, though a tomb or church was more the intention,Distelberger, 21 with an oblo ...
'' that she had taken. On 5April Rowley sailed her for the Mediterranean. In September 1812, Commander Robert Gambier took command of ''Pelorus''. By 1814, her captain was Commander Robert Stow. On 7 March boats from , , and a third British vessel, destroyed the American privateer ''Mars'', of 15 guns and 70 men, off Sandy Hook. Some accounts name ''Pelorus'' as the third British vessel, but the prize money notices and most other accounts give the name of the third vessel as . Then by September, ''Pelorus'' was under the command of Commander John Gourly. A year later she was paid off at Plymouth where she underwent a Middling Repair before she was laid up.


Return to service

She was fitted for sea from April–August 1823, Commander William Hamley having recommissioned her in April. In 1824, she was at Cork on coast guard duties. On 19 May she captured the smuggling vessel ''Good Hope''. On 9 October, she captured the small smuggling
lugger A lugger is a sailing vessel defined by its rig, using the lug sail on all of its one or more masts. Luggers were widely used as working craft, particularly off the coasts of France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Luggers varied extensively ...
''Phoenix'', which was carrying a cargo of tobacco and a small amount of tea. Over a period of three years, Hamley captured more smuggling-vessels than any other vessel. On 30 October 1823, a ship ran into ''Pelorus'' during the night, and then sailed on. The crash destroyed the bowsprit and sent the foremast over the side; both had to be cut away despite the heavy seas and otherwise bad weather. The crew rigged a jury-mast and bowsprit and ''Pelorus'' was able to get back to Plymouth. Had the ship struck ''Pelorus'' a few inches further aft the sloop would almost certainly have foundered. ''Pelorus'' was paid off in July 1826. In all, Hamley had seized more than 62,000 weight of tobacco. From July–October 1826, she underwent alteration from a brig-sloop to a
ship-sloop During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all u ...
via the addition of a third mast.


Mediterranean

Then in October, Commander Peter Richards recommissioned her. In January 1827, ''Pelorus'' was employed in the Mediterranean protecting British trade in the Archipelago, at
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
, and around the coasts of
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
and Caramania. Commander Michael Quinn took command from September 1828. On 21 December 1829, she struck a rock at the entrance of Port Mahon,
Menorca Menorca or Minorca (from , later ''Minorica'') is one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea belonging to Spain. Its name derives from its size, contrasting it with nearby Mallorca. Its capital is Maó, situated on the isl ...
,
Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
; she was refloated on 23 December 1829, but subsequently sank. came from Gibraltar to retrieve her officers and crew. ''Pelorus'' was refloated, and by 9 May 1830 she was back in Portsmouth. From December 1830 to December 1831, she underwent repairs and an alteration back to a brig.


Anti-slavery

In 1831,
William Wilberforce William Wilberforce (24 August 1759 – 29 July 1833) was a British politician, philanthropist, and a leader of the movement to abolish the Atlantic slave trade. A native of Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, he began his political career in 1780 ...
's anti-slavery law was passed. In September,
Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
Richard Meredith recommissioned ''Pelorus'' and she joined the
West Africa Squadron The West Africa Squadron, also known as the Preventive Squadron, was a squadron of the Royal Navy whose goal was to suppress the Atlantic slave trade by patrolling the coast of West Africa. Formed in 1808 after the British Parliament passed ...
. Here she patrolled the west coast of
Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...
to suppress the slave trade. On 9 May 1832, she was at Sierra Leone having brought in the Spanish slaving vessel ''Segunda Theresa'', which was carrying 459 slaves. On 18 October 1832 ''Pelorus'' sailed from the Cape of Good Hope for Simon's Bay. In May 1833 she was back at the Cape, and on the 16th she sailed for Mauritius. She arrived there on 3 June. A month later, on 6 June, she left Mauritius for Colombo with specie to pay the troops in Ceylon. From there she returned to the Cape, from whence she sailed for
St Helena Saint Helena (, ) is one of the three constituent parts of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha, a remote British overseas territory. Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km ...
, where she arrived on 7 December. She then sailed to Ascension and the west coast of Africa. On 16 June 1834,
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
Philip de Sausmarez of ''Pelorus'' came before a court martial. The charge was that on 18 April 1832, while in command of the prize crew on the ''Segunda Theresa'', Sausmarez had the boatswain's mate of administer 24 lashes to Francis Brown for neglect of duty. Meredith preferred the charges because he had forbidden the lash in written orders. The court supported Suasmarez, who had been under arrest for 18 months before his exoneration. On 30June, boats from ''Pelorus'' captured the Spanish slaver ''Pepita''. At the time of her capture, ''Pepita'' had no slaves aboard. Under the terms of the treaty with Spain, the Royal Navy could only seize vessels actually carrying slaves. The boarding party manufactured evidence by putting three slaves aboard ''Pepita'' after boarding her. They then brought another 176 slaves that were on shore waiting to be loaded. Meredith accepted responsibility for the manufacturing of evidence. The Court in Sierra Leone therefore had to order ''Pepita'' returned to her master. ''Pepita''s master then sued for damages. The Court found against Meredith and charged him £1092 in damages ''Pelorus'' continued to patrol the Bight of Benin and the vicinity of Princees Island. On 17 December, ''Pelorus'' captured the two-gun slaver ''Sutil''. She had 307 slaves aboard, of whom 91 died of dysentery and disease before they could be freed in Sierra Leone. On 5January 1835, boats from ''Pelorus'' captured the Spanish
polacca A polacca (or ''polacre'') is a type of seventeenth- to nineteenth-century sailing vessel, similar to the xebec. The name is the feminine of "Polish" in the Italian language. The polacca was frequently seen in the Mediterranean. It had two or th ...
-bark ''Minerva'', which armed with two 18-pounder and two 8-pounder guns. The boats had sailed up the
Calabar river The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River (Nigeria), Cross River about to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a dr ...
and laid in ambush. Skillful handling resulted in the capture of the slaver with no casualties to the boarding party although the vessel's guns were double-shotted and the crew and the boarding party exchanged small arms fire. The vessel had a crew of 37 men, two of whom were cut down. The boarding party consisted of 22 men. The slaver had some 650 slaves aboard, and after her capture, the master arrived with 25 more. In sum, she had 676 aboard, of whom 206 died of disease before they could be freed in Sierra Leone. On 24 February 1835 she was off Princes Island where Midshipman Judd died. On 26 September, ''Pelorous'' was paid off at Portsmouth. A bounty was paid on both ''Sutil'' and ''Minerva'' in June 1836.


Far East and Antipodes

On 31 January 1837, ''Pelorus'' was recommissioned under Captain Francis Harding who had taken command on 21 January. She then sailed for the Cape of Good Hope on 9 April, having received specie from London that she was to take to Mauritius via the Cape. She arrived at the Cape on 1 June. ''Pelorus'' — under Commander Harding — called at the
Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (; ), are an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean, comprising a small archipelago approximately midway between Australia and Sri Lanka and rel ...
on 16December, and stayed for six days. Captain John Clunies-Ross — the "
King of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands The Clunies-Ross family were the original settlers of the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, a small archipelago in the Indian Ocean. From 1827 to 1978, the family ruled the previously uninhabited islands as a private fiefdom, initially as ''terra nullius'' ...
" — had asked for a visit from a naval vessel to forestall a possible revolt by the inhabitants. In mid-September 1837, ''Pelorus'' sailed to Rangoon to deliver an ultimatum to the mutinous King Tharyarwaddy from the Governor-General of India, Lord Auckland. Next, she sailed for Western Australia and
Van Diemen's Land Van Diemen's Land was the colonial name of the island of Tasmania during the European exploration of Australia, European exploration and colonisation of Australia in the 19th century. The Aboriginal Tasmanians, Aboriginal-inhabited island wa ...
. On 9 January 1838, she arrived at
Fremantle Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia located at the mouth of the Swan River (Western Australia), Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australi ...
from Calcutta, departing on 19 March for
King George Sound King George Sound (Mineng ) is a sound (geography), sound on the south coast of Western Australia. Named King George the Third's Sound in 1791, it was referred to as King George's Sound from 1805. The name "King George Sound" gradually came in ...
carrying a party including
Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch, King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutional, ceremonial and commun ...
Captain James Stirling. While there a boatcrew, under
master's mate Master's mate is an obsolete rating which was used by the British Royal Navy, Royal Navy, United States Navy and merchant services in both countries for a senior petty officer who assisted the sailing master, master. Master's mates evolved into th ...
Charles Forsyth Charles Eric Forsyth (10 January 1885 – 24 February 1951) was a British water polo player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics. He was part of the British team, which was able to win the gold medal. See also * Great Britain men's Oly ...
, surveyed the nearby
Tor Bay Tor Bay (sometimes written as Torbay) is a bay on the south-east coast of the county of Devon, England. Facing east into the English Channel, it is about wide from north to south. The settlements of Torquay, Paignton and Brixham, which lie alo ...
for a potential new anchorage. She returned Stirling to Fremantle, arriving on 9 April, then departing on 7 May for Adelaide, Launceston and Sydney, arriving on 22 June. On 5 July she sailed for New Zealand. Then in August ''Pelorus'' sailed to New Zealand to conduct a survey of the
Marlborough Sounds The Marlborough Sounds (Māori language, te reo Māori: ''Te Tauihu-o-te-Waka'') are an extensive network of ria, sea-drowned valleys at the northern end of the South Island of New Zealand. The Marlborough Sounds were created by a combination ...
region. On 22 August, ''Pelorus'' sailed into
Port Underwood Te Whanganui / Port Underwood is a sheltered harbour which forms the north-east extension of Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay at the northeast of New Zealand's South Island, on the east coast of the Marlborough Sounds.Wises New Zealand Guide, 7th Edi ...
, New Zealand, and cast anchor in Oyster Cove. She was under the temporary command of Lt. Phillip Chetwode while Commander Harding was ill. From here, Chetwode surveyed and named
Pelorus River Te Hoiere / Pelorus River is a river at the northern end of South Island of New Zealand in the region of Marlborough. It flows from the Richmond Range into Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere. This area is fantastic for camping and is renowned for its ma ...
and
Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere Pelorus Sound (; officially Pelorus Sound / Te Hoiere) is the largest of the sounds which make up the Marlborough Sounds at the north of the South Island, New Zealand. The Marlborough Sounds is a system of drowned river valleys, which were f ...
in New Zealand in honour of his ship. He also named the Chetwode Islands, off Pelorus Sound. Lieutenant
Augustus Leopold Kuper Admiral (Royal Navy), Admiral Sir Augustus Leopold Kuper (16 August 1809 – 28 October 1885) was a Royal Navy officer known for his commands in East Asia. Naval career Kuper, whose ancestry was German, joined the navy in 1823 as a midshipman ...
was nominated
acting Acting is an activity in which a story is told by means of its enactment by an actor who adopts a character—in theatre, television, film, radio, or any other medium that makes use of the mimetic mode. Acting involves a broad range of sk ...
commander of ''Pelorus'' on 27 July 1839. On 26 August, ''Pelorus'' and attempted to scuttle the British merchant ship ''Lucretia'', which had caught fire off Kyardbilly's point,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
. The attempt was unsuccessful and the ship exploded and sank.


Wrecked at Port Essington, Coburg Peninsula, Northern Territory

On 25November 1839, while anchored off
Port Essington Port Essington is an inlet and historic site located on the Cobourg Peninsula in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in Australia's Northern Territory. It was the site of an early attempt at British settlement, but now exists only as a remot ...
, Australia, a hurricane struck ''Pelorus'', wrecking her. She lost 12 of her crew; a whaleboat from , under Captain
Owen Stanley Captain Owen Stanley FRS RN (13 June 1811 – 13 March 1850) was a British Royal Navy officer and surveyor. Life Stanley was born in Alderley, Cheshire, the son of Edward Stanley, rector of Alderley and later Bishop of Norwich. A brother wa ...
, rescued the survivors. According to Kuper, "''Pelorus'' was buried in the mud for 86 days."


Opium War

On 5 March 1840, Kuper was promoted to command of ''Alligator'', then on 26 December, Lieutenant Kuper was promoted to the rank of commander, his commission being back-dated to when he took command of ''Pelorus''. After repairs, in late July 1840, ''Pelorus'' sailed from
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
with to take part in the
First Opium War The First Opium War ( zh, t=第一次鴉片戰爭, p=Dìyīcì yāpiàn zhànzhēng), also known as the Anglo-Chinese War, was a series of military engagements fought between the British Empire and the Chinese Qing dynasty between 1839 and 1 ...
. On 23 April 1841, she arrived at Singapore. One month later, Lieutenant W. W. Chambers, of , was appointed and promoted to be acting commander of ''Pelorus''. At the time, ''Wellesley'' was at Canton (now
Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
) in China.


Disposal and final loss

On 6July 1841, ''Pelorus'' was laid up at Singapore and Lieutenant Chambers returned to Britain. The officers and crew transferred to the steam paddle and sail survey cutter , which
Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...
Sir J.J.G. Bremer had just purchased and which went on to operations in China. An Admiralty Order of 16 October specified that ''Pelorus'' was to be sold, which took place in 1842. The purchasers may have been Pybus Brothers. On 27 1843, under Captain Triggs, she arrived in Hong Kong with a load of opium. ''Pelorus'' sank on 25December 1844 when she struck a shoal at off the coast of
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
in the
South China Sea The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
. Captain Triggs took her gig and two passengers and sailed to Singapore. From there he led the steamer ''Victoria'' to the wreck. ''Victoria'' was able to rescue 20 of the crew and save 70 chests of opium.''Singapore Free Press'', 25 January 1845.


Commanding officers


Notes


Citations


References

* * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


HMS ''Pelorus'' website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Pelorus (1808) Cruizer-class brig-sloops Shipwrecks in the South China Sea Maritime incidents in December 1829 Maritime incidents in November 1839 Maritime incidents in December 1844 1808 ships Ships of the West Africa Squadron