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FLORA
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Hired armed brig
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No details. |
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- 1800 Lieut. Carpenter, Plymouth. She was anchored in the Hamoaze ready to sail for the Straits when, on the night of 20 November, she drifted ashore on the rocks between Mount Wise and the Old Gun Wharf.
To prevent her falling over the crew cut away her masts but she later worked off and sank in deep water on her larboard beam ends.
The officers and crews of SYLPH and TELEGRAPH were very active in getting out the men from FLORA or the whole crew would have drowned.
The dispatches she was due take to the Mediterranean were sent on board the Admiral Paisley.
FLORA was weighed up with casks and lighters and on 1 December she was towed into the Catwater to be repaired; fortunately she had been lying on clear ground and her damage was trifling so by the 4th. she had re-fitted and was almost ready for sea. She went out into the Sound on 13 January 1801 and sailed on a cruise, returning on 24 March and sailing on the 26th. for her station between Mount's Bay and Land's End.
FLORA came into Plymouth from Penzance on 23 December 1801 to be paid off. - After the Peace of Amiens FLORA was used as a Straits trader and sailed from Plymouth in September 1802 for Venice with a cargo of pilchards to bring back freight for Plymouth and London.
During a gale on 8 October she struck on a reef of rocks on the Island of Majorca.
Mr SAFER of Plymouth, the master, and his crew managed to reach the shore with great difficulty but, by the morning no trace of FLORA remained, the wreck being smashed to pieces.
They were kept in a hut for seven days quarantine and then escorted by Spanish troops to the care of the British vice-consul before being returned to England.
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