HMS ''Porgey'' 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 ...

''Ballahoo''-class schooners. The prime contractor for the vessel was Goodrich & Co., in

Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...

, and she was launched in 1807. Like many of her class and the related s, she succumbed to the perils of the sea relatively early in her career.

Service

She was commissioned in 1807 under Lieutenant Elmes Steele. In June of that year she was in the

Bay of Fundy The Bay of Fundy () is a bay between the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, with a small portion touching the U.S. state of Maine. It is an arm of the Gulf of Maine. Its tidal range is the highest in the world. The bay was ...

. While there she pursued smugglers and impressed sailors in

Passamaquoddy Bay Passamaquoddy Bay () is an inlet of the Bay of Fundy, between the U.S. state of Maine and the Canadian province of New Brunswick, at the mouth of the St. Croix River. Most of the bay lies within Canada, with its western shore bounded by Was ...

on the border between the United States and the British province of New Brunswick in what is now Canada. ''Porgey''s commander, (acting) Lieutenant James (or John) Flintoph, seems to have landed himself in considerable legal trouble as a result and soon after left the service. In June at

Passamaquoddy The Passamaquoddy (Maliseet-Passamaquoddy language, Passamaquoddy: ''Peskotomuhkati'', Plural: ''Peskotomuhkatiyik'') are a Native Americans in the United States, Native American/First Nations in Canada, First Nations people who live in northea ...

, Maine, he fired on the town (endangering children playing on the green), searched shipping in the harbour, impressed some sailors, and shot away the rigging of a schooner at anchor. In 1809 ''Porgey'' was in the North Sea and came under the command of Lieutenant Hugh Gould. ''Porgey'' and her sister schooners ''Cuckoo'' and ''Pilchard'' were at the unsuccessful

Walcheren Expedition The Walcheren Campaign () was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Kingdom of Holland in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Ch ...

, which took place between 30 July and 9 August 1809. Between December 1809 and March 1810 she was in Sheerness undergoing repairs.

Fate

On 4 June 1810 ''Porgey'' grounded under enemy fire in the

Scheldt The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...

estuary while going to the assistance of the hired armed cutter ''Idas''. Lieutenant Gould had ''Porgey''s crew take to her boats and then set fire to her before he left.

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References

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Porgey (1807) 1807 ships Ballahoo-class schooners Maritime incidents in 1810 Ship fires Shipwrecks of the Netherlands Ships built in Bermuda