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CURIEUX
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A French vessel, built in 1802. She was cut out on 4 February 1804 by four boats of CENTAUR under Lieut. Robert REYNOLDS. The brig was lying at anchor close under Fort Edward at the entrance of the Carenage, Fort Royal, Martinique.
Lost in 1809. |
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- As captured she was armed with sixteen long 6-pounders, with a complement of 105 men.
- 1805 George Edmund Byron BETTESWORTH who, as a lieutenant in CENTAUR, had taken part in the cutting out expedition was appointed to command her and John BOSS who, as a midshipman, had also taken part in the cutting out expedition, was appointed her first lieutenant.
CURIEUX's first capture was a French privateer schooner, ELIZABETH. - On the morning of 8 February 1805, some 60 miles east of Barbados, CURIEUX chased and brought to action the French privateer brig DAME ERNOUF, which was armed with sixteen long 16-pounders and carried a crew of 120 men, of whom 30 were killed and 40 wounded.
As the Frenchman tried to run CURIEUX on board she was raked and forced to surrender.
CURIEUX lost five killed, one of whom was the purser Mr MADDOCKS and four wounded including Capt. BETTESWORTH, who was hit in the head by a musket ball.
The only officers on board were Lieut. DONALDSON; Mr CADDY, master's mate, and Mr TEMPLETON, boatswain, since Lieut. BOSS was on leave at the time of the action, but he took over as acting commander while his captain was recuperating and cut several schooners out of Cumana Gut and took a brig from St. Eustatia. - On 7 July 1805 CURIEUX arrived in Plymouth with dispatches from Lord NELSON and after a refit she sailed for the Lisbon station.
On 25 November her boats, under Lieut. BOSS, captured and destroyed the Spanish privateer BRILLIANO of six guns and 55 men.
The privateer BALTIDORE of 6 guns was destroyed on 5 February 1806. - 1806 John SHERIFF, 03/1806, On 3 December 1807 off Barbados CURIEUX, now armed with eight 6-pounders and ten 18-pounder carronades, engaged the privateer REVANCHE (25), formally the slaver BRITISH TAR.
The sloop was nearly disabled by the more heavily armed Frenchman.
When the privateer ran alongside and swept the deck with fire Capt. SHERIFF was among those killed and wounded.
Lieut. Thomas MUIR (2) succeeded to the command but he was unable to persuade the remaining crew to follow him in an attempt to board the enemy vessel.
CURIEUX lost 8 killed and 14 wounded in the action. - 1808 A. HODGE, Leeward Is.
- 1809 Henry George MOYSEY, Leeward Is.
CURIEUX was wrecked in the West Indies on 3 November 1809 but all the crew were saved.
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