Harlequin, 1836
Type: Brig-sloop ; Armament 16
Launched : Pembroke Yard 18 Mar 1836 ; Disposal date or year : 1889
BM: 433 tons
Notes:

6 Oct 1832 is ordered to be built at the Pembroke Yard.

27 Aug 1836 is reported to have been commissioned at Sheerness, for foreign service.

Portsmouth 5 Nov 1836 is expected shortly from Sheerness, en route for the Mediterranean.

16 Mar 1839 at Malta.

Per a report made to Parliament in 1842, at some time during 1839 was involved in combatting the Slave Trade and experienced 9 Deaths.

30 Apr 1839 detained the American slave vessel Traveller, Andrew Johnson, master, which was sent for adjudication, but since the vessel was sailing under an American flag the British and Spanish Mixed Court at Sierra Leone would not admit the vessel for prosecution.

6 May 1839 detained off Sierra Leone the American slave schooner Merced, which was sent for adjudication at Sierra Leone but was returned to her master without being taken to court, and suffered costs accordingly. However, on 17 Jun 1839 the Dolphin arrested the vessel it being discovered that prior to the visit of one of the Dolphin's boats to the Merced the slaver had thrown a slave overboard to avoid his discovery, however the man's cries were heard and the rest is history.

16 May 1839 detained in lat. 7� 10' N., long. 12� 20' W., whilst attempting to run into Gallinas, where a cargo of slaves was waiting, the Spanish slave schooner Constanza alias Constancia, Francisco Jos� Dias, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 29 May 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

17 May 1839 Detained, in the River Gallinas, the slave brigantine Wyoming, John Edwards, master, wearing the colours of the USA. The vessel was then sent to New York under a prize crew under Lieutenant Beddoes, and due to a problem with her papers was condemned on those grounds and not because of her involvement with the slave trade.

20 May 1839 detained in lat. 5� 45' 0" N. long. 9� 40' 0" W. off the River Sestos, the Tuscan slave schooner Bella Florentina, Pietro Siccolo, master, which was sent for adjudication at the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone and on 06 Aug 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

20 Jun 1839 detained in lat. 7� 6' N. long. 11� 50' W. off the Gallinas linas, the Portuguese slave brigantine Emprendedor, Felix de Galindez, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 12 Jul 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

26 Jun 1839 detained in lat. 5� 42' 0" N. long. 9� 52' 0" W. off Cestos / Sestos, whilst sailing under Portuguese colours, the Spanish slave schooner Victoria da Libertado, J. M da Cunha, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 18 Jul 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

27 Jun 1839 detained in lat. 5� 40' N. long. 9� 50' W. off New Cestos, the Danish slave brigantine Christiano, late Carranzano, Nathanial Crane, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone and on 06 Aug 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

28 Jun 1839 detained off the Gallinas the Spanish slave brigantine Sin Igual / Sin Ygual, formerly, J. Pereira, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 12 Jul 1839 sentenced to be condemned.

26 Oct 1839 Ass. Surgeon George Deak, of the Melville, appointed to the Harlequin

21 Nov 1839 detained in off Cape Palmas, whilst bound from Bahia to Elmina and Whydah, the Brazilian slave brigantine Sociedade Feliz, J. de S. Campos, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Brazilian Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and on 24 Dec 1839 sentenced to be condemned. 8 Feb 1844 moiety of hull, and tonnage bounty etc. due for payment.

Per a report made to Parliament in 1842, at some time during 1840 was involved in combatting the Slave Trade and experienced 1 Death by Accident.

4 Jan 1840 reported to be on the coast of Africa.

28 Jan 1840 at Sierra Leone.

15 Apr 1840 is reported to have called at Cape Coast Castle.

7 May 1840 at West Bay, Princes Island, preparing to depart for England.

11 May 1840 departed Princes Island with the Wolverine.

12 May 1840 parted from the Wolverine bound for England and Spithead, via Ascension and Sierra Leone, with the Quarterly Returns, in consequence of the Commander-in-Chief being ordered to India.

17 Jul 1840 arrived at Spithead from the coast of Africa, having departed Sierra Leone on the 6 Jun. She has been nearly four years in commission, of which about 18 months was spent on the coast, during which time she captured nine slavers. She sails tomorrow for Chatham to be paid off.

16 Dec 1840 is being brought forward for commission in the river.

20 Aug 1841 Portsmouth, to be commissioned.

21 Aug 1841 Purser Hobbs (additional Clerk of the Queen), appointed to be Purser of the Harlequin ;

28 Aug 1841 Commander Hon. G. F. Hastings, from the Coastguard (Waterford district) ; Assistant-Surgeon J. W. Fletcher, appointed.

3 Sep 1841 Lieutenant Thomas Sibbald has been appointed to the Syren, vice Morris, to the Harlequin, at Chatham.

25 Sep 1841 Volunteer 1st Class R. Dawkins, appointed.

2 Oct 1841 Lieutenants Henry G. Morris and Edward R. Power ; Master Francis Edington ; Purser Kenneth L. Sutherland ; Surgeon Charles K. Nutt, appointed.

22 Oct 1841 dropped down to Gillingham, and proceeds to the Nore.

4 Nov 1841 arrived at Spithead from the eastward, and departed Saturday for Plymouth.

15 Nov 1841 Plymouth Sound, arrived from Portsmouth.

20 Nov 1841 Mate H. G. Simpson, appointed.

25 Nov 1841 departed Plymouth for the East Indies, but put back on Monday due to the strong westerly gales.

16 Dec 1841 Plymouth, departed on Thursday for China, but put back due to the bad weather.

17 Dec 1841 Plymouth, having previously made several attempts to get down Channel, finally departed for China with a strong breeze.

25 Dec 1841 arrived at Madeira and departed the 29th for China.

At some time during the period 1839-42 engaged in the Operations in China. Officers and Men serving on this ship during this period may be eligible for a Medal. See p. 288 at at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

3 Mar 1842 departed Simon's Bay for China.

23 Mar 1842 was reported to have passed by the Cape of Good Hope in early March.

1 Jun 1842 arrived Hong Kong from England and is expected to depart shortly for the Yang-tse-Kiang.

5 Jul 1842 stationed at Chusan.

Circa Feb 1844 boats of the Wanderer and Harlequin attacked piratical settlements on the coast of Sumatra, and inflicted considerable damage, though they suffered some loss - see p. 326 at at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

Summer 1848 Trieste.

20 Dec 1848 Particular Service.

26 Jul 1851 at Whydah to land and accompany the British Vice-Consul, Mr. Fraser, whilst also learning about the place in order to report to the Flag Officer.

21 Sep 1851 arrived at Fernando Po from Whydah.

24 Sep 1851 departed for Whydah.

25 Nov 1851 at Lagos, ineffective operations against the usurping King Kosoko :
A.B. Thos. Mitchell (2), slightly wounded.
Private John Toze, Royal Marines, seriously wounded.
see p. 367-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

30 Nov 1851 late in the evening 97 officers and men, in the ship's boats, from the Harlequin and Volcano, were landed to destroy and burn the village and barracoons situated on the eastern point of land which commands the entrance to the Lagos River.

3 Jan 1853 visited the brig Silenus, sailing under the US flag, suspected of being involved in the slave trade, but unable to detain her in the absence of a Treaty permitting a US merchant vessel suspected of being involved in the slave trade being detained by a Royal Naval vessel. In fact the US brig Bainbridge was also unable to detain her as she was not fitted out for the slave trade when she went on board. The Silenus was reported to have embarked 600 slaves the following day, off the beach at Ambriz, and was missed, only be minutes, by HMS Spy, as she made her escape to the northward. The US merchant schooner General Kalb was also denounced as a slave trader, as admitted by her master, but since she was sailing under the US flag, could not be detained.

13 Jan 1853 departed Loanda for the northward.

2 Feb 1853 signed an agreement for the abolition of the slave trade with the King of Tanga and Cape Lopez.

11 Feb 1853 signed an agreement for the abolition of the slave trade with the King of Cabinda, the news of which would appear to have got a few people interested in the Portuguese community at Loanda, not least those with slave trading interests in the region!

17 Feb 1853 off Loanda.

25 Feb 1853 off Ambriz.

24 Mar 1853 off Loanda according to correspondence with the Portuguese Governor General of Angola, regarding the treaties mentioned above.

1860 Coal (hulk) Depot, Devonport.

1870 Coal Depot, Devonport.

1879 Coal Depot, Devonport.