HMS ''Triton'' was a 32-gun

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 N ...

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

of the

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 ...

James Gambier Admiral of the Fleet James Gambier, 1st Baron Gambier, (13 October 1756 – 19 April 1833) was a Royal Navy officer and colonial administrator. After seeing action at the capture of Charleston during the American Revolutionary War, he saw act ...

and launched in 1796 at

Deptford Deptford is an area on the south bank of the River Thames in southeast London, in the Royal Borough of Greenwich and London Borough of Lewisham. It is named after a Ford (crossing), ford of the River Ravensbourne. From the mid 16th century ...

. ''Triton'' was an experimental ship and the only one built to that design; she was constructed out of

fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

due to wartime supply shortages of more traditional materials and had some unusual features such as no

tumblehome Tumblehome or tumble home is the narrowing of a Hull (watercraft), hull above the waterline, giving less beam (nautical), beam at the level of the main deck. The opposite of tumblehome is flare (ship), flare. A small amount of tumblehome is nor ...

. Her namesake was the Greek god

Triton Triton commonly refers to: * Triton (mythology), a Greek god * Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune Triton may also refer to: Biology * Triton cockatoo, a parrot * Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails * ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...

, a god of the sea. She was commissioned in June 1796 under Captain John Gore, with whom she would spend the majority of her active service, to serve in the

Channel Channel, channels, channeling, etc., may refer to: Geography * Channel (geography), a landform consisting of the outline (banks) of the path of a narrow body of water. Australia * Channel Country, region of outback Australia in Queensland and pa ...

in the squadron of Sir John Warren. ''Triton'' was a successful ship, serving throughout the majority of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

and

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

in several capacities. She took a large number of warships and traders as

prizes A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

in the Channel and

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

during her service as a

blockade A blockade is the act of actively preventing a country or region from receiving or sending out food, supplies, weapons, or communications, and sometimes people, by military force. A blockade differs from an embargo or sanction, which are ...

ship and

cruiser A cruiser is a type of warship. Modern cruisers are generally the largest ships in a fleet after aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships, and can usually perform several operational roles from search-and-destroy to ocean escort to sea ...

. ''Triton'' also played a prominent role in several small-scale battles, including the

action of 16 October 1799 The action of 16 October 1799 was a minor naval engagement during the War of the Second Coalition between a squadron of Royal Navy frigates and two frigates of the Spanish Navy close to the naval port of Vigo in Galicia. Both Spanish ships were ...

where she assisted in the capture of two powerful Spanish frigates and earned her captain one of the largest sums of

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 ...

of the war. Her unique design was ultimately flawed, limiting her sailing abilities, and ''Triton'' only served at sea for seven years before being converted into a

hulk The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...

in 1803. She served as a receiving ship and

guard ship A guard ship is a warship assigned as a stationary guard in a port or harbour, as opposed to a coastal patrol boat, which serves its protective role at sea. Royal Navy In the Royal Navy of the eighteenth century, peacetime guard ships were usual ...

before being either sold at

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

in 1814 or broken up in

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...

in 1820.

Construction

''Triton'' was a 32-gun, 12-pounder frigate. She was a 'one-off' ship, built to the designs of the First Naval Lord

.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 She was unusually constructed of

instead of

oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...

due to financial and operational necessity.Wareham, ''Frigate Captains'', p. 15Gardiner, ''First Frigates'', p. 54 As per her nature as a 'one-off' experimental ship, she had a number of unique features, being described as 'the most singular frigate design of the period'.Gardiner, ''First Frigates'', p. 53 She was wall-sided instead of incorporating a

, had almost no sheer, and had a sharply overhanging bow.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 These uniquely squared off elements of the ship came about because of the difficulties the Royal Navy had in obtaining naturally curved pieces of wood and as an experiment for improving sailing qualities.Gardiner, ''First Frigates'', p. 115 ''Triton'' was also fitted with 'air pipes' which ran to the lower deck to assist in ventilating the usually stuffy area. ''Triton'' was ordered on 7 April 1796 and completed with the following dimensions: along the

gun deck The term gun deck used to refer to a deck aboard a ship that was primarily used for the mounting of cannon A cannon is a large-caliber gun classified as a type of artillery, which usually launches a projectile using explosive chemical prope ...

, at the

keel The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...

, with a

beam Beam may refer to: Streams of particles or energy *Light beam, or beam of light, a directional projection of light energy **Laser beam *Radio beam *Particle beam, a stream of charged or neutral particles **Charged particle beam, a spatially lo ...

of 36 ft 2 in (11 m) and a depth in the

hold Hold may refer to: Physical spaces * Hold (compartment), interior cargo space * Baggage hold, cargo space on an airplane * Stronghold, a castle or other fortified place Arts, entertainment, and media * Hold (musical term), a pause, also called ...

of . She measured 855

tons burthen Builder's Old Measurement (BOM, bm, OM, and o.m.) is the method used in England from approximately 1650 to 1849 for calculating the cargo capacity of a ship. It is a volumetric measurement of cubic capacity. It estimated the tonnage of a ship b ...

.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478Colledge and Warlow, ''Ships of the Royal Navy'', p. 416. TRITON 1796 RMG J6030

''Triton'' was launched on 5 September 1796 and

fitted out Fitting out, or outfitting, is the process in shipbuilding that follows the float-out/launching of a vessel and precedes sea trials. It is the period when all the remaining construction of the ship is completed and readied for delivery to her o ...

between 6 September and 31 October at

.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 She had originally been intended to hold 18-pound guns rather than the 12-pounders she actually had; this was changed because of fears that the power of the larger guns would have been too much for the ship to withstand when firing.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 While 32-gun 12-pounder frigates had been the standard of the Royal Navy for years prior, the advent of larger French 38-gun frigates meant that by the time of ''Tritons construction her armament was a rarity, and she was the only such example built until 1804.Lavery, ''Nelson's Navy'', p. 49 Worries over ''Triton'' would continue, with later proposals looking to downgrade her further to 9-pounders.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 The experimental vertical sides and the very limited sheer meant that ''Triton'' was not a weatherly ship, while her peculiar bow caused her to slam heavily into waves.Gardiner, ''Heavy Frigate'', p. 49 She required a very large amount of

ballast Ballast is dense material used as a weight to provide stability to a vehicle or structure. Ballast, other than cargo, may be placed in a vehicle, often a ship or the gondola of a balloon or airship, to provide stability. A compartment within ...

, as she was also the shallowest frigate of the period, which made the ship roll greatly.Gardiner, ''Heavy Frigate'', p. 73 Furthermore, her steering issues would have been exacerbated by her being designed to float on an even keel, rather than with more weight to the

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. O ...

as was traditional. In March 1797 ''Triton'' was slightly adapted; her fore

mast Mast, MAST or MASt may refer to: Engineering * Mast (sailing), a vertical spar on a sailing ship * Flagmast, a pole for flying a flag * Guyed mast, a structure supported by guy-wires * Mooring mast, a structure for docking an airship * Radio mas ...

was moved forward by and her

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

was narrowed, greatly improving the responsiveness of the ship.Gardiner, ''First Frigates'', p. 79Gardiner, ''Heavy Frigate'', p. 88 Gambier was keen to learn about his personal design, and had the ship's first captain, John Gore, report the qualities of ''Triton'' to him. While Gore noted the difficulties with rolling and the bow he was pleased with the speed of the ship, saying that ‘we have fore-reached on everything we have met with’. The ship's surgeon was also pleased with the new 'air pipes', reporting that they had a positive effect on the health of the crew and rid the ship of the ‘thick noxious foul air’ that could usually be found on lower decks. Despite these benefits provided by Gambier's design, the timbers of the ship were put under considerable wear by ''Tritons abnormal sailing qualities, directly impacting her length of active service.

Service

''Triton'' was commissioned in September 1796 by Captain John Gore, who would command her almost unbrokenly until 1801.Wareham, ''Frigate Captains'', p. 282 Gore had recently returned from French captivity after he had been forced to surrender his command of the newly captured ''Le Censeur'' in 1795.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', Vol. 2 Part 1, p. 610 From the launching of ''Triton'' until March 1797, the brother of

Jane Austen Jane Austen ( ; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for #List of works, her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment on the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century ...

and future

Admiral of the Fleet An admiral of the fleet or shortened to fleet admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, usually equivalent to field marshal and marshal of the air force. An admiral of the fleet is typically senior to an admiral. It is also a generic ter ...

Francis Austen Admiral of the Fleet Sir Francis William Austen, (23 April 1774 – 10 August 1865) was a Royal Navy officer and an elder brother of the novelist Jane Austen. As commanding officer of the sloop HMS ''Peterel'', he captured some 40 ships, was p ...

served on board as a lieutenant.Poplawski, ''Jane Austen Encyclopaedia'', p. 62Austen-Leigh, ''Jane Austen'', p. 91

Sir John Warren's squadron

''Triton'' began active service in early 1797 by joining the blockading squadron of Sir John Warren in the

English Channel The English Channel, also known as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates Southern England from northern France. It links to the southern part of the North Sea by the Strait of Dover at its northeastern end. It is the busi ...

.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 On 10 February she captured the French 14-gun

privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...

cutter Cutter may refer to: Tools * Bolt cutter * Box cutter * Cigar cutter * Cookie cutter * Cutter (hydraulic rescue tool) * Glass cutter * Meat cutter * Milling cutter * Paper cutter * Pizza cutter * Side cutter People * Cutter (surname) * Cutt ...

''Recovery'', which was recently out of

Le Havre Le Havre is a major port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy (administrative region), Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the Seine, river Seine on the English Channel, Channe ...

and with a crew of forty-six had already taken a British smuggler and the American trader ''Atlantic'' which was retaken the same day. On 11 February she took the 10-gun privateer

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

''Jeune Emilie'', which was forty days out of

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo language, Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. The Fortification, walled city on the English Channel coast had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth ...

and had taken the sloop ''Friendship'' as well as the 10-gun

letter of marque A letter of marque and reprisal () was a Sovereign state, government license in the Age of Sail that authorized a private person, known as a privateer or French corsairs, corsair, to attack and capture vessels of a foreign state at war with t ...

.Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 122 Continuing her string of successes, ''Triton'' took the 18-gun privateer ''La Difficile'' only a day after this.Duncan, ''British Trident'', p. 111

''Resistance'' and ''Constance''

On 9 March 1797 the British frigates HMS ''St Fiorenzo'' and HMS ''Nymphe'' spotted two French ships while returning from a reconnoitre of Brest.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, p. 91 These ships were the 40-gun frigate ''Résistance'' and 22-gun

corvette A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the sloo ...

''Constance''.Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 506-7 The two ships were attempting to return to France after participating in the landing of French troops at Fishguard on 22 February.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, p. 91 ''St Fiorenzo'' and ''Nymphe'' quickly engaged the ships, despite the French Brest fleet being just over the horizon, first attacking ''Résistance'' which soon surrendered, followed around ten minutes later by ''Constance''. At the close of the action, which would see ''Résistance'' purchased into the navy as ''Fishguard'', ''Triton'' hove into sight alongside the

ship-of-the-line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

HMS ''Robust''; it has been suggested that the arrival of ''Triton'' and ''Robust'' facilitated the quick capture of the two French ships, however they did not play any part in the action itself. Triton was more successful in reaching action after this, capturing the trader ''La Zoes'' on 12 June while sailing with a number of Warren's ships, and ''Boston'' on 25 July, now with a different part of the squadron.

Convoy attacks

On 11 August ''Triton'' was sailing under Warren, with the frigates HMS ''Pomone'' and HMS ''Jason'', and the

brig-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 ...

HMS ''Sylph'', off the coast of La Vendée.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, p. 96 There, the squadron encountered a French

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

of brigs and

chasse-marée In English, a chasse-marée is a specific, archaic type of decked commercial sailing vessel. In French, ''un chasse-marée'' was 'a wholesale fishmonger', originally on the English Channel, Channel coast of France and later, on the Atlantic coa ...

s protected by the 20-gun corvette Réolaise and a number of gun-boats.Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, p. 508 Upon seeing the threat, the convoy ran towards the

Les Sables-d'Olonne Les Sables-d'Olonne (; French meaning: "The Sands of Olonne"; Poitevin: ''Lés Sablles d'Oloune'') is a seaside resort and port on the Atlantic coast of western France. A subprefecture of the department of Vendée, Pays de la Loi ...

river. The mouth of the river was protected by a fort which the convoy hoped would deter the squadron; however, Commander

John Chambers White Vice Admiral Sir John Chambers White, KCB (c. 1770 – 2 April 1845) was a prominent British Royal Navy officer of the early nineteenth century, who participated in a number of engagements during the Napoleonic Wars. He achieved most of his ...

of ''Sylph'' volunteered to go in and attack the anchored ships, and was followed by ''Pomone'' and ''Jason'' half an hour later. The bombardment from the three ships sank the gun-boat guarding the river and heavily damaged ''Réolaise''; ''Triton'' meanwhile had been chasing other ships of the convoy away. The attack on the convoy heavily disrupted the supplying of the naval base at Brest. The next day, the four ships took the trader ''Admiralitat''. ''Triton'' continued as part of the same squadron, and on 27 August discovered another French convoy around the mouth of the river

Gironde Gironde ( , US usually , ; , ) is the largest department in the southwestern French region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Named after the Gironde estuary, a major waterway, its prefecture is Bordeaux. In 2019, it had a population of 1,623,749.

. The squadron chased the convoy overnight; ''Triton'' and ''Jason'' were the fastest of the British and were able to capture five of the ships, which were likely ''Trois Soeurs'', ''Egalité'', ''St. Peter'', ''St. Ann'', and ''Dauphin''. The convoy was carrying ship timbers,

rosin Rosin (), also known as colophony or Greek pitch (), is a resinous material obtained from pine trees and other plants, mostly conifers. The primary components of rosin are diterpenoids, i.e., C20 carboxylic acids. Rosin consists mainly of r ...

, and tar, intended to help fit out new French privateers.

Blockade and Channel work

After these convoy actions ''Triton'' continued to patrol the Channel as a part of Warren's squadron, which for a brief period of time from March 1798 was commanded by Commodore

John Willett Payne John Willett Payne (23 April 1752 – 17 November 1803) was an officer of the Royal Navy who also served as a close friend, advisor and courtier to Prince George before and during his first regency. Payne was notorious as a rake and scoundrel ...

.Clarke, ''Naval Chronicle Vol. 3'', p. 36 The independent nature of the squadron had by this time been curtailed by the arrival of Admiral Lord Bridport to command the Brest blockade, with ''Triton'' now involving herself more in close blockade work.Saxby, 'The Blockade of Brest', p. 29 On 14 October 1797 while in company with the brig-sloop HMS ''Childers'', she took the 4-gun privateer ''Le Furet'' near

Île de Batz The Île de Batz (; ) is an island off Roscoff in Brittany, France. Administratively, it is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Climate Île de Batz has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classificatio ...

which was twenty-three days out of

Tréguier Tréguier (; ) is a port town in the French department of Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany, northwestern France. It is the capital town of the province of Trégor. Geography Tréguier is located 36 m. N.W. of Saint-Brieuc by road. The port is situat ...

and had fifty-three men on board. Near the end of the year she also took the privateer ''La Helene''.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 136

Action of 30 June 1798

On 24 April 1798 the French 40-gun frigate ''Seine'' sailed from

Port Louis Port Louis (, ; or , ) is the capital and most populous city of Mauritius, mainly located in the Port Louis District, with a small western part in the Black River District. Port Louis is the country's financial and political centre. It is admi ...

, the capital of

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

, with 280 garrison troops onboard after being recalled from the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...

.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 247-9 At 7 a.m. on 29 June, ''Seine'' was sighted by ''Jason'' and the frigates HMS ''Pique'', and HMS ''Mermaid'' off

Brittany Brittany ( ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the north-west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica in Roman Gaul. It became an Kingdom of Brittany, independent kingdom and then a Duch ...

. At around 1:35 a.m. a long chase by the three frigates was concluded when ''Jason'', ''Pique'', and ''Seine'' all grounded on rocks off La Tranche-sur-Mer; dismasted, ''Seine'' surrendered as ''Mermaid'' approached. At this time ''Triton'' was serving in a small blockading squadron commanded by Captain Robert Stopford and consisting of Stopford's frigate HMS ''Phaeton'' alongside ''St Fiorenzo'' and ''Triton''; all part of Warren's larger squadron.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', Vol. 1 Part 1, p. 355 The squadron was called in by signal gun by ''Jason'', as a force of French ships including two large frigates and a brig were leaving Rochelle with the intent of attacking the captors of ''Seine''.Duncan, ''British Trident'', p. 130 The arrival of Stopford's squadron saved them from French attack, with

William James William James (January 11, 1842 – August 26, 1910) was an American philosopher and psychologist. The first educator to offer a psychology course in the United States, he is considered to be one of the leading thinkers of the late 19th c ...

arguing that without the intervention of ''Triton'' and the squadron, the situation 'would have been extremely critical'. On 28 September ''Triton'' took the 5-gun

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''L'Arraigne'' as she attempted a passage from

Bermeo Bermeo is a town and municipality in the ''comarca'' of Busturialdea. It is in the province of Biscay, which is part of the autonomous region of the Basque Country in northern Spain. With a population of 16,765, it is the most important fishing ...

to the

Gulf of Saint Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence is a gulf that fringes the shores of the provinces of Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, in Canada, plus the islands Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, possessions of France, in ...

.Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 146 Towards the end of 1798, Captain Gore was indisposed and temporarily replaced with Edward Griffith.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 Throughout this period ''Triton'' continued to serve alongside ''St Fiorenzo''; on 11 and 12 December the ships captured the Spanish 4-gun privateer ''St. Joseph'', the brand new French 14-gun brig ''La Rosée'', and recaptured the trader ''George'' which had been captured while sailing to Lisbon with coal, copper, and bottles.Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 149 On 31 December ''Triton'' had parted company with ''St Fiorenzo'', and captured the 14-gun privateer brig ''L'Impromptu'' which had recently left Corunna.Phillips
''Triton'' (32) (1796)
Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 19 March 2021.

Action of 18 June 1799

From late January 1799, Gore returned to command ''Triton'' as part of the squadron of Vice-Admiral

Sir Charles Thompson Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Thompson, 1st Baronet (c.1740 – 17 March 1799) was a British Royal Navy officer. After long service in the Seven Years' War, American Revolutionary War and French Revolutionary Wars, he was second in command at the b ...

. On 29 January Gore forced a 16-gun cutter under the guns of the garrison of

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

, which then surrendered to the soldiers there.Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 150 She took the 18-gun ''L'Aimable Victoire'' the next day after a chase of eight and a half hours. ''Victoire'' had sailed from

Cherbourg Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...

on 28 January and had eighty-six men on board.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 By 13 March ''Triton'' was sailing with the frigates HMS ''Cambrian'', HMS ''Naiad'', and ''St Fiorenzo'', together taking the merchant brig ''Victoire''. A prize crew from ''Triton'' was assigned to take ''Victoire'' to

, but she

foundered Shipwrecking is any event causing a ship to wreck, such as a collision causing the ship to sink; the stranding of a ship on rocks, land or shoal; poor maintenance, resulting in a lack of seaworthiness; or the destruction of a ship either intent ...

at her moorings off St Nicholas Island with her cargo of wine, brandy, and cordage still on board.Clarke, ''Naval Chronicle Vol. 1'', p. 345 In this period ''Triton'' also took the Spanish brig ''San Joachim'' with ''Cambrian''. On 25 April ''Triton'' was dispatched to Admiral Lord St Vincent in the

with news that the French fleet at Brest had escaped the blockade.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', Vol. 2 Part 1, p. 474Ralfe, ''Naval Biography'', p. 466 This information was communicated to St Vincent's second in command, Vice-Admiral Lord Keith, whose fleet ''Triton'' then joined. In June ''Triton'' was still a part of this fleet of twenty-nine ships under Lord Keith. On 18 June the fleet encountered a squadron of French frigates under the command of Rear-Admiral

Jean-Baptiste Perrée Counter-Admiral Jean-Baptiste Perrée (19 December 1761Levot, p. 394 in 1866 write 19 April 1761 – 18 February 1800Levot, p. 395) was a French Navy officer who served in the French Revolutionary Wars. Career Born to a family of sailors in Sa ...

attempting to return to

Toulon Toulon (, , ; , , ) is a city in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of southeastern France. Located on the French Riviera and the historical Provence, it is the prefecture of the Var (department), Var department. The Commune of Toulon h ...

from Syria. A chase ensued and the frigates ''Courageuse'', ''Alceste'', and ''Junon'', along with the brigs ''Salamine'' and ''Alerte'' were captured. It was deemed that ''Triton'' was one of the nine 'actual captors' of the French ships at the action. During this period Lord Keith had ''Triton'' and two other frigates search for the escaped French fleet from Toulon to Cadiz. The three ships discovered them in Cadiz, where the combined fleet amounted to thirty-eight

ships of the line A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which involved the two column ...

.Ralfe, ''Naval Biography'', p. 467 The enemy fleet left Cadiz on 21 July, and after its frigates failed to chase ''Triton'' off her station Captain Gore ascertained that the fleet was sailing for Brest again. ''Triton'' overtook the enemy and arrived at Plymouth with the news of the fleet five days before it reached Brest. ''Triton'' was then sent to watch over the fleet in Brest with a squadron of frigates. While doing so, they deterred a Spanish squadron of five ships of the line and two frigates from entering the port through the Passage du Raz.Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', Vol. 2 Part 1, p. 475 ''Triton'' was then involved in the chase of the Spaniards, again in a squadron commanded by (now Rear-Admiral) Warren, who retreated to Ferrol and dismantled their ships.

Action of 16 October 1799

Thomas Whitcombe - The Santa Brigida engaged by the Naiad Alcamene and Triton

Warren ordered ''Triton'' to watch the Spanish ships inside Ferrol with the frigate HMS ''Ethalion''. On 13 September she took the 6-gun

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 ...

''Le St Jacques'' after she was sighted while leaving L'Orient; ''St Jacques'' was carrying 662 13-inch shells to

Rochefort Rochefort () may refer to: Places France * Rochefort, Charente-Maritime, in the Charente-Maritime department ** Arsenal de Rochefort, a former naval base and dockyard * Rochefort, Savoie in the Savoie department * Rochefort-du-Gard, in the G ...

.Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 84 On 15 October at 8 p.m. the Spanish 34-gun frigates ''Thetis'' and ''Santa Brigida'' were sighted by ''Naiad'' around

Cape Finisterre Cape Finisterre (, also ; ; ) is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain. In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like that of Finistère in France, derives from the Latin , mean ...

.Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 525-6 The two were travelling from the area of Vera-Cruz in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( ; Nahuatl: ''Yankwik Kaxtillan Birreiyotl''), originally the Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain. It was one of several ...

with cargoes of treasure bound for any accessible Spanish port.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3Marshall, ''Royal Naval Biography'', Vol. 1 Part 2, p. 611 ''Naiad'' began a chase of the Spaniards, and by the morning of 16 October had been joined by another frigate, HMS ''Alcmene''; these two ships were then spotted by ''Triton'' and ''Ethalion'' who also joined the chase.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 525-6Henderson, ''The Frigates'', p. 120 At 7 a.m. ''Thetis'' and ''Santa Brigida'' split up to make their capture more difficult; the senior British officer Captain William Pierrepoint of ''Naiad'' ordered the leading ship, ''Ethalion'', to ignore the closer ''Santa Brigida'' and instead chase ''Thetis''.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3 By 11:30 a.m. ''Ethalion'' was so close to ''Thetis'' that she was forced to engage and after a running fight of one hour, in which no Britons and only one Frenchman were killed, ''Thetis'' surrendered to ''Ethalion''.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 525-6 While ''Ethalion'' chased ''Thetis'', ''Santa Brigida'' took a more southerly route of escape and by 17 October had managed to round Cape Finisterre. In order to do so she had run incredibly close to the rocks of the coast. ''Triton'' was the closest of the three British ships in pursuit, and took a similar course to ''Santa Brigida'', however at 5 a.m. she grounded while going at a rate of seven

knots A knot is a fastening in rope or interwoven lines. Knot or knots may also refer to: Other common meanings * Knot (unit), of speed * Knot (wood), a timber imperfection Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Knots'' (film), a 2004 film * ''Kn ...

, causing damage to her hull. By 7 a.m. Gore had managed to get ''Triton'' off of the rocks, and she began to fire at ''Santa Brigida''.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3 ''Alcmene'' in the meanwhile had sailed to cut ''Santa Brigida'' off from the coast, and the two British frigates began to attack her from either side.Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 525-6 ''Santa Brigida'' attempted to escape, throwing her boats and anchors overboard to save weight and making elaborate manoeuvres among the rocks of Commarurto, but by 8 a.m. ''Naiad'' had engaged as well, and ''Santa Brigida'' surrendered off the entrance to Muros.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3 Similarly to ''Ethalions fight, the casualties involved were very limited. ''Triton'' was severely damaged with much water coming in from her grounding, but only had one man wounded during the action.Duncan, ''British Trident'', p. 196 ''Naiad'' did not close enough to receive casualties, while ''Alcmene'' had one seaman killed and nine wounded, and ''Santa Brigida'' two killed and eight wounded.Henderson, ''The Frigates'', p. 121 The action took place within sight of the Spanish squadron at

Vigo Vigo (, ; ) is a city and Municipalities in Spain, municipality in the province of province of Pontevedra, Pontevedra, within the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Galicia (Spain), Galicia, Spain. Located in the northwest ...

. Upon seeing ''Santa Brigida'' captured, five of the squadron left port in an attempt to recapture her. ''Santa Brigida'' was taken in tow by ''Triton'' with ''Naiad'' ahead and ''Alcmene'' behind her.Ralfe, ''Naval Biography'', p. 468 The ships prepared to fight off the Spanish squadron, but upon seeing their intent to defend their

prize A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements.

, the Spanish returned to Vigo. Around this time, ''Triton'' recaptured the American ship ''Abigail'' while in company with the same three frigates and detained another American, ''Polly''.Clarke, ''Naval Chronicle Vol. 2'', p. 541 On 21 October ''Thetis'' arrived at Plymouth, with ''Santa Brigida'' following one day later.Clowes, ''The Royal Navy'', Vol. 4, pp. 525-6 While the ships were not bought into the Royal Navy, their true value was in their cargo. The treasure on board the two frigates exceeded £600,000 and included around 877 boxes of

Spanish dollars The Spanish dollar, also known as the piece of eight (, , , or ), is a silver coin of approximately diameter worth eight Spanish reales. It was minted in the Spanish Empire following a monetary reform in 1497 with content fine silver. It wa ...

, two bales of

indigo InterGlobe Aviation Limited (d/b/a IndiGo), is an India, Indian airline headquartered in Gurgaon, Haryana, India. It is the largest List of airlines of India, airline in India by passengers carried and fleet size, with a 64.1% domestic market ...

, twenty-six of

cochineal The cochineal ( , ; ''Dactylopius coccus'') is a scale insect in the suborder Sternorrhyncha, from which the natural dye carmine is derived. A primarily sessility (motility), sessile parasitism, parasite native to tropical and subtropical Sout ...

, twenty-three of cocoa, and sixteen of sugar.James, ''Naval History'', Vol. 2, pp. 402-3 Sixty-three wagons were required to hold the large amount of treasure when it was transported to London. When proportioned for the crews this meant that Captain Gore alone received £40,730, which was an incredible amount.

Incident off Brittany

''Triton'' was docked and repaired and then sent to join the

Channel Fleet The Channel Fleet and originally known as the Channel Squadron was the Royal Navy formation of warships that defended the waters of the English Channel from 1854 to 1909 and 1914 to 1915. History Throughout the course of Royal Navy's history th ...

off Brest once more. On 11 February 1800 she took the 14-gun brig ''La Vidette'', which had previously been the British privateer ''Thought'', as she travelled from Brest to L'Orient.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478Schomberg, ''Naval Chronology'', p. 85 Around 12 March, ''Triton'' was chasing a cutter off the Penmarks when one of her 12-pounder guns burst upon firing. The explosion created a number of large splinters which killed the ship's second lieutenant, Lieutenant Alford, and a gunner's mate. Alford had been dining with Captain Gore, and was opening the door to leave the captain's cabin when the explosion blew his head off. Eighteen other members of ''Tritons crew were wounded in the accident, and a large section of the deck was ripped up as well as the captain's cabin being damaged. The wounded were taken to the

Royal Naval Hospital A Royal Naval Hospital (RNH) was a hospital operated by the British Royal Navy for the care and treatment of sick and injured naval personnel. A network of these establishments were situated across the globe to suit British interests. They were p ...

; Alford and the gunner's mate were buried there on 13 March. By 15 March ''Triton'' was cruising with the gun boat HMS ''Fowey'' and the cutter ''Joseph''. ''Fowey'' was damaged in a gale and left the station off Brittany, leaving ''Triton'' and ''Joseph'' to attempt to burn the remains of the ship-of-the-line HMS ''Repulse'' which had been lost on rocks off the coast on 10 March.Phillips
''Repulse'' (64) (1780)
Michael Phillips' Ships of the Old Navy. Retrieved 19 March 2021.Clarke, ''Naval Chronicle Vol. 3'', p. 326 The ships failed in doing so, as the French brought a battery of guns to bear on them from above the wreck of ''Repulse''. On 15 April the trader ''San Sebastian'' arrived at Plymouth having been taken by ''Triton'' and fellow frigate HMS ''Stag'' while attempting a voyage from Santander. By July ''Triton'' was the lead frigate of the inshore squadron, reporting the movements of the combined fleet in Brest to Lord St Vincent.Clarke, ''Naval Chronicle Vol. 4'', p. 161

Later service

In the spring of 1801 Captain Gore was replaced in ''Triton'' by Captain

Robert Lewis Fitzgerald Vice-Admiral Sir Robert Lewis Fitzgerald (1776 – 17 January 1844) was a British naval officer of the 18th and 19th centuries. He served throughout the French Revolutionary Wars, most notably commanding the bomb vessel HMS ''Vesuvius'', but il ...

after reporting himself too fatigued from the heavy service of ''Triton'' to go back to sea.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 She continued to serve in the Channel, taking the French letter of marque ''Le Jeune Theodore'' on 15 September 1801. ''Triton'' was not deemed a success on this commission and was

paid off Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to placing a warship i ...

in April 1802.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 From July 1803 to 1809 ''Triton'' was commanded by Commander William Cashman; she was fitted as a

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. 'Hulk' may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or a ship whose propulsion system is no longer maintained or has been r ...

Woolwich Woolwich () is a town in South London, southeast London, England, within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The district's location on the River Thames led to its status as an important naval, military and industrial area; a role that was mainta ...

in September 1803, likely because of the wear on the ship caused by her experimental design.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 By this time the ship's armament had been decreased to twelve nine-pounders and ten twenty four-pound carronades only.Gardiner, ''First Frigates'', p. 55 In 1807 ''Triton'' was the

Waterford Waterford ( ) is a City status in Ireland, city in County Waterford in the South-East Region, Ireland, south-east of Ireland. It is located within the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster. The city is situated at the head of Waterford H ...

; at the beginning of the

Anglo-Russian War The Anglo-Russians were an English expatriate business community centred in St Petersburg, then also Moscow, from the 1730s until the 1920s. This community was established against the background of Peter I's recruitment of foreign engineers for hi ...

on 2 September she successfully detained the ships ''Norway Lion'' and ''Karen Helena''.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478 Her final service was as receiving ship at Plymouth from August 1810.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478

Fate

''Triton'' was either sold at

for £1,870 on 3 November 1814 or hulked in 1817 and broken up in

in 1820.Winfield, ''British Warships'', p. 478

Prizes

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

References

* Austen-Leigh, William and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh (1989) ''Jane Austen, a Family Record.'' New York: Barnes and Noble. * * Clarke, James Stanier and John McArthur (1799) ''The Naval Chronicle: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects Volume 1: January–July 1799.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Clarke, James Stanier and John McArthur (1799) ''The Naval Chronicle: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects Volume 2: July–December 1799.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Clarke, James Stanier and John McArthur (1800) ''The Naval Chronicle: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects Volume 3: January–July 1800.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Clarke, James Stanier and John McArthur (1800) ''The Naval Chronicle: Containing a General and Biographical History of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom with a Variety of Original Papers on Nautical Subjects Volume 4: July–December 1800.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Clowes, William Laird (1899) ''The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to 1900 Volume Four.'' London: Sampson Low, Marston and Company. * Colledge, J.J. and Ben Warlow (2010) ''Ships of the Royal Navy.'' Newbury: Casemate. * * Duncan, Archibald (1805) ''The British Trident; or, Register of Naval Actions; including Authentic Accounts of all the most Remarkable Engagements at Sea, in which The British Flag has been Eminently Distinguished; from the period of the memorable Defeat of the Spanish Armada, to the Present Time. Volume IV.'' London: James Cundee. * Fremont-Barnes, Gregory (2005) ''Nelson's Sailors.'' Oxford: Osprey Publishing. * Gardiner, Robert (1992) ''The First Frigates: Nine-pounder & Twelve-pounder Frigates 1748-1815.'' London: Conway Maritime Press. * Gardiner, Robert (1994) ''The Heavy Frigate: Eighteen-Pounder Frigates: Vol I, 1778-1800.'' London: Conway Maritime Press. * Henderson, James (1970) ''The Frigates.'' London: A & C Black. * James, William (1859) ''The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume 2.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Lavery, Brian (1989) ''Nelson's Navy: The Ships, Men and Organisation 1793-1815.'' London: Conway Maritime Press. * Marshall, John (1823) ''Royal Naval Biography: or, Memoirs of the Services of all the Flag-Officers, Superannuated Rear-Admirals, Retired-Captains, Post-Captains, and Commanders Volume 1 - Part 1.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * Marshall, John (1823) ''Royal Naval Biography: or, Memoirs of the Services of all the Flag-Officers, Superannuated Rear-Admirals, Retired-Captains, Post-Captains, and Commanders Volume 1 - Part 2.'' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. * * * * * * Wareham, Thomas Nigel Ralph (1999) ''The Frigate Captains of the Royal Navy, 1793-1815.'' Unpublished doctoral thesis, University of Exeter. *

External links

*
Ships of the Old Navy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Triton (1796) 1796 ships Ships built in Deptford Fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy