Danae, 1798
Type: Sloop ; Armament 20
Taken from the French 7 Aug 1798 ;
Disposal date or year : 17 Mar 1800
Disposal Details : Captured by her crew mutinying and carrying her into Brest. Captain Lord Proby
Notes:

7 Aug 1798 Indefatigable captured the French ship-corvette Vaillante near Isle of R�, which was purchased into the Service as the Dana�.

1 Jan 1799 Capt. Lord H. Proby. Fitting at Plymouth.

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

18 Mar 1799 Plymouth, The Spitfire reports that in a gale of wind at N. the Danae, Lieut. Lord Proby, got embayed in a bay of shoals and rocks near the Isle of Bas, had parted two cables, but was brought up by letting go a third anchor. All her boats were stove in, and Lord Proby was so unfortunate as to slip his foot and fall down the main hatchway, by which accident he dislocated his shoulder, and broke two of his ribs. His Lordship was as well as could be expected.

St. Helier, Danae, 4 Apr 1799 captured the French national lugger Le Sans Quartier this morning, off the Isles de Chosey. The prize is pierced for 14 guns, but all she had on board were thrown overboard in the chace � the has 56 men. I have the honour to be, &c., Proby.

26 Apr 1799 Plymouth, arrived from a cruise.

7 May 1799 in Plymouth Sound,

28 May 1799 Plymouth, sent in by the Danae, the Two Brothers, from Christian Sound, bound for St. Maloes, supposed French property.

16 Jun 1799 Plymouth, arrived, landed an officer at the Pier Head, and then stood out to sea.

6 Sep 1799 Plymouth, arrived from a cruize.

16 Nov 1799 Plymouth, departed.

27 Jan 1800 departed from Plymouth in search of the of the French 38-gun frigate Pallas, which was captured on 6 Feb, and subsequently purchased into the Service as the Pique.

6 Mar 1800 Plymouth, departed with the Boadicea on a cruise to the westward.

15-17 Mar 1800 captured by mutineers amongst her crew and surrendered to the French at Brest.

26 Mar 1800 Plymouth, arrived a cartel from Morlaix. She brought several passengers; amongst whom were Mr. Mills, Purser ; Mr. Hendry, Surgeon ; and Mr. Giles ; Captain's Clerk ; of his late Majesty's frigate Danae, 24, Captain Lord Proby. She was taken by a part of her crew, assisted by five French prisoners, captured the day before, who rose on the Officers, and took possession of her about ten P. M. March 15th instant.

30 May 1800 Plymouth, departed the Dasher, 18, on a cruise. She returned again in the evening, and landed two seamen mutineers of the Danae, 24 guns, taken out of a cartel off the Sound, and sent them on board the Cambridge, 74, flag ship in Hamoaze.

17 Jun 1800 Portsmouth, a Court Martial, assembled on board his Majesty's ship Gladiator to inquire into the cause and circumstances of the loss of the Danae, by mutiny, and to try Captain Lord Proby, his officers, and ship's company, for their conduct upon that occasion. And having heard the evidence produced, and completed the inquiry, and having maturely and deliberately weighed and considered the whole, the Court is of opinion, that the loss of the Danae was caused by a mutiny of part of the crew, which took place on board her the 14th of March last, who obtained possession of the ship, navigated her to Conquest, in France, and delivered her up to French troops. That Captain Lord Proby, his officers, and those of the ship's company now present, and whose names are stated in the minutes, made every exertion in their power to quell the mutiny, and preserve the Danae; and doth adjudge them to be acquitted. and the said Captain Lord Proby, his officers, and those of the said ship's company now present, are hereby honourably acquitted accordingly,

2 Sep 1800 Plymouth, a Court Martial was held on board the Cambridge flag ship, in Hamoaze, on John Barnet, one of the mutineers of the Danae, Captain Lord Probey. Barnet was discovered in Mill prison on Sunday the 24th ult. the day previous to his marching for Stapleton prison with 400 other prisoners, by Lieut. Neville Lake, first of the Danae. Mr. Cleverton, at his request, with his usual promptitude, had the prison mustered in his presence; after going through the ranks, he fixed on Barnet as the man who steered the ship into Camaret Bay, and a principal ringleader in the mutiny : it was more than probable he would have escaped, as he is a Jersey man and speaks French fluently. He was taken in La Vengeur French privateer about 3 months since. The Court Martial sentenced him, after a fair and impartial trial, to be hanged at the yardarm of such ship as the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty shall appoint. 9 Sep this morning pursuant to Orders from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, the above unhappy man was conveyed on board La Pique, 38 guns. Captain Young, attended by all the boats of the fleet, manned and armed to witness the awful sight. The signal for punishment was flying from daybreak on board the Cambridge and Pique. At half past ten o'clock, the prisoner, accompanied by the Chaplain, proceeded along the gangway to the platform on the forecastle where the Provost Martial placed the rope round his neck. He then prayed fervently for some time ; after which the fatal gun fired, and he was instantly run up to the fore yard arm, a dreadful example to all Mutineers. After hanging one hour, his body was lowered into a shell, and conveyed to the Royal Naval Hospital for interment.

6 Oct 1800 Plymouth, letters received from the Caesar, 84, dated off Brest, the 1st inst., state, that the Captain, 74, spoke on the 30th ult. a large West Indiaman from Jamaica, of 600 tons, taken by La Grand Mouche French privateer of Bourdeaux, and recaptured going into that port, by the Alarm, Dispatch, and Marquis of Townsend privateers, of Guernsey : when the West Indiaman was boarded by the above privateers, the prize-master found seven of the mutineers of his Majesty's late ship Danae, who on being discovered, were immediately put in irons. It should be observed, that the Danae's mutineers entered at Bourdeaux, principally on board the French privateers La Grand Mouche, 36, and 300 men. and La Bellone, 36, and 300 men ; by these letters it appears that the combined fleets were in statu quo.

10 Jun 1801 A Court-Martial was held on board the Irresistible., for the trial of John M'Donald, alias Samuel Higgins, for aiding and assisting in carrying his Majesty's late ship Danae into a French port, and delivering her up to the enemy.
After the Court was sworn, Lord Proby, late Commander of the Danae, appeared as prosecutor. On his examination, he identified M'Donald, pointed out to the Court the part of the ship he did his duty in, and swore positively that he was active in the mutiny. Before his Lordship withdrew, the prisoner asserted that he never was on board the Danae, and that he never before had seen Lord Proby ; but he could adduce no one circumstance that confirmed his assertions.
After Lord Proby withdrew, Lieutenant M'Nevin, who was First Lieutenant of the Danae, and who met and seized the prisoner in the streets of London, confirmed Lord Proby's evidence in every particular; and further swore, that the prisoner, when he got him into a public house, had told him that men of the names of Jackson, Williams, and Ignatius Finney, the latter an Irish priest, and a little before he came on board the Danae an Officer in the rebel army), were the persons who proposed the mutiny, and induced the others to assist to carrying the ship and giving her up to the enemy.
When put upon his defence, the prisoner persisted in his innocence, but it was unsupported by any evidence. The Court pronounced against him the sentence of Death, which he received with very great unconcern ; and during the whole trial, he conducted himself with indifference. His conduct, while Lord Proby and his Officers were in prison, and himself at large, was insulting and cruel.
On Saturday June 20, this unhappy man was executed at nine o'clock on board the Zealand, guard-ship at the Nore, pursuant to his sentence, he behaved with the most hardened depravity to the last.
At the time Lieutenant M'Nevin met with the prisoner in Wapping, he instantly seized him, and had him conveyed on board the tender off the Tower, from whence he was removed to the Nore for trial. It appeared that he had been for some time on board an American schooner which had lain for a fortnight alongside the tender. He had an American protection, and was disguised as an American, with ear-rings in his ears. While on board the Danae he acted as captain of the forecastle.

12 Sep 1801 a Court Martial was held on board the Gladiator, in Portsmouth harbour, on John Williams, for aiding and assisting in the mutiny on board the Danae frigate, carrying her into Conquet, and there delivering her up to the enemy. The charge being fully proved, he was condemned to be hung on board a ship, and at a time, to be appointed by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.