Drake, 1799
Type: Brig Sloop ; Armament 14
Taken : 1799 ; Disposal date or year : Sep 1804
Disposal Details : Wrecked on a shoal off the island of Nevis crew saved - Captain William Ferris
Notes:

20 Jan 1801 spoke to the packet Princess Amelia three days after the packet had departed Barbadoes.

16 Mar 1801 departed Barbadoes with the Leviathan, Andromeda, Unit�, Hornet, Fanny, armed brig, L'Eclair, schooner, and Alexandria, tender, with 1,500 troops for Grand Saline Bay, St. Bartholomew. Following their arrival, circa 20th, at St. Bartholomew, the Andromeda and Alexandria were detached to St. Thomas's to watch for any reaction to the landings at St. Bartholomew. The Coromandel arrived with the 2nd West India regiment on the 23rd, and a convoy with reinforcements arrived from England on the 24th, under the command of the Proselyte. The Hornet and Fanny, armed brig, were sent to the main harbour in the Island to detain a number of French privateers etc., before the armistice was signed, but they weren't able to get into position to perform the task and even after a chase of 24 hours were unable to detain any of the vessels concerned.

25 Mar 1801 leaving sufficient troops and the Proselyte, Hornet, and Drake to defend the island the rest of the troops were embarked and the squadron departed for St Thomas's on the 26th. The Unit� was to be detached with the prisoners to Martinique.

18 Jan 1802 it is reported in some papers that because the Magnanime was so leaky a number of her convoy, including the Charming Eliza, Lendrich ; and the Castle, Anderson ; from Martinique to London, and the Patience, Dickinson, from St Vincent's to Dublin, parted the convoy soon after leaving the Islands and went back under the protection of HM ships Aimable, Hawke and Drake, who presumably remained in the West Indies.

26 Jul 1802 orders came down this day to Plymouth for the following ships to proceed for Portsmouth, to be paid off, on their arrival from the West Indies, if they should put in here, Plymouth, by contrary winds : Leviathan, flag-ship, Excellent, Magnificent, Cumberland, Audacious, Goliath, Ganges, and Elephant, 74 each, Severn, 44, Emerald, 36, Decide, 44, Venus ,36, Andromeda, 36, Castor, 32, Heureux, 14, and Drake, 18.

24 Sep 1802 this morning arrived Spithead the Andromeda, 36, Captain Fielding, from Martinico. She departed from Port Royal the 21st of August, where she left the Excellent, Severn, the Castor, Venus, and Thalia frigates ; and Drake sloop of war.

Circa 27 Mar 1803 lying at Antigua, the Asp, Capt Ferrier ; Gauchapin, Capt McKenzie ; Drake, Capt Ferris ; and the Osprey, Capt Younghusband.

12 May 1803 a letter as dated from Barbadoes reports that the Centaur, Argo, Emerald, Heureux, Cyane, Osprey, Gauchapin, Drake, Netley, and L'Eclair are now gone to Martinique, and the Venus and Hornet cruise off Guadaloupe.

14-16 Nov 1803 ships' boats captured French privateer-schooner Harmonie.

19 Feb 1804 ship's boats cut out an American schooner from the port of Trinit�, Martinique, and on the 24th land a party to spike the guns at the fort.

14 Mar 1804 re-captured an English merchantman : the ship's boats also captured a vessel which subsequently blew-up killing and wounding many of the boats' crew.

8 Apr 1804 2,000 men embark at Barbadoes on HM ships Centaur, Pandour, Serapis, Alligator, Hippomenes, Drake, schooner Unique and transports, for Surinam, and arrive off the mouth of the Surinam on the 25-26 Apr 1804.

25 Apr 1804 seamen and the Army was landed to take Surinam, which was surrendered on 5 May.

Circa 14 Jul 1804 per letters received at Portsmouth from an officer in Commodore Hood's squadron at Barbadoes it has been reported that Capt Ferris had been apptd to the Drake.

Circa 4 Aug 1804 Lieut King, of the Centaur apptd to the command of the Drake. However it is of interest to note that on this date Capt Wm Ferris was apptd to the hulk Proserpine, per Hampshire Telegraph of 6 Aug 1804, but, was in command of the Drake when she was lost on a shoal off the island of Nevis in Sep 1804. Strange, or do we just have a print error ?

Circa 8 Oct 1804 Capt Drury is apptd to the Drake.

Circa 12 Oct 1804 reports of the loss of the Drake off Nevis have been received at Portsmouth.

Circa 20 Oct 1804 the loss of the Drake off Nevis was caused by a leak : all the crew were saved.