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IRIS (44) The Danish MARIE taken at Copenhagen on 7 September 1807.
Sold in 1816.

  • 1808 Capt. John TOWER, with Sir Richard KING's squadron which was employed in the blockade off Ferrol. While returning to Plymouth he fell in with the French privateer lugger MARSOUIN, of 14 guns and 60 men, off the Lizard on 24 January. Her guns and anchors were thrown overboard in her efforts to escape but she was captured after a chase. It appeared from the journal of the privateers previous cruise that on 28 October she had attempted to board a troop transport near Cork on 28 October. The troops had been concealed below and as the French boarded they were met with a hail of musketry which killed the captain and 10 men, and wounded 5 others.
  • At the end of the year she was under repair at Chatham.
  • 1809 Capt. P. G. SHORTLAND, 12/1809, Cadiz, Western Is. and Channel station. Capt. Hood Hanway CHRISTIAN, 05/1811, coast of Spain where she formed part of the squadron assisting the Spanish patriots.
  • IRIS joined SURVEILLANTE off ANCHOVE on 18 October 1811. The marines of the two frigates accompanied about 400 guerillas in fishing boats to the river Mundaca and effected a landing about two miles from Bermeo, the object of the attack. The frigates advanced towards Bermeo in a light breeze while the landing party turned the enemy's right. The French promptly retreated over the mountains to Bilboa. Everything belonging to the French was brought off or destroyed and the powder in the magazine given to the Spaniards.
    IRIS then carried the marines and guerillas to Deba where the garrison of 54 men surrendered after fire from IRIS's launch under the first Lieutenant, Mr COLLINGWOOD. The same number surrendered at Motrico. She returned to SURVEILLANTE with more than 300 French prisoners taken by the guerilla leader, Mina, after a battle in which 500 of the enemy were killed or wounded.
  • In 1813 IRIS operated with MEDUSA, SCYLLA, SURVEILLANTE, SPARROW, BRAMBLE and the WHITING schooner against American privateers and the trade between America and France. She captured three American letters of marque:- The UNION (12) with 53 men, the CASHIER (6) with 40 men and the PRICE (6) with 30. The later was taken on 13 April together with her prize, the schooner EQUITY of Plymouth, which was carrying wine from Madeira to London, and had been captured 8 days earlier.
  • American merchant vessels taken by IRIS, sometimes in company with the other warships, were the schooner TYGER taking brandy, wine and silk from Bordeaux to New York on 22 March; the schooner ELIZA, cotton and potash from New York to Bordeaux, on 27 March; the brig LIGHTNING, cotton and fish from Philadelphia to Bordeaux, on 31 March; the brig JOSEPH, brandy, wine silks and oil from Bayonne to Boston, 8 June.
  • 1814 Ditto, West Indies.
  • 1815 Jamaica.
  • 1816 Capt. William H. SHERREFF, Deptford.


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