|
SERPENT
|
(16) |
Sloop
|
Built in 1789, Portsmouth.
Lost in 1806. |
|
|
- 1799 T. ROBERTS, West Indies.
- 1800 Ditto, Portsmouth.
SERPENT and RAILLEUR arrived at Falmouth on 26 March with coasters from Ireland under convoy. She was employed as a convoy escort and as a Channel cruiser until the peace of Amiens.
On 27 July 1801 she sailed from Portsmouth for Cork. - Capt. ROBERTS was reprimanded by a court martial in September 1801 for leaving a Cork convoy due to an error in judgement.
On the 29 November Mr William MATTHEW, the gunner of SERPENT was found guilty of drunkenness and sentenced to be publicly reprimanded on board his ship. - On 4 July 1802 orders were received at Portsmouth for SERPENT, BULLDOG and SWAN to be put in commission.
- 1803 Portsmouth.
- 1805 John WALLER, convoy to the West Indies 17 May.
On 28 November 1805 SERPENT was off the island of Bonecce when two vessels were seen approaching from the north-east.
Because they were far to windward he maintained his course to Trujillo Bay confident that they would meet again later.
At two o'clock the following morning the two did indeed round the point of the Bay, one was a felucca and the other, although felucca rigged forward, had a schooner sail aft.
The boats were launched under the second lieutenant, William PATFULL and master's mate Charles TRACE in the launch, and midshipman Samuel NISBETT and the Purser, Thomas SCRIVEN, in the cutter.
They attacked the largest, which proved to be a schooner built guarda costa, ST. CHRISTO VIL PANO, and succeeded in boarding and carrying her in spite of fire from her guns.
Lieut. PATFULL went after the other vessel in the launch but she succeeded in escaping in the dark by sweeping round the other side of the bay close to Lukes Keys and sheltering under the fort at Trujillo. - The captured vessel was armed with one long traversing 18 pounder, two 4-pounders and four brass 3-pounders.
Her commander, Don Juan Christovel Tierro, and twenty-five of his forty man crew escaped by swimming ashore - SERPENT foundered during September 1806.
|
|
|
