HMS Leda

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Leda, 1800
Type: 5th rate ; Armament 38
Launched in the King's Dock Yard at Chatham 1800 ;
Disposal date or year : 31 Jan 1808
Disposal Details : wrecked at the entrance of Milford Haven crew saved. Captain Robert Honyman. See notes for comments.
Notes:

1 Jan 1799 38, building in the King's Dock Yard at Chatham.

1799 The replacement of long-guns by carronades meant that the Leda, originally designed as a 38 gun frigate, was to be armed with additional carronades, making a total of 46 guns, thus making a nonsense of the current rating system.

18 Jan 1801 departed Deal for Spithead.

20 Jan 1801 arrived Spithead from the Downs, and then departed with the Force and Grappler for a cruise on the French coast.

13 Feb 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the Leda, Capt G Hope, from Spithead.

4 Mar 1801 departed Plymouth Sound on a cruise.

7 Mar 1801 the Leda, in company with the Captain and Achilles, joined the Ville de Paris, bound for the Channel Fleet, off the Sound.

12 Mar 1801 recaptured the English ship Bolton, of 20 guns, 18 men, and 280 tons, letter of marque, from Demerara bound to Liverpool, laden with coffee, cotton, &c., captured by the Girond French privateer, 28 guns, sent to Plymouth.

15 Mar 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the ship Bolton, Captain Watson, letter of marque of 22 guns and sixty men. She sailed from Demarara for Liverpool in company with the Dart and Union letters of marque of the same force, about six weeks since, with valuable cargoes of sugar, coffee, indigo, and cotton. About three weeks since in a violent gale of wind, the Union became leaky and water-logged, and the Officers and crew quitted her and got on board the Bolton. Subsequently to this the Dart parted company with the Bolton in a gale of wind, when the latter ship fell in with and engaged for an hour most gallantly, a large French privateer of 26 guns and 260 men, called La Gironde of Bourdeaux, when the Gironde ran her on board, and she was obliged to strike to a superior force. Two passengers were killed, and Captain W. and five men wounded. In the Bolton's passage to Bordeaux she fell in with and was retaken by the Leda, of 38 guns, Captain G. Hope, and sent to this port, but the crew and passengers had been taken prisoner to France on board the privateer.

4 Apr 1801 departed the ship Bolton, laden with sugar &c., for Liverpool.

5 Apr 1801 captured the French ship Le Desir�e, of 8 men and 70 tons, from Bourdeaux bound to Brest, laden with wheat.

9 Apr 1801 recaptured the Portuguese ship Caesar, of 10 men and 100 tons, from Bristol bound to Lisbon, laden with sundries, captured by the Laura, French privateer.

11 Apr 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the French chasse mari� La Desir�e, belonging to Nantes, with wheat and biscuit for the fleet, taken by the Leda.

1 May 1801 captured the French privateer Jupiter, 16 guns, 60 men, and 90 tons, from Morlaix bound on a cruise....see also 7 May.

4 May 1801 arrived the Portuguese brig Feijor ? laden with iron, bottles, &c., from Bristol, bound to Lisbon, captured by the Loire, French privateer, and retaken by the Leda.

7 May 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound Le Jupiter French privateer, of 16 guns, and 70 men, prize to the Leda. She sailed from Cherbourg the 1st instant, with La Dorade, of 14 guns and 70 men (also captured and brought in here last week), and La Vandomme, of 18 guns and 120 men, a few hours before the general embargo took place on the privateers in Cherbourg and every port in France, for the purpose of manning their fleet.

14 May 1801 arrived Plymouth Sound the Leda, Capt G Hope, from a cruise.

16 May 1801 departed Plymouth Sound for Spithead.

20 May 1801 arrived Spithead and appointed, with the Active, to take a convoy of recently arrived transports, with troops shortly due to embark, to Egypt, some of the troops also being embarked on board the escort.

25 May 1801 departed Spithead with the Active, with 300 of the Guards, and $120,O00 on board, for Egypt.

28 May 1801 the Active and Leda sailed past Plymouth with troops for Egypt.

May to 2 Sep 1801 services off the coast of Egypt.

31 Oct 1801 the Falmouth packet Prince of Wales arrived in the Tagus and departed for Falmouth on the 16 Nov., and during this period the Superb, Phaeton, Leda, Voltigeur, Calpe, and Hydra, also arrived in the Tagus. The Superb, Leda, Calpe, and Hydra, remained at Lisbon, when the Prince of Wales sailed, the Phaeton and Voltigeur having already departed.

15 Jan 1802 was reported to be off Gibraltar.

circa 27 Feb 1802 the Penelope, departed Gibraltar for England, leaving the following vessels at Gibraltar : the Caesar, Sir J Saumarez ; the Dreadnought, Capt Vashon ; Superb, Capt Keats ; Triumph, Capt Barlow ; Phoenix, Capt Halsted ; and Leda, Capt Hope.

Circa 24 Apr 1802 Mr. Duggan and Mr. Parker, Midshipmen with Lord Keith, are made Lieutenants, and appointed to the Leda.

29 Jun 1802 departed Gibraltar Bay for Cadiz, Lisbon and England.

26 Jul 1802 arrived Spithead the Leda, 36, Captain Hope, from the Mediterranean, last from Lisbon.

7 Aug 1802 came into Portsmouth harbour.

7 Aug 1802 landed an Arabian horse, intended for the Prince of Wales.

Circa 22 Sep 1802 Captain James Hardy is appointed to the Leda frigate, vice Hope.

2 Oct 1802 remains in Portsmouth harbour Leda, 38, Captain J. Hardy.

23 Oct 1802 on Thursday a Court Martial was held at Portsmouth on George Dixon, alias George Williams, a seaman of the Leda, for deserting from her and entering on board the Hydra, and was found guilty and sentenced to 200 lashes.

29 Nov 1802 went out of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead.

27 Dec 1802 remains at Spithead, Capt Hardy.

20 Jan 1803 at Spithead has made a signal for sailing.

22 Jan 1803 departed Spithead for N. Yarmouth to recruit seamen.

Circa 24 Jan 1803 Capt R. Honeyman, late of the Topaze, apptd to command of the Leda, vice Hardy.

25 Jan 1803 put back to Spithead due to the state of the weather i.e. strong easterly winds.

28 Jan 1803 departed Spithead again, for N. Yarmouth to recruit seamen.

1 Feb 1803 passed through the Downs for N. Yarmouth.

6 Feb 1803 arrived N. Yarmouth from the Southward.

28 Apr 1803 the Isis fell in with the Utrecht off Goree, and R.-Adm Thornborough transferred his flag from the Isis to the Utrecht, following which the Isis returned to Spithead, leaving R.-Adm Thornborough in command of a squadron made up as follows : Utrecht, 64, Capt Thomas Rogers ; Africaine, 44, Capt Manbey ; Leda, 38, Capt Honeyman ; Hydra, 38, Capt Mundy ; Ambuscade, 38, Capt Atkins ; Constance, 24, Capt Griffiths ; and 2 revenue cutters.

5 Jun 1803 remain in the Downs, the frigates Leda and Hydra ; the sloops Ranger and Cruiser ; and the bomb Sulphur.

8 Jun 1803 remain in the Downs, the frigates Leda and Hydra ; the gun brig Vixen ; revenue cutters Stag and Swallow, the latter just arrived from the squadron off Goree.

10 Jun 1803 having departed the Downs had to put back.

13 Jun 1803 R.-Adm Montague hoisted his flag on board the Leda at Deal.

14 Jun 1803 R.-Adm Montague shifted his flag from the Leda to the Raisonable at Deal.

14 Jun 1803 departed the Downs, the Leda, Capt Honeyman, for Sheerness.

20 Jun 1803 arrived Sheerness from the downs the Leda, Ethalion, Diligence, and Mariner.

21 Jun 1803 Adm Thornborough hoisted his flag on board the Leda, and is understood to be departing for the Northward, many rumours abounding regarding why, from supposed French Squadrons in the North Sea ; to intercepting Dutch whalers returning from the Arctic waters, and relieving them of their cargoes of oil.

21 Jun 1803 further to the above, the Hound, now arrived Sheerness, parted from the Leda, Adm Thornborough, and a number of gun vessels and armed cutters this morning, in the Swin.

8 Jul 1803 arrive N Yarmouth Roads and remain, the Leda, Adm Thornborough ; Gelykheid, and Penelope, frigates ; Zebra, and Locust, gun brigs ; Hecla, bomb ; from a cruise in the North Sea.

8 Jul 1803 this morning Adm Thornborough shifted his flag from the Leda back to the Gelykheid.

14 Jul 1803 departed N Yarmouth to join Adm Thornborough off the coast of Holland.

22 Jul 1803 this morning arrived N Yarmouth 5 Dutch schuyts sent in by the Leda, which were cut out of Brill on the 18th.

13 Aug 1803 arrived in the Downs the Leda, Jalouse, and Jackall, from a cruise, and remains.

23 Aug 1803 departed the Downs on a cruise.

26 Sep 1803 arrived in the Downs from the Eastward last night.

27 Sep 1803 departed the Downs to join the squadron off Boulogne attacking the invasion fleet that was building up along the French Coast.

27 Sep 1803 further to the next item the Hampshire Telegraph lists the following vessels as being involved: the Leda, Capt Honeyman, commodore of the squadron made up from the frigate Diana, Capt Maling ; sloop Autumn, Capt Jackson ; gun brigs Conflict, Archer and Bloodhound ; and the bombs Tartarus, and Discovery ; along with a number of unnamed cutters attacked Calais :

27-29 Sep 1803 attacks on gun-boats along the French coast.

2 Oct 1803 arrived in the Downs from the French coast.

17 Oct 1803 came to anchor in Dover Roads this morning.

31 Oct 1803 attack on shipping along the French coast.

19 Nov 1803 the frigates Leda and Fortunee arrived Dungeness from off Boulogne and sailed again in the night with the Lark.

22 Nov 1803 the Leda has been on shore in the recent gales and has knocked her false keel off, and is gone to Portsmouth. The rest of the squadron have quit Dungeness Roads and are now anchored in the Downs.

25 Nov 1803 arrived Dungeness the Leda, Fortunee, and Autumn from the Downs and remain with the Leopard and Sulphur. Departed for off Havre the sloop Merlin. Several neutral merchantmen remained wind bound. Wind NW by W.

27 Nov 1803 departed Dungeness for off Boulogne.

28 Nov 1803 arrived Dungeness from off Boulogne.

29 Nov 1803 departed departed Dungeness for off Boulogne.

30 Nov 1803 remained in Dover Roads, the wind blowing hard at NE.

1 Dec 1803 arrived in the Downs from a cruise the Leda, Capt Honyman.

4 Dec 1803 departed the Downs on a cruise.

Circa 15 Dec 1803 the Leopard and Sulphur, bomb, surveyed the French Coast in the region of Boulogne, and were joined later by the Immortalite, Hardy, Leda, Fortunee, and Bloodhound. On the 17th they observed a convoy of 22 brigs &c., get into Boulogne from the Westward, and were close to cutting some of them off. They note that there about 100 gun boats in Boulogne, exclusive of brigs.

16 Dec 1803 departed the Downs on a cruise.

Circa 13 Feb 1804 Capt H Digby apptd to the Leda, vice Honeyman.

Circa 12 May 1804 the Armourer thrust a hot iron into the side of a seaman, who died as a result, which resulted in a court martial, with the case being proved against the Armourer, who will pay the ultimate penalty.

19-20 Jul 1804 action of the road of Boulogne

23-25 Apl 1805 was a part of a squadron which captured off Boulogne the Dutch Armed Schuyts Nos 43, 44, 45, 48, 52, 54, 57, and 58, and the unarmed Transport No 3 and is entitled to Head-Money being one of the actual Captors.

May 1805 Downs Station

26 Nov 1805 - 12 Jan 1806 Expedition, under the orders of Commodore Sir Home Popham, to take the Cape of Good Hope from the Dutch, which involved many of the men working ashore as a part of a marine battalion.

4 Mar 1806 as a part of the squadron lying off the Cape of Good Hope captured the French 40-gun frigate Volontaire, added to the navy by the same name.

20 Apr - 31 Dec 1806 a part of an expedition to Monte-Video and Buenos-Ayres.

9 Sep 1806 drove a Spanish privateer ashore near Monte Video : on sending men to destroy her she was found to have been deserted so her cables were cut with a view to hoping that she broke up on the rocks in the worsening sea conditions.

1 Jan - Sep 1807 operations continue in the Rio de la Plata.

4 Dec 1807 captured the French privateer Adolphe on the Home station.