Anson, 1781
Type: 5th rate ; late 3rd rate ; Armament 44 (Reduced in 1794 from a 64 Gun Ship)
Launched at Plymouth : 1781 ; Disposal date or year : 29 Dec 1807
Disposal Details : Wrecked in a gale on a sand-bank off Eelstone, Mount's bay, Cornwall, crew, except 60, saved. Capt. Charles Lydiard.
Complement: 327
Notes:

1782 Rodney's victory over French under Comte de Grasse

� 1794 Anson, Indefatigable, and Magnanime, cut down from 64s, retaining their 26 long 24s on their main deck, and fitted with 12 long 12-pounders and six 42-pounder carronades on the quarterdeck and forecastle ; with a complement at first of 310, but afterwards of 330 men..

25 Jun 1795, with the squadron at the landing of the [ill-conceived] Royalist expedition to Quiberon Bay, under Commodore Sir J B Warren, which returned to England in December with the remnants.

20 Mar 1796 the Bec du Raz bearing; north by east distant four miles, a squadron composed of frigates Anson, Captain Philip Charles Durham, Pomone, Captain Sir John Borlase Warren (in command), Artois, and Galatea, engaged a French squadron with a convoy, during which the Etoile store-ship struck her colours, and 4 vessels were taken from the convoy and left in the care of the lugger Valiant.

22 - 23 Aug 1796 whilst cruising off the mouth of the river Gironde the squadron of frigates consisting of the Pomone, Anson, Captain Philip Charles Durham, Artois, Galatea, and 18-gun Brig-sloop Sylph sighted the French frigate Andromaque, which was chased by the Galatea for many hours, until the Andromaque was eventually run ashore in heavy surf, and the job of destroying her by gun and fire being completed by the Sylph.

16-17 Jul 1797 with a squadron which destroyed the French frigate Calliope and captured or destroyed a number of her convoy.

25 July 1797 a squadron consisting of the Pomone, Anson, Artois, Triton, Sylph, and Dolly captured the Ship Boston.

19 Oct 1797 Anson and Boadicea captured the French privateer Zephyr in the Channel.

17 Nov 1797 Anson and Boadicea captured the French privateer Railleur in the Channel.

29 Dec 1797 re-captured the French ship-corvette Daphne, late British 20-gun ; or, as Captain Durham, imitating the French, describes a ship of only 429 tons, " late his majesty's frigate Daphne, mounting 30 guns." Nice to see Mr James had a good sense of humour ;-)

8 Feb 1798 captured the French privateer Jason in the Channel.

22 Mar 1798 Canada, Anson, and Pha�ton chase the French frigate Charente, which escaped capture.

31 Aug 1798 Anson and Phaeton captured the French privateer Mercure near Bourdeaux.

7 Sep 1798 Pha�ton and Anson chased and captured the French privateer, late national 32-gun frigate Flore.

20 Sep 1798 Joined the Ethalion, Sylph and Amelia watching the French Squadron from Brest, sailing for Ireland with troops.

11-12 Oct 1798 signal for a general chase made by the Commodore. Commodore Warren's action with French squadron, and capture of the Hoche, 74, and frigates: Embuscade, Coquille, Bellone. And taking of the R�solue by the Melampus. See also p. 71-> www.naval-review.org/issues/1928-1.pdf.

18 Oct 1798 Anson and Kangaroo capture the Loire. Subsequently purchased into the service.

1 Jan 1799 Capt. P. C. Durham. Refitting at Plymouth.

22 Jan 1799 went out of harbour into Plymouth Sound.

26 Jan 1799 departed Plymouth Sound with the Ethalion, on a cruize off Bourdeaux.

2 Feb 1799 at Sea, captured (in company with the Ethalion) Le Boulonnois, French cutter privateer, of 14 guns, and 70 men, belonging to Dunkirk, a remarkable fine vessel, copper-bottomed. The capture of her gives me great satisfaction, as she has greatly annoyed the trade in the North Seas. I have the &c. P. C. Durham. It is understood that the Bayonnaise cutter was late Swan revenue vessel.

25 Feb 1799 departed Plymouth Sound for Spithead with the Phoenix.

19 Mar 1799 at Spithead.

7 Apr 1799 departed Spithead on a cruize in the Channel, but put back on the 9th to St, Helen's, owing to strong contrary winds and departed on the 13th with a fine breeze from the eastward.

14 Jun 1799 arrived Plymouth Sound from Gibraltar, with dispatches for Government.

19 Jun 1799 in the Plymouth Sound.

15 Oct 1799 arrived Spithead with the Cormorant, 20, from Weymouth, where they had been attending their Majesties. Lady Charlotte Durham came in the Anson.

9 Nov 1799 departed Spithead the San Fiorenzo with the Anson, Severn, and Pigmy, on a cruise.

7 Jan 1800 Plymouth Sound, arrived the French sloop La Francois, bound to Brest with brandy, prize to the Anson,

26 Jan 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound 2 brigs with wines and brandies, prizes to the Anson.

12 Feb 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound and went up the harbour.

2 Mar 1800 arrived Spithead the Anson, 44, Captain Durham ; and the San Fiorenzo.

17 Mar 1800 departed Spithead with the East Indiamen under convoy ; accompanied with the Porpoise, 12, Captain Scott, for Botany Bay, and the Lady Nelson, Captain Barrow, an ordnance store ship, for Gibraltar. She is bound to New South Wales, for the purpose of surveying the coast, and making discoveries.

17 Mar 1800 chased the British sloop Danae, captured by mutineers amongst her crew and surrendered to the French at Brest.

21 Mar 1800 passed by Plymouth, to the westward, the Anson, with the East India and Botany Bay convoys.

22 Apr 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound, the Catharine and Anna, from Batavia to Hamburgh, with coffee, detained in latitude 30 degrees the 10th inst., by the Anson ; at which period the Anson and the outward bound East India fleet were all well.

27 Apr 1800 captured the brig Le Vainqueur letter of marque, mounting only 4 guns, bound from Bourdeaux to St. Domingo, with a mixed cargo.

29 Apr 1800 captured the French privateer Hardi, 18 guns, 194 men, in the Channel. Also reports having sent in, for adjudication, a ship bound from Batavia to Hamburgh, with the Governor of Batavia on board.

4 May 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound La Vaingeur letter of marque, prize to the Anson. When she left the Anson, she was firing at a French frigate, of 36 guns, and full of men. The Anson has on board 1,000 letters from the outward bound East India fleet, which she saw as far as lat. 30, all well.

9 May 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound the Anson, from convoying out the East India fleet.

10 May 1800 departed Plymouth Sound for Spithead with her prisoners. On the 30th ult. in the morning, she fell in with four armed vessels, which by the subsequent capture of L'Hardi, proved to be La Brave, 36, and 300 men ; La Decide, 18 guns, and 194 men ; La Guippe, 18 guns, and 194 men ; and L'Hardi, 18 guns, and 194 men. She gave them chace, and nearing La Brave, gave her a broadside, which not bringing down any thing, with La Decide and La Guieppe she escaped by superior sailing, gaining on the Anson hand over hand one mile and an half in two hours. The Anson then hauled her wind, and bore up for L'Hardi, which soon struck. She arrived this morning, is a beautiful vessel, quite new, her first cruise, and only thirty-three days off the stocks; the above little squadron only out from Bourdeaux four days. The marines on the quarter deck of La Brave were all clothed in regimentals by way of deception.

6 Jun 1800 departed Spithead with a fleet of store ships and victuallers for the Mediterranean.

20 Jun 1800 Plymouth, it appears that La Braave French privateer, of 36 guns, lost two men killed when fired into by the Anson.

25 Jun 1800 captured on the Mediterranean station the American Brig Hind, laden with sugar, from Salem bound to Cadiz.

27 Jun 1800 off Gibraltar, discovered a Spanish convoy of 40 to 50 vessels, bound from Malaga to Cadiz, who, on our approach they got under the batteries, where they were covered by twenty-five gun-boats, who, together with the forts, very much annoyed the Anson ; notwithstanding, with the assistance of two Gibraltar row-boats, sent by the Constance, captured eight, one of which was re-taken.

29 Jun 1800 in company with the Constance, captured the Spanish privateers El Severo, 10 swivels, 26 men, and Gibraltar, 4 guns, 50 men, on the Mediterranean station.

30 Jun 1800 have cut off 2 Spanish gun boats (the Gibraltar, and Salvador) who have been annoying the convoy ; they mount two eighteen pounders in the bow, and eight guns of different dimensions, and are manned by 60 men.

16 Jul 1800 arrived Plymouth Sound from sea, the Alert, from Cadiz to Boston, detained by the Anson, which was gone on to Gibraltar, all well, the 8th inst.

7 (sic) Sep 1800 departed Plymouth Sound to join the squadron off Weymouth.

9 (sic) Sep 1800 arrived Spithead the Anson, from Gibraltar.

8 Nov 1800 arrived Spithead with the Constitution, 14, from a cruise.

17 Nov 1800 departed Spithead, departed on a cruise.

22 Nov 1800 arrived Spithead from a cruise off Havre.

19 Jan 1801 went out of harbour to Spithead.

7 Feb 1801 departed Spithead on a cruise.

21 Feb 1801 arrived Spithead with the Harpy and Weazle, from a cruise.

21 Mar 1801 departed Spithead in company with the Fortune and Trent on a cruise.

16 Apr 1801 departed Plymouth Sound the Catharina Anna, Spanger, detained by the Anson, 44 guns, two years since, from Batavia to Hamburgh, and released by the Court of Admiralty, on paying her own costs. She was again detained off the Eddystone, and sent back by the Trent frigate.

25 May 1801 arrived Spithead from the Westward.

14 Jun 1801 remains at Spithead.

16 Jun 1801 departed Spithead with the Portuguese Ambassador and �300,000, the subsidy for Portugal, onboard, for Lisbon. Or the money being put on board to pay the troops in Egypt, per another source, the Morning Post, although another vessel has reportedly already recently taken money for the troops in Egypt, so perhaps the first story is more likely, on balance.

25 Jun 1801 arrived in the Tagus from Portsmouth and was expected to return to England with a convoy in due course.

9 Jul 1801 the Anson departed the Tagus with a convoy for England, and the crew of the Falmouth packet Lady Arabella, recently captured by a French lugger privateer, 16 guns.

Circa Aug 1801 Mr. Prior, Purser of the Solebay, to the Anson.

24 Aug 1801 sailed to the Eastward, this evening, past the port of Falmouth, with the homeward bound Lisbon convoy, having been detained in Mount's Bay for a number of days due to contrary winds.

31 Aug 1801 arrived the Anson, in the Downs, with a convoy from Lisbon, which sailed for the River.

7 Sep 1801 departed the Downs for Portsmouth.

8 Sep 1801 arrived Spithead the Anson, Capt Cracraft, from Lisbon, last from the Downs.

2 Oct 1801 hoisted a signal for convoy for the Mediterranean.

24 Oct 1801 departed Spithead the Anson, with the store-ships Abundance and Princess Mary, and a convoy for the Mediterranean.

25 Oct 1801 the Anson, and her convoy were observed passing down the English Channel from Falmouth, and were soon joined in the evening and during the night by the Requin and her convoy, which had been congregating at Falmouth.

14 Jan 1802 arrived Plymouth Sound from Gibraltar.

24 May 1802 prize money due from when the Pomone was in company with the Artois, Anson and hired cutter Dolly, and detained the Boston, will be paid at Salter's Hall Court, Canon St., London.

28 Nov 1802 arrived Malta from the Mediterranean Squadron, in Oristani Bay off Sardinia.

29 Nov 1802 due to depart for Alexandria with orders for the evacuation of that place.

3 Mar 1803 the following vessels remained at Valetta when the Hector departed Malta, for England : the Kent, Superb, Triumph, Donegal, Gibraltar, Agincourt, Charon, Expedition, Experiment, Active, Phoebe, Niger, Victorieuse, and Resistance, the Regulus, and Raven, having departed Malta for Egypt, and the Blonde to Naples, the crew of the Raven having been reported to be sick. The Tourterelle, and Pandour, were lying at Alexandria ; and the Braakel, guard ship, at Smyrna ; and the Anson at Egypt.

15 Oct 1803 captured the French privateer Marguerite in the Mediterranean.

May 1805 Mediterranean.

28 May 1805 It is reported that two Spanish prizes, one from Vera Cruz, and the other from the River Plata, have been taken.

15 Sep 1806 engaged the French Foudroyant, 80, under jury rig, off Havana, however she was still able to look after herself and withdrew.

23 Aug 1806 Arethusa and Anson capture the Spanish 34-gun frigate Pomona, and destroy a number of gun boats. The Pomona was taken into the Service as the Cuba.

1 Jan 1807 the frigates Arethusa, Anson, Fisgard, and Latona capture of the island of Curacoa.

Circa Mar 1809 the account for the small balance remaining following the capture of the ship Boston in 1797 will be deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty.