''Ruby Prize'' was the French privateer ''Entreprenante'', commissioned in 1693 at Brest, that captured in 1694 and that the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by Kingdom of England, English and Kingdom of Scotland, Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were foug ...

named ''Ruby Prize'' (or ''Ruby's Prize''), and sold in 1698. Her new owners renamed her ''Ruby'' and she left the Downs in 1699 on a voyage to Persia for the EIC. She was lost with all hands later that year at Mayota.

Naval career

In 1693 French private parties acquired ''Entreprenante'' at Brest and commissioned her as a privateer of 44 guns. HMS ''Ruby'' captured ''Entreprenante'' on 7 April 1694. The Royal Navy purchased ''Entreprenante'' on 27 March 1695 and commissioned her as the

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 ...

''Ruby Prize'' on 15 April 1695 under the command of Captain Thomas Elkins. ''Ruby Prize'' was among the vessels that sailed with Admiral

Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia * Russell, Australian Capital Territory * Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **R ...

on 27 February 1696 from the Downs. The next day she was with him on the coast of France. At the time she had 156 men aboard. She was next mentioned in an order of 2 March 1696 that ordered the named vessels to sail to the

Nore The Nore is a long bank of sand and silt running along the south-centre of the final narrowing of the Thames Estuary, England. Its south-west is the very narrow Nore Sand. Just short of the Nore's easternmost point where it fades into the ch ...

and there to turn over their crews to man the "great ships' fitting out there. In 1696 ''Ruby Prize'' was listed as a storeship at the

. In 1696 Captain Samuel Vincent replaced Elkins, and within the year Captain John Herne replaced Vincent. The Royal Navy sold ''Ruby Prize'' on 24 May 1698 for £501. Apparently it required an Act of Parliament to authorize her to have the "Freedom of trading as an English-built ship".Commons (1803), Vol. 12, p.365.

Merchantman

Richard Wells,

Rotherhithe Rotherhithe () is a district of south-east London, England, and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping, Shadwell and Limehouse on the north bank, as well as the Isle of ...

, purchased ''Ruby Prize'' and dropped the "Prize" from her name. Captain John Barber sailed ''Ruby'' from the Downs on 28 April 1699, bound for Persia on a voyage for the EIC.British Library: ''Ruby'' (3).
/ref> ''Ruby'' foundered at Mayotte in 1699, with the loss of all hands.

Notes

Citations

References

* *Commons, House of, Parliament of Great Britain (1803) ''Journals of the House of Commons'', Vol. 12. (HMSO). *Lords, House of, Parliament of Great Britain (1903) ''The manuscripts of the House of Lords, Volume 2''. (HMSO). * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruby Prize Ships built in France 1690s ships Privateer ships of France Captured ships Fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy Ships of the British East India Company