|
MENELAUS
|
(38) |
|
Built in 1810, Plymouth.
Hulk in 1832.
Sold in 1897. |
|
|
- 1810 Capt. Peter PARKER, Portsmouth. She left St. Helena on 16 October 1810 for the Cape of Good Hope.
MENELAUS took part in the operations against Mauritius between 30 November and 2 December and more than hundred of her seamen and marines were landed to co-operate with the troops.
Capt. PARKER was annoyed when no reference was made to his ship in Vice Ad. BERTIE's dispatch and complained. The omission was accidental and Capt. ROWLEY late of BOADICEA, under whose orders MENELAUS had served, was happy to put the record straight in a letter to the Admiralty on 19 February 1811. - 1812 Ditto, Mediterranean, off Toulon.
On the morning of 29 May a French frigate and a brig were seen in Hieres Bay steering for the Petit Passe, with the intention of getting into Toulon. When they saw MENELAUS make sail to cut them off, they hauled the wind until the French fleet, consisting of eleven sail of the line and six frigates came out of port. Capt. PARKER considered it his duty to bring them to action and MENELAUS was exposed to a warm and raking fire before it was returned. Soon after she lost her fore-top-mast and, although she appeared to be surrounded by the enemy, her superior sailing enabled her to escape. - The boats of MENELAUS under Lieut. Rowland MAINWARING captured a new French brig of war, ST. JOSEPH, moored within pistol shot of a battery near Frejus.
The brig, on her first voyage from Genoa to Toulon with naval stores had none of her 16 guns mounted.
There were no casualties on the British side but the battery suffered heavy losses from MENELAUS's launch which provided covering fire.
Lieut. MAINWARING was in action with the boats of MENELAUS again on 2 September when he brought out a French letter of marque, ST. ESPRIT, from the River Mignore near Civita Vecchia.
Although pierced for twelve, only two of the Frenchman's guns were mounted.
Two days later master's mate James SAUNDERSON brought out a government transport, FIDELLE, laden with ship's timbers from the entrance to the Orbitello Lake. - The port of Mejan in the Bay of Marseilles was attacked by the MENELAUS on the afternoon of 17 September 1812. The boats were commanded by Lieuts. MAINWARING and Lenox YATES and they burnt the vessels in the harbour while Lieut. Beynor of the royal marines and Mr James SAUNDERSON, master's mate destroyed the Custom-House and magazines. Lieut. YATES was killed and Joachim GHEN, captain of the forecastle, and Sergeants James and Richards, and privates Joseph Collard, Richard Malpas and John Payne of the royal marines were wounded. James had his leg amputated and Collard and Malpas each lost an arm.
- In the late spring of 1813 MENELAUS, UNICORN and PRIMROSE were appointed to escort a convoy to Newfoundland, Quebec and Halifax.
MENELAUS remained on the North American station and on 28 August Capt. PARKER reported from off Poole's Island in the Chesapeake that the seamen and marines of his ship had dispersed a party of enemy regulars and militia on the eastern shore of Maryland and destroyed the depot they were guarding.
On 5 September her boats under Lieut. PEARSE captured two large sloops and a schooner laden with wood at the head of Bush river. The sloops, having grounded, were destroyed. - On 14 January 1814 MENELAUS retook a valuable Spanish ship, ST. JEAN DE BAPTISTE, of L'Orient in sight of RIPPON (74). She had been bound for Cadiz from Lima with an immensely valuable cargo of cocoa, bark, dollars, diamonds and pearls before being captured by the French TERPSICHORE and ATALANTE near the Azores on the 3rd. Capt. PARKER brought her in to Plymouth.
- In the summer of 1814, while Capt. GORDON in SEAHORSE was attacking Alexandria, MENELAUS was directed to attack Baltimore.
On the night of 30 August Capt. PARKER, assisted by Lieuts. CREASE and PEARCE, landed a force of about 140 seamen and marines to attack a body of American militia which had been located about half a mile from the beach. They found that the enemy had moved back some 4 or 5 miles and, about 500 strong, had drawn themselves up in line with some horse and five guns. Capt. PARKER attacked at once and the enemy were driven back to reform behind their guns.
During a second attack which forced the enemy to flee the field Capt. PARKER was mortally wounded by a ball which cut a main artery in his right thigh. A seaman, William PORRELL, ran to his assistance and refused to leave the captain's body as it was carried back to the shore. Another young seaman, James PERRING, was mortally wounded and, sitting under a tree with his pistol and cutlass, he refused to surrender even when the returning Americans offered him medical assistance.
He was left to die. - 1814 Capt. Edward DIX.
He was appointed by Sir Alexander COCHRANE following the death of Sir Peter PARKER and MENELAUS was actively employed off the coast of America until the conclusion of the war. She returned to England in May 1815 and, during the summer Capt. DIX was sent to cruise off the Ile de Bas with HAVANNAH under his command. With the RHIN (38) he captured and destroyed a French convoy in the last action of the kind during the war. - Capt. DIX paid off MENELAUS in October 1815.
- 1818 Sheerness.
- 1820 Chatham.
- 1834 Marine Hospital Ship, Chatham.
- 1837 Quarantine Service in Standgate Creek.
|
|
|
