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ALERT
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(18) |
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Built in 1813, Northfleet (Cruizer class).
Broken up in 1832. |
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- 1813 Joseph Gulston GARLAND, 07/10/1813, Downs. He was posted in August 1815.
- 1815 John SMITH, 08/1815, Tyne.
Capt. SMITH had been badly injured the previous year in BUZZARD when the boom guy broke and the main boom crushed him against the roundhouse. He still suffered with bleeding from the kidneys but had a wife and five children to support. He was sent to the Tyne to aid the civil power against mutinous seamen discharged at the end of the war.
He afterwards cruised in the North sea engaged in the suppression of smuggling. - On 19 August 1816, when ALERT was on the edge of the Garbard sand, Capt. SMITH saw that the frigate MEANDER, James Alexander GORDON, working in towards Yarmouth Roads was standing into danger and signalled her to that effect. The signal had hardly been acknowledged when the frigate struck the shoal some 18 miles S. E. of Orfordness, went over it, and anchored in 17 fathoms.
MEANDER's pumps managed to cope with 20 feet of water an hour through the night and she was finally got into dock at Sheerness on the 23rd. - She captured the smuggling vessel IDAS on 26 November 1816.
- On 1 May 1817 Capt. SMITH escorted into Margate Roads a Tunisian vessel of 18 guns and carrying a crew of 150 moors.
He also took possession of her prizes, the OCEAN, bound for her home port of Hamburg from Charleston with cotton and rice, and the Pappenburg galliot CHRISTINE sailing from Lubeck to France with wheat. Both of them were taken off the Galloper.
Acting on SMITH's information the 3rd. rate GANYMEDE went in search of another pirate, a 26-gun corvette, but lost her off Beachy Head.
Capt. SMITH refused to accept a gratuity of 200 offered to him after he returned from escorting the corsairs clear of the Channel but the following spring ALERT received from the owners ten percent of the value of OCEAN and CHRISTINE and their cargoes which the Admiralty allowed to be distributed among those involved.
Capt. SMITH was promoted to post rank on 26 December 1822.
(Capt. SMITH was sent to sea as a poor orphan by the Marine Society in 1798 and rated a master's mate in MERLIN) - 1819 Chas. FARWELL, 02/1819, Downs.
- 1822-1824 Chatham.
- 1827 Samuel BURGESS, 02/1827, South America. She was employed for a considerable time in the Pacific under the orders of Capt. Jeremiah COGHLAN.
- 1830 John FITZGERALD, 11/1829, South America.
On his way to San Blas from Callao during April 1831 FITZGERALD discovered an island at 18deg 30min N. and 114deg 33min W. not shown on any chart. This could be Clipperton Island which was discovered in the 18th. century by an English navigator. Subject of a dispute between France and Mexico, the arbitration of the King of Italy awarded it to France in 1931.
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