HMS ''Pigeon'' (or ''Pidgeon'') 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 ...
''Cuckoo''-class schooner. Custance & Stone built and launched her at
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...
in 1806. Like many of her class and the related s, she succumbed to the perils of the sea relatively early in her career.
Service
''Pigeon'' was commissioned in June 1806 under Lieutenant Richard Cox.
''Pidgeon'' was at the surrender of the Danish Fleet after the
Battle of Copenhagen on 7 September. ''Pidgeon'' also shared, with many other ships in the British fleet at Copenhagen in August–September 1807, in the
prize money
Prize money refers in particular to naval prize money, usually arising in naval warfare, but also in other circumstances. It was a monetary reward paid in accordance with the prize law of a belligerent state to the crew of a ship belonging to ...
for several other captures: ''Hans and Jacob'' (17 August), and ''Odifiord'' and ''Benedicta'' (4 and 12 September).
Fate
''Pigeon'' was wrecked off Kingsgate Point near
Margate
Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
on 5 January 1809. At 5pm while cruising with
''Calliope'' off Flushing the two vessels parted company in a heavy gale and snowstorm. ''Pigeon'' sighted a light that her crew took to be the North Sand Head but 15 minutes later she grounded. The grounding parted her rudder post; within minutes the water was above her hold and the sea was breaking over her. The crew lashed themselves to the rigging and awaited the dawn. Unfortunately, two of her crew died of exposure during the night. The following morning local people and the
Sea Fencibles
The Sea Fencibles were naval fencible (a shortening of ''defencible'') units established to provide a close-in line of defence and obstruct the operation of enemy shipping, principally during the French Revolutionary Wars, French Revolutionary a ...
rescued the survivors.
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pigeon (1806)
1806 ships
Cuckoo-class schooners
Maritime incidents in 1809
Shipwrecks of England
Shipwrecks in the North Sea
Ships built in Norfolk