Atalanta / Atalante, 1797
Type: Brig Sloop ; Armament 14 carronades (twenty-four pounders), along six-pounders
Taken : 1797 ; Disposal date or year : Feb 1807
Disposal Details : Wrecked at Rochefort: crew saved, but partly made prisoners. Lieut John Bower
Complement : 110 men.
Notes:

14 Jan 1799 Portsmouth, arrived from Marcou (off Cape la Hogue).

15 Jan 1799 Portsmouth, at Spithead and ready for sea, with the fleet.

2 Feb 1799 Boadicea, at Sea. The French cutter privateer Le Milan, 14 guns, and 44 men, was taken by the Boadicea and Atalante. I have ordered Capt. Griffith to see the prize into port, and, having landed the prisoners, to return and rejoin me upon my station. I have the honour to be, &c. R. G. Keates.

2 Mar 1799 Plymouth, departed with the Lowestoffe, Danai, and Sylph on a cruize.

1 Apr 1799 Plymouth, arrived, Fanny, Watson, from Virginia, taken by the French and re-taken by the Atalante, 16, Captain Griffiths.

7 May 1799 in Hamoaze.

18 May 1799 Plymouth, went down into the Sound.

20 May 1799 Plymouth, departed on a cruize.

20 Nov 1799 Portsmouth, a Court Martial was held on board the Gladiator for the trial of Mr. Prose, Carpenter of the Atalante for disobedience and neglect of duty. The prisoner was found guilty; and sentenced to be dismissed from his situation as Carpenter of the Atalante and to serve in such other station as the Commander in Chief of the Port should direct.

20 Nov 1799 Portsmouth a Court Martial was held on board the Gladiator for the trial of Mr. Elliott, Gunner of the Atalante for drunkenness when officer of the watch, and getting drunk with the seamen in his cabin. He was found guilty, and was sentenced by the Court to be dismissed from his situation as Gunner of the Atalante, rendered incapable of ever serving as an Officer, and to serve on such other station as the Commander in Chief of the Port should direct.

4 Dec 1799 observed a lugger apparently in the process of removing the cargo from the brig, Martha of London, Edward Lewington, Master, bound from London, to Belfast, and so, having transferred the master to the brig without heaving-to, went in chase of and captured the French privateer lugger Success, of Boulogne, Francois Matthieu Blondin, Master, 6 guns, and 48 men, 6 days from Boulogne.

21 Dec 1799 Portsmouth, arrived with the Nemesis, from a cruise.

24 Dec 1799 Portsmouth, departed on a cruise.

26 Mar 1800 Atalante, Captain Anselm John Griffiths, employed for some time off Dunkirk with the sloop Plover and hired brig Terrier watching the 4 French frigates which are reported to have been in the harbour there about 2 years.

21 Jun 1800 Portsmouth, arrived from a cruise.

1 Jul 1800 Portsmouth, departed with the Eugenie and a convoy for the Downs.

20 Nov 1800 Portsmouth, arrived with near 200 sail of outward-bound merchant ships under her convoy, from the Downs.

3 Dec 1800 Portsmouth, departed for the Channel Fleet.

26-28 Jan 1801 in company with the Oiseau, Amethyst, Sirius, Immortalite, and Hired Armed Cutter Earl St Vincent at the capture of the French 36-gun frigate D�daigneuse, afterwards added to the British navy under the same name.

23 Feb 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound. She reports that on the 9th inst., she fell in with a Portuguese vessel, and sent one of the boats with an officer and 6 hands to board her, but the sea running very high and the wind blowing strong, she upset and those on board perished.

23 Feb 1801 later on the 9th she fell in with a Spanish row-boat privateer mounting one long 12-pounder, and on hailing her she fired into the Atalante wounding the First Lieutenant and Master's Mate : the Atalante responded with a broad-side which left the boat a complete wreck, and left her.

23 Feb 1801 arrived Plymouth the Portuguese brig Bonaventura, Simons, master, with salt and fruit from St Ubes to Limerick, captured by the Bonaparte French privateer, recaptured by the Atalante.

27 Feb 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound.

24 Mar 1801 departed Plymouth Sound on a cruise to the Westward.

1 Apr 1801 in company with the cutter Viper, fell in off Land's End with 4 French privateers : 3 of them hauled off, and after a chase of 17 hours, captured Le Heros brig of St. Maloes, Renne Crosse, Master, mounting 14 guns, and manned with 73 men.

5 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound at noon, L'Heros French privateer, of St. Maloes, of 16 guns, and 50 men, out 5 days and had not made any prizes, captured after a long chace by the Viper, of 14 guns, Lieutenant J. Coghlan ; the Atalante, of 18 guns, Captain Griffiths, in sight.

8 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound last night from a cruise.

26 Apr 1801 letters dated per this article received from the Barfleur state that the Atalante had joined the Channel Fleet from a cruise in the Bay.

25 May 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound from a cruise.

28 May 1801 departed Plymouth Sound to join the fleet.

10 Aug 1801 ship's boats of the Atalante capture the French national lugger Eveill� when in company with the Unicorn. See below for item of 25 Aug ?

14 Aug 1801 the senior vessel present, in the Unicorn, lying in Quiberon Bay, reports in a letter that they have "barely a month's provisions remaining," but that due to their presence, commanding the passages to the westward, they have deterred several French convoys, laying at different places along the coast, from moving.

24 Aug 1801 came into Plymouth Sound from a cruise, with a French Dogger, with wines and brandies, prize to the Atalante.

25 Aug 1801 arrived Plymouth the French chasse mar�e L'Eveille, with wheat, detained on the 11th, in the Bay, by the Atalante. See above for item of 10 Aug ?

31 Aug 1801 departed Plymouth on a cruise.

19 Nov 1801 remained in Torbay the Ville de Paris, Royal Sovereign, Prince of Wales, Neptune, Prince, Royal George, San Joseph, London, Magnificent, Bellerophon, Hercule, Donegal, Robust, Edgar, Belleisle, Courageux, Fisgard, Amelia, Indefatigable, Childers, Atlanta, Nimrod. The Nile cutter departing for Plymouth to be paid off.

28 Dec 1801 remained with the Channel Fleet in Torbay with the Ville de Paris.

31 Jan 1802 arrived Brixham for fresh beef, and departed without coming to, supposed for RN vessels along the coast suppressing smuggling, the Smugglers, whose vessels are reported to be well armed and numerous have taken to using larger vessels, lately used as privateers until the peace, which are larger and better armed than the revenue cruisers, a large lugger having recently fired into 2 revenue cruisers, and hence the use of frigates and sloops, waiting to be paid off, to deal with the problem that has now arisen.

5 Mar 1802 arrived Torbay from a cruise.

10 Mar 1802 arrived Plymouth Sound having delivered dispatches to the squadron including the Edgar, Excellent, Bellerophon, Robust, Audacious, and Magnificent, which departed Torbay for the West Indies recently ; which she left last Saturday 25 leagues S.W. of Ushant, with a fine blowing wind, and were standing on large with a press of sail.

3 May 1802 the Barfleur, London, Irresistible, Ramillies, Magicienne, and Sirius, departed Torbay yesterday evening with a light air, to be paid off at Plymouth and Portsmouth, leaving just the fire ship Magaera, and sloops Childers, Atalante, and Sylph off Brixham.

9 May 1802 departed Torbay for Spithead, with the fire ship Magaera, and sloops Childers, and Sylph.

10 May 1802 arrived Spithead the Atalante, 16, Captain Griffiths, from Torbay.

Circa 25 May 1802 Captain Masefield to the Atalante.

13 Jun 1802 departed Spithead the Atalante, 14, Capt Masefield, on a cruise after smugglers.

15 Aug 1802 arrived Portsmouth the Nancy, a prize to the Atalante, with spirits on board.

31 Aug 1802 was taken into dock at Plymouth, to have her bottom inspected.

18 Sep 1802 went out of harbour into the Plymouth Sound.

London, October 1802. Notice is hereby given to the Officers and Crew of His Majesty's Ships Andromeda and Prevoyante, will be paid their respective Proportions of the Proceeds of a small Part of the Cargo (unclaimed) of the Prussian Galliot Kauffhandel, detained the 8th May 1800 ; and of the Ship Rosette and her Cargo of Salt, detained the 21st of May 1800, by the Squadron of Dunkirk ; the Ann Hired Cutter will also be paid for the former Capture, and His Majesty's Sloop Atalante, together with the Representatives of the officers and crew of the late HM Ship Babel, for the latter, at the Sun Tavern.

1 Oct 1802 sent into Portsmouth a large smuggling vessel, laden with 360 casks of spirits, and 20 bales of tobacco.

10 Oct 1802 in the course of last week, took and sent into port a lugger with 170, a sloop with 120, and a large boat with 400 ankers of spirits.

14 Oct 1802 came into Plymouth with a fine smuggling cutter of 80 tons called the Admiral Pole, of Exeter, with 170 ankers of spirits, taken after a long chase ; she was seized some months since at Weymouth for having an over quantity of spirits on board, and was liberated on bond being given to the Board of Customs and Excise.

16 Nov 1802 since 9 Nov has arrived Dartmouth with the smuggling vessel Two Brothers with 220 kegs of brandy and rum &c.

1 Dec 1802 arrived Plymouth Sound a fine smuggling cutter, with 170 ankers of spirits, prize to L'Atalante, 16, Captain Griffith, after a long chase.

8 Jan 1803 came into Plymouth Sound and is to be paid off and recommissioned, her crew being discharged.

10 Jan 1803 has been paid off and recommissioned. She is reported to have been one of the most successful RN vessels involved in the fight against smuggling in the last year or so, having recovered 2,000 ankers of spirits, from 8 sail, along with bale goods etc., each seaman having made more in prize money than he has in wages during this period, a fact that is being used on the recruiting bills to attract men to sign on.

29 Jan 1803 bills had been posted around Plymouth advertising vacancies for seamen on board the sloop Atalanta, 16, and the cutter Nimble, Lt Coghlan.

16 Mar 1803 dropped down into the Sound from Hamoaze, to await further orders.

17 Mar 1803 departed Plymouth for Bristol to press men.

15 May 1803 arrived Plymouth from a cruise off Brest, Ushant, and the Saintes ; the Nemesis and Atalanta during which they watched the movements of vessels on the other side of the Channel.

4 Jun 1803 arrived Plymouth from the Fleet with French prisoners.

6 Jun 1803 sent into Plymouth the Swedish brig Nordsturner, a prize to the Atalante.

16 Jun 1803 sent into Plymouth a French brig, a prize to the Atalante.

29 Aug 1803 arrived Falmouth from Oporto, the Atalante, Capt Masefield, with the Mercury, Edington, from Oporto with wines, under convoy, the remainder of the convoy, under the command of the Wasp, Capt Aylmer, continued up the Channel to the Eastward, via Spithead, to the Downs.

31 Aug 1803 arrived Plymouth from Oporto, and went into Hamoaze.

4 Sep 1803 came into Barn Pool, at Plymouth, to refit.

17 Sep 1803 departed Plymouth on a cruise.

3 Oct 1803 arrived Plymouth from the Coast of France with the following prizes bound from L'Orient to Brest : La Jeune Adelphi, Mary and Elizabeth, and La Betsey plus another name unknown, laden with timber for the French fleet.

9 Oct 1803 it transpires that the timber brought over in the prizes turns out to be far more valuable than initially realised, being prepared for second rate ships being built at L'Orient, and thus far greater scantlings.

15 Nov 1803 departed Plymouth Sound to the Westward the Atalante, Capt Mansfield.

9 Oct 1803 ship's boats attempt to cut out vessels which had run themselves ashore on the approach of the Atalante.

May 1805 On a cruise westward. Commander Jos. Ore Masefield

25 Sep 1806 with a squadron under Commod. Sir Samuel Hood, off Rochefort, when a squadron of French frigates, bound to the West Indies, escaped : the signal for a general chase was given, resulting in the Armide striking to the Centaur ; Minerve to the Monarch ; Infatigable to the Mars, who also chased the Gloire, and at 3 P.M. compelled her to surrender, all 4 frigates being added to the Royal Navy.