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FERRET (12) Brig-sloop Built in 1784, Sandwich.
Sold in 1801.

  • 1791 William NOWELL.
    After cruising for some time in the Channel she was ordered to Jamaica where she was principally involved in escorting vessels laden with provisions, sent by the merchants of Kingston, for the relief of the white inhabitants of San Domingo, where a civil war was raging between black and white.
  • Each side tried to exceed the other in barbaric cruelties.
    About 500 blacks had been marooned by a lieutenant of the French navy on a sandy key and left there to starve.
    They were discovered by a party of English turtle hunters who immediately returned to Honduras with the news, and the people there, although poor, sent two brigs to their relief and carried the survivors, about 300 were still alive, to Port Royal.
    From there Ad. AFFLECK and Governor Williamson sent them to Cape Francois where the French authorities thanked them for their humanity and slaughtered them with sabres in cold blood.
  • FERRET rescued a British officer by the name of PERKINS who had been sentenced to death by the French, who said that he had supplied the blacks with arms. She sailed into Jeremie Bay and Capt. NOWELL and Lieut. GODBY went ashore to be surrounded by 300 armed men.
    They succeeded in negotiating his release from close confinement on a French brig of war only two days before the date set for his execution.
  • FERRET returned to England towards the end of 1792 without having lost a man during her 12 months in the West Indies.
    On 1 February 1793 the French National Convention declared war against Great Britain and the United Netherlands.
    FERRET was placed under the orders of Rear Ad. M'BRIDE on the Downs station and captured six enemy privateers. She served with the Channel fleet under Lord HOWE but moved to the North Sea before the battle of the 1 June 1794, Cdr. NOWELL thus losing the promotion he would have been entitled to as senior commander.
    In the autumn of 1794 FERRET attended on the Royal family at Weymouth before being ordered to Ostend where Capt. NOWELLS received an injury which compelled him to retire for some time.
    His next command was GLATTON in 1801.
  • 1799 Deptford.


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