HMS Rosario (1808)

HMS ''Rosario'' was a ''Cherokee''-class 10-gun brig of the Royal Navy, launched in 1808. She served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in one engagement that earned her crew the Naval General Service Medal (NGSM). She was sold in 1832.

Napoleonic Wars

She was commissioned in March 1809, under commander Booty Harvey, for service in home waters. On 10 December 1810, she engaged two French privateers in the English Channel. To avoid being captured, Harvey ran alongside one of the luggers, which he boarded and captured. This was the lugger ''Mamelouck'' of 16 guns, under the command of Norbez Lawrence. The other lugger engaged ''Rosario'' on the starboard side but then was able to outrun ''Rosario'', which had lost her jib-boom during the boarding, and escape. ''Mamelouck'' had seven of her crew of 45 men wounded. ''Rosario'' had five men wounded, two severely. ''Mamelouck'' was only nine hours out of Boulogne and had not had captured anything.

On 14 April 1811 ''Vroyd'', Griffith, master, came into Ramsgate. ''Vroyd'' had been sailing from Carmarthen to London when the French privateer ''Aventure'' had captured her. ''Rosario'' had recaptured ''Vroyd'' and sent her into Ramsgate.

On 19 December 1811, ''Rosario'' was in company with and when ''Royalist'' captured the French privateer ''Rodeur'', of 14 guns and 60 men, between Dover and Calais after a two-hour chase. In the engagement ''Royalist'' had one man killed and five wounded; ''Rodeur'' lost one man killed and 11 wounded.

On 27 March 1812, near Dieppe, ''Rosario'' intercepted a 13-strong flotilla heading from Boulogne to Dieppe. With the aid of , she engaged them closely, capturing three brigs ( praams Nos. 95, 246, and 314), and driving two more onto the shore. Each French brig was armed with three 24-pounder guns and an 8" howitzer. The British casualties amounted to an officer and four men wounded. On 31 March, as a result, Harvey was promoted to post-captain. In 1847, the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Rosario 27 March 1812" to the seven surviving claimants from her crew. The admiralty also awarded the medal with clasp "Griffon 27 March 1812" to the five surviving claimants from that vessel.

William Henderson assumed command of ''Rosario''. Thomas Ladd Peake replaced Henderson in June 1813.

Anti-smuggling duty

Based in Portsmouth, ''Rosario'' spent the following years patrolling the coast.

On 18 April 1816, ''Rosario'' was in company with the schooner HMS ''Grecian'' when they captured the smuggling vessel ''Nancy''. Then on 4 June ''Rosario'' captured ''Charlotte'', which had a three-man crew and was smuggling 85 kegs of spirits. Six weeks later, on 17 July, ''Rosario'' picked up 200 kegs of contraband spirits at sea.

On 12 January 1817, she seized ''Ino'', a smuggling boat loaded with 144 kegs of spirits. In March 1818, she went to the aid of the merchantman ''Kingston''; her crew were later given a reward of £168.

In 1819, ''Rosario'' came under the command of William Hendry. She then returned to anti-smuggling duties. On 14 May 1819 she captured the sloop ''Providence'', and then five days later, the open boat ''Fly''. Lastly, on 25 June, she seized 98 gallons of spirits. ''Rosario'' then transferred to the St. Helena station.

Following the death of Napoleon in May 1821, Frederick Marryat was appointed to command her and carry the dispatches announcing Napoleon's death to England. Between 20 September and 8 December Marrayat and ''Rosario'' made "sundry captures".

Fate

''Rosario'' was paid off in February 1822. The Admiralty advertised that they were putting her up for sale on 22 August 1832 at Portsmouth. She was sold to J. Levy of Rochester for £380 in November 1832.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rosario (1808)
Brig-sloops of the Royal Navy
Cherokee-class brig-sloops
1808 ships