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BIENFAISANT (64) Broken up in 1814.
  • With PRUDENT she was cut out by boats of the fleet under Ad. BOSCAWEN at Louisbourg during the foggy night of 25 July 1758. The two French ships had threatened the besieging army under Gens. Amherst and Wolfe so two boats from each ship were ordered to attack them. The division under Cdr. George BALFOUR carried BIENFAISANT and brought her out under heavy fire, PRUDENT grounded and had to be burnt.
  • 1775 Capt. John M'BRIDE (later Admiral). BIENFAISANT took part in the battle between KEPPEL and d'Orvilliers off Ushant.
  • On 1 January 1780 Ad. George ROMNEY's fleet, sailing to the relief of Gibraltar, had the good fortune to capture the whole of a Spanish convoy laden with naval stores, the GUIPUSCOANA (64), surrendering to BIENFAISANT. Learning that a Spanish fleet commanded by Ad. Don Juan de Langara was cruising off Cape St. Vincent, RODNEY made preparations for action. The two fleets met late in the afternoon of 16 January and when the Spanish ships crowded on all sail in an attempt to escape, he ordered general chase. BIENFAISANT had got up with the SAN DOMINGO (70), a little before 5 o'clock when the Spanish ship exploded and all on board were killed. A few minutes later BIENFAISANT would have been in close action with her and must have shared her fate.
    Langara's flagship PHOENIX, which had already been in action with DEFENCE, surrendered to BIENFAISANT and a prize crew put on board. Because BIENFAISANT had smallpox on board, and Capt. M'BRIDE was anxious to avoid spreading it among the prisoners, he proposed to the Spanish Admiral that that the officers and men should remain PHOENIX, and that Don Juan would be responsible for their conduct as prisoners of war under parole, and that they would not interfere with the prize crew if they fell in with any French or Spanish ships of war. PHOENIX was carried safely to Gibraltar and the considerate conduct of Capt. M'BRIDE made a good impression on Spanish minds and was of great advantage to English prisoners in Spain. Apart from those injured by debris from the explosion, BIENFAISANT had no casualties.
  • In the summer of 1780 BIENFAISANT cruised in the St. George's Channel after a large French privateer which was known to have sailed from Brest. It was not until early on the morning of 13 August that a strange sail was seen off Kinsale, chasing some merchantmen which had sailed from Cork the previous day. Capt. M'BRIDE made sail and soon came within pistol shot of a 64-gun ship flying English colours. When hailed by BIENFAISANT she replaced them with French and, after an action lasting one hour and ten minutes, lowered them again, having had 21 men killed, 35 wounded and her sails and rigging cut to pieces. The prize was the COMTE D'ARTOIS with 644 men on board. BIENFAISANT had 3 killed and 20 wounded and the CHARRON, which came up at the close of the engagement, had 1 man wounded.
  • During September another privateer, LA COMTESSE D'ARTOIS, was captured.
  • At the end of 1780 Capt. M'BRIDE removed to the ARTOIS frigate which had been captured by Capt. HOME of the RODNEY on 1 July off Portugal.
  • 1781 Capt. BRAITHWAITE. In 1781 Sir Hyde PARKER hoisted his flag in FORTITUDE, as commander of a squadron to escort 700 sail of merchantmen from Leith to the Baltic. As he was returning from that service with the home bound convoy, Sir Hyde, with seven line-of-battle ships, including BIENFAISSANT, and six frigates, fell in with the Dutch Admiral Zoutman, with the same number of ships and also escorting a convoy, off the Dogger Bank. (see FORTITUDE). BIENFAISANT had six killed and 21 wounded including her gunner.
  • 1794 Prison ship at Plymouth. Lieut. E. COLLINGWOOD.
  • 1803 Out of commission at Plymouth.
  • 1805 Lieut. Robert BROWN.
  • 1808 Lieut. William BOYCE.


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