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BEAGLE (18) Built in 1804, Blackwall (Cruizer class).
Sold in 1814.

  • 1805 George DIGBY, Mediterranean.
  • 1807 Francis NEWCOMBE, 06/1806. Mediterranean - Portsmouth by December.
  • 1808 Ditto, Downs. The violence of a gale on 2 October 1808 drove BEAGLE from her station off Boulogne over to the English side of the Channel where Capt. NEWCOMBE chased a French privateer lugger for three hours until he finally captured her about 12 miles from the South Foreland. She was the HAZARD (14) commanded by Joseph Marie Le Long, and had sailed from Calais the previous morning. During the early part of the night she had captured two colliers, TRINITY YACHT and ASSISTANCE, and sent them back to France.
  • On 23 January 1809, when she was about 15 miles S. S. W. of the South Foreland, BEAGLE chased two French privateers and captured one of them, VENGEUR (16) after boarding her. The other, the GRAND NAPOLEON, escaped. They were both from Boulogne and had been repeatedly chased by British cruisers.
  • Early on 18 February she captured a French privateer named FORTUNE of 14 guns and 58 men, two days out of Calais BEAGLE had to run her alongside in spite of the heavy seas before she surrendered. One of the French crew was mortally wounded
  • BEAGLE took part in the great attack on French vessels in the Basque Roads in 1809. She arrived on 10 April with fire vessels and found Lord GAMBIER with a fleet of 11 sail of the line plus frigates and smaller vessels. The French fleet of 10 sail of the line and four frigates was anchored some four or five miles away. Capt. NEWCOMBE commanded one of the fire ships which made the first attack on the enemy on the night of 11 April. At the court martial held to consider the conduct of Ad. GAMBIER, Capt. WOLFE of AIGLE said that his ship had narrowly escaped being burnt by fire ships which had been lit prematurely, but he particularly noticed that the one commanded by Capt. NEWCOMBE was properly conducted.
    The next day BEAGLE followed Lord COCHRANE's IMPERIEUSE and AETNA towards three of the enemy 74-gun ships. IMPERIEUSE anchored and opened fire but BEAGLE kept under weigh and annoyed the enemy as opportunity occurred. She fired at the VILLE de VARSOVIE for about a quarter of an hour until her rudder almost came into contact with the wreck of the JEAN BART on the Pallas shoal then, observing that the CALCUTTA (50) was abandoned, Capt. NEWCOMBE went on board her at the same time as a boat from IMPERIEUSE came to take possession of her. He then closed within a pistol shot of the stern of the AQUILON (74) and exchanged fire with her for ten minutes until she struck her colours. (Beagle was the first brig to take a line-of-battle ship) After BEAGLE sent a boat to take possession of her AQUILON again opened fire to which Capt. NEWHOUSE replied but, seeing the enemy abandoning her in their boats, he concluded that the firing had been accidental. BEAGLE was then forced to stand off having only 2 or 3 feet under her keel with a falling tide.
    The first lieutenant of BEAGLE then set fire to CALCUTTA and about two hours later she blew up. TONNERRE (74) was blown up by the French a short time after.
  • On the morning of the 13th. Lord COCHRANE made a signal to protect AETNA so BEAGLE weighed and anchored within half a mile of the OCEAN, flying the flag of Vice-Ad Alemand, and the frigate HORTENSE. After an action lasting five hours the British ships were forced to retire by the falling tide under fire from the batteries on the Ile d'Aix. BEAGLE's standing and running rigging were badly damaged and she received several shots in her hull but she had only one man wounded and two or three hurt by splinters. She had only three barrels of powder left. BEAGLE was sent back to Plymouth with dispatches then on to Portsmouth for repairs
  • Francis NEWCOMBE was made a post captain in August 1809 backdated to 11 April in appreciation of his gallantry.
  • 1810 W. B. DULLING, Downs.
  • 1811-12 John SMITH, 07/1811, Channel. In the autumn of 1813 BEAGLE was with the squadron co-operating with the Duke of Wellington's army in the north of Spain.
    On 1 September she took part in a demonstration at San Sebastian intended to draw a large portion of the garrison from defending the breach which had been made between the 28 and 31 August when seaman John DANIELS from BEAGLE had been wounded while serving in the batteries. Two divisions of boats under the command of Capt. GALLWAY of DISPATCH and Capt. BLOYE of LYRA were fired on from the batteries at the back of San Sebastian but no lives were lost. The attack on the breach started at 11 AM but was held up by the discovery of a 20 foot scarp to the level of the breach until guns could be brought to bear on the curtain, the shot passing only a few feet above the heads of the troops. The town was entered and possessed about half past one when the enemy retired to the castle, with the loss to the allies of 2300 men. Capt. SMITH who had command of the seamen landed on the island of Santa Clara was slightly wounded.
    The Castle of La Motte was to hold out until the 9th. when the breaching and mortar batteries opened up. The SURVEILLANTE's 24 pounders had been dragged up Santa Clara by Capt. Smith and his seamen, assisted by Capt. Cameron and a party from the 9th. regiment. They were served by a party landed from the REVOLUTIONAIRE, CHALLENGER and MAGICIENNE and they totally silenced the enemy guns opposed to them. The garrison of more than 1700 were made prisoners of war.
  • By the end of 1813 BEAGLE was out of commission at Plymouth.


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