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OSPREY
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(18) |
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Built in 1797, Northfleet.
Broken up in 1813. |
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- 1799 J. WATTS, Sheerness.
- 1800 Ditto, North Sea.
- 1802 Jamaica, returning to Plymouth in July to be paid off.
- 1803 George YOUNGHUSBAND, Windward Is.
OSPREY and EMERALD joined Commodore HOOD's squadron on the 21 June 1803 for the attack on St. Lucia and they all anchored in Choc Bay. The boats had a heavy pull against a strong breeze to land the army divisions but within a few hours the island surrendered. - On the 26 October 1803 he sighted a suspicious sail close in shore off Trinidad and immediately gave chase.
When he got within 4 miles the wind suddenly dropped and, now convinced that she was an enemy privateer by the number of sweeps she was using, sent three boats after her. The cutter, with Lieut Robert HENDERSON, rowed faster than the others and without waiting for them to join him he boarded and captured the privateer with his 17 seamen despite heavy fire from guns and muskets. She was the French schooner LA RESSOURCE, four 4-pounders, having 43 men on board of whom two were killed an 12 wounded. Lieut. HENDERSON and four seamen were wounded, one of them seriously. Lieut. COLLIER and sixteen men were put on the schooner as a prize crew and the next day they chased and captured a French schooner privateer MIMI with one gun and 21 men. - On 23 March 1804 he gave chase to four ships which turned out to be a frigate and three merchant ships.
On coming up with them the frigate hoisted French colours and fired a broadside to which OSPREY replied.
The action continued for an hour and forty minutes until the enemy made off, pursued by OSPREY firing her bow chasers until they lost sight of her during the night. OSPREY lost 1 man killed and 16 wounded and her hull and rigging were badly damaged.
OSPREY had been in action with the French privateer EGYPTIENNE, formerly LA RAILLEUSE (36) which had been given to the merchants of Bordeaux to fit out as a private ship of war under the command of M. Placiard and having 255 men on board. She had made several captures, one of which, the RELIANCE, was retaken by OSPREY and HIPPOMENES on the 25th. and it was from her French prize master Capt. YOUNGHUSBAND discovered the identity of his opponent. - HIPPOMENES met up with RAILLEURE and captured her on the evening of 27 March after a chase of 54 hours. They then learnt that OSPREY had killed eight of her men and wounded nineteen.
- 1804 Lieut. William Henry BYAM from the FRANCHISE frigate, Leeward Is. He was promoted to commander on 4 September and appointed to BUSY on 1 December.
- 1804-7 Timothy CLINCH, Leeward Is., having removed from BUSY.
He captured the French privateer TEAZER, with 7 guns and 51 men on a cruise from Guadeloupe, on 17 May 1805.
On 27 June 1805 when OSPREY and KINGFISHER, Richard CRIBB, were some 180 miles N. E. of Barbuda they were pursued by five French frigates.
The two sloops made flag and gunfire signals to an imaginary fleet over the horizon and, to their surprise, the French not only gave up the chase but set fire to 15 British merchant prizes which had been captured by the French and Spanish combined fleet under VILLENEUVE three weeks before.
The value of the prizes they destroyed was estimated at more than 200,000 pounds. - In January 1807 OSPREY took orders to Capt. COCHRANE in JASON to proceed to the Maroney river to recover his Majesty's late sloop FAVOURITE.
- 1808 Ditto, Downs.
- 1811 -12 ditto, cruising in the Downs Heligoland.
On 12 July 1812 a boat from OSPREY and one from BRITOMART chased a French privateer, the lugger EOLE (5) mounted, to the N. W. of Heligoland. Lieuts. William DIXON of OSPREY and MALONE of BRITOMART boarded and carried her with the loss of 2 killed and 12 wounded. OSPREY lost William COX, quarter-master, killed; Abraham BARKER, ship's corporal; William HUNT, Q. M.mate; Samuel ADAMS, coxswain; Joseph ANTONY, sailmaker's crew; John COLWOOD, A. B.; Duncan CRAWFORD, captain of forecastle; John VINTNER, captain of foretop, wounded.
EOLE was sent into Yarmouth, arriving on the 21st. - OSPREY was put out of commission at Sheerness February/March 1813.
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