Madagascar, 1822
Type: 5th rate ; Armament 48
Launched : 15 Nov 1822 ; Disposal date or year : 1863
BM: 1167 tons
Notes:

1 Jan 1820 building or ordered to be built, with a circular stern.

1 Jan 1820 built or building of teak.

11 Feb 1823 during the passage of the Madagascar from Bombay to Trincomalee, a man fell overboard, and was saved through the exertions of the said Mr. A S. Wight, by his immediately jumping after him and holding him up until they were able to send a boat for them both. Further to the above, on 19 Feb 1823 during the same passage, another man fell overboard, from aloft, and was supposed to have dashed out his brains, for he immediately sunk and was seen no more ; notwithstanding this, Mr. Wight was in the act of jumping after him, and was only restrained by order, as it was not conceived prudent to risk his life without a hope of saving the unfortunate man. In doing justice to Mr. Wight's meritorious conduct, testimony is borne to his willingness at all times to prove, by any self-devotion on his part, that humanity is the inherent quality of a British sailor. See also the next item.

27 Apr 1829 further to the above Part II, some boys took a boat from Shaldon, near Teignmouth, and made an attempt to get outside the bar ; in so doing they soon found themselves among the breakers : the boat filled and upset. Three of the boys were washed upon an adjacent sand-bank, where they fortunately found footing ; the fourth clung to the boat. A crowd of people saw his danger, but no one would risk their life to assist him. The boy was in a perilous predicament, and would have inevitably perished, had not Lieutenant Wight boldly dashed into the deep water, and restored him to his family, amidst the deafening cheers of the spectators ; and was subsequently awarded an RHS certificate.

29 Apr 1829 it was reported at Portsmouth by the Neva transport, arrived today, that the Madagascar was at Malta when the Neva departed for England.

17 May 1829 at Missolonghi with the Ferret, attempting to resolve the Greek blockade of Turkish garrisons.

14 May 1829 at Prevesa, on the Corfu or Ionian Station.

15 May 1829 on the Corfu Station.

16 Nov 1829 refitting at Valletta.

6 Feb 1830 at Corfu.

25 Jul 1830 at Malta.

14 Aug 1830 at Genoa, and back to Malta.

Oct 1830 at Alexandria.

30 Dec 1830 arrived at Malta, under the command of Lieut. Geary, with the remains of her late Captain, Sir Robert Spencer. On the 3rd of that month the Madagascar reached Alexandria, with Lord Clare and suite; at four o'clock, Sir Robert, in good health and spirits, sat down to dinner with his party, at six he was taken ill, and died the next morning at nine o'clock. His remains were to be interred at Malta, as soon as the Madagascar's term of quarantine had expired.

6 Jan 1831 at Malta.

4 May 1831 in the Archipelago, Capt. E. Lyons, in command.

15 Nov 1931 arrived Portsmouth, from Malta.

26 Nov 1931 in Portsmouth Harbour.

1 Dec 1831 was paid off at Portsmouth on the and re-commissioned.

30 Jan 1832 went out of harbour to Spithead, and the ship's company was paid an advance of pay on Wednesday.

7 Feb 1832 departed Spithead for Malta with the Governor of Calcutta, Sir F. Ponsonby, and his lady and suite as passengers.

8 May 1832 arrived Alexandria, from Syria.

28 Jul 1832 at Malta, having recently arrived from Acre, when the packet Alban departed for England.

18 Aug 1832 the Hampshire Telegraph notes that Mr. W. Batten's patent compressor for checking and stopping cables has been installed.

4 Sep 1832 at Napoli di Romania with the St. Vincent and Barham.

20 Sep 1832 arrived at Trieste with the French corvette Cornelia from Napoli di Romania.

22 Nov 1832 a letter from Trieste states that affairs with the Greek Regency, Bavarian Troops are now being resolved.

21 Feb 1833 arrived Malta from Nauplia.

8 Jun 1833 departed Malta to Napoli.

18 Jun 1833 at Smyrna .

23 Nov 1833 refitting at Vourla Bay.

4 Dec 1833 remains Napoli.

18 Feb 1834 at Valletta.

23 Mar 1834 remains Athens.

1 Oct 1834 Is preparing at Malta to return to England.

10 Dec 1934 departed Gibraltar for Portsmouth.

1 Jan 1835 arrived Portsmouth, from Malta, after a passage of 39 days, due to contrary winds. En route the position of Keith's Reef or Sherkis Shoal was sighted and position confirmed.

18 Apr 1835 is reported to have been commissioned at Portsmouth and has been taken into dock.

26 Sep 1835 has been taken out of the basin at Portsmouth.

11 Jun 1836 was commissioned at Portsmouth yesterday.

28 Oct 1836 off Land's End, with the Galatea, hulk in company, en route for the West Indies, where the Galatea is to be used as a coal depot at Jamaica.

25 Jan 1837, off Carthagena, with the West Indian and North American Squadron, then blockading the port, Capt. Belcher, trying to get to Panama, joining from the Forte, and then to the Serpent to carry out survey duties in the bay and passage to Passo Cavallos, in order that supplies for Carthagena via that means could be intercepted.

5 Feb 1837 detained the Portuguese slave schooner Felix, Miguel Avalha, master, lat. 17� 47' N., long. 76� 31' W., with 326 slaves on board, which were sent to Sierra Leone for adjudication by the British and Portuguese Mixed Court who dealt with the matter on 13 Aug 1838, where the surviving 324 negroes emancipated, 2 having died before adjudication, the vessel and stores being lost in a wreck to the north of Senegal whilst en route for Sierra Leone.

1 Mar 1837 off Carthagena ; ships on the station are reported to be generally healthy.

4 Jun 1837 off Vera Cruz as a part of a squadron looking after British interests on the coast of Mexico.

5 Feb 1838 detained in at lat. 17� 47' N., long. 76� 31' W., 20 miles to the east of Port Royal, Jamaica, the Portuguese slave schooner Feliz, Miguel Avalha, master, with 326 slaves on board, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and on 13 Aug 1838 sentenced to be condemned.

4 May 1838, Portsmouth, having been docked and fitted with new main and mizen masts departed for Gibraltar to take troops from thence to Quebec.

16 Dec 1838 arrived Vera Cruz.

31 Dec 1838 at Vera Cruz

19 Jan 1839, while lying off Sacrificios during a northerly gale, had to send a cutter to pick up the pinnace, which had broken adrift, but both boats were swamped by a heavy sea, and eleven of the men were drowned, the Gunner and the rest saving themselves only with the greatest difficulty. See p. 305 at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow.

21 May 1839 had arrived Bermuda a few days previously from Vera Cruz, with freight on board for the commissariat, and was about to proceed with freight for the commissariat at Quebec and Newfoundland.

17 Jul 1839 Halifax, arrived from Quebec, having been on shore in the Gut Of Canso, but had received no damage ; the Medea steamer was despatched to her assistance.

18 Jul 1839 whilst en route from Quebec to Halifax got on shore near Cape Jack, but was got off without damage. [Lloyds 5 Aug]

1 Aug 1839 left Halifax for England, but had to take volunteers to St. John's, Newfoundland, for the Veteran Companies and it will be some days before she arrives at Spithead.

7 Sep 1839 Portsmouth came into harbour on Wednesday, and will be paid off the latter end of nrxt week.

28 Dec 1839 Portsmouth In Basin.

31 Oct 1840 Portsmouth, is ready for commission, the bulkheads and interior fittings being all complete.

7 Nov 1840 Portsmouth has been brought into the basin and has been masted.

16 Dec 1840 Portsmouth, No orders have yet been received to hoist the pendant.

5 Apr 1841 Portsmouth, taken out of the basin.

14 Aug 1841 Portsmouth, was taken into dock to complete her coppering.

14 Aug 1841 W. B. Bowyer ; Lieutenant Walter Reid ; Master C. Graham ; Purser John Reeve ; Surgeon Dr. A. Bryson ; Assistant-Surgeon J. D. Russell, appointed to the Madagascar.

21 Aug 1841 is reported to have been commissioned this week at Portsmouth.

21 Aug 1841 Captain John Foote, appointed to the Madagascar (vice Bowyer) ; Lieutenants Walter Reid, W. Austin, and E. S. Smith ; Mate E. A. T. Lloyd ; Midshipmen C. Rowley ; Volunteers 1st Class ------ Huxham, appointed to Madagascar.

28 Aug 1841 Lieutenant E, Smith, E. Sotheby, and W. Hawker ; Master's Assistant W. Blissett ; Mate B. T. Girdlestone ; Volunteer 1st Class F. Protheroe, appointed to the Madagascar.

4 Sep 1841 Lieutenant E. S. Sotheby, appointed to the Madagascar ;

18 Sep 1841 Volunteer Mr. J. Barnard, appointed to the Madagascar.

1 Oct 1841 Portsmouth, taken out of dock into the basin.

6 Oct 1841 Portsmouth, was taken out of the basin.

23 Oct 1841 Lieutenant George Kenyon ; Mate I. E. Bridges, appointed to the Madagascar.

30 Oct 1841 Lieutenant C. Wodehouse appointed to the Madagascar.

5 Nov 1841 went out of harbour to Spithead and departed the following day for Plymouth.

12 Nov 1841 Plymouth, arrived from Portsmouth, under orders for the coast of Africa.

13 Nov 1841 Lieutenant E. S. Sotheby (1835), of the Madagascar, promoted to Commander. Lieutenant E. Shadwell appointed to the Madagascar.

18 Nov 1841 in the Sound at Plymouth.

26 Nov 1841 departed Plymouth for the Cape of Good Hope, but put back Tuesday due to the strong easterly winds.

4 Dec 1841 Volunteer 1st Class George W. Leader, appointed to the Madagascar.

16 Dec 1841 Plymouth, has departed again to the coast of Africa.

25 Dec 1841 arrived Madeira from Falmouth, and departed the following day for the West Coast of Africa.

3 Jan 1842 arrived Bathurst (River Gambia), and departed 6th Inst., for Sierra Leone.

20 Jan 1842 detained in lat. 7� 12' N. Long. 12� 38' W., off Cape Mount after a chase of 2-3 hours whilst bound for New Cestos to pick up his cargo of slaves, the Spanish slave schooner Presidente, A. Beiso, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 3 Feb 1842 sentenced to be condemned. Jul 1844 the proceeds arising due for payment shortly.

22 Mar 1842 at Cape Coast with the Wilberforce.

26 Mar 1842 at sea, off Cape St. Paul.

26 Mar 1842 the Ferret arrived at Sierra Leone with 36 African natives, transferred from the Maidstone, who received them from the Dutch Governor, the slaves having come ashore when their vessel was wrecked and they were sent to the Dutch Fort at Elmina, probably late of the Vencedora.

6 May 1842 departed Princes Island for Cabenda.

22 May 1842 in company with the Waterwitch was involved in the destruction of the slave barracoons and the liberation of slaves at Kabenda, and paid a sum as voted by Parliament for services performed.

31 May 1842 in company with the Waterwitch was involved in the destruction of the slave barracoons and the liberation of slaves at Ambriz, and paid a sum as voted by Parliament for services performed.

3 Jul 1842 detained the slave vessel San Jose, which was sent for adjudication and on 10 Oct 1842 was sentenced to be condemned. Jul 1844 the proceeds arising due for payment shortly.

12 Jul 1842 detained in by the boats of the Madagascar at Rio Coanza, the Brazilian slave barque Ermelinda Segunda, Joaquim Maria Cordeiro, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Brazilian Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and on 21 Dec 1842 sentenced to be condemned.

11 Aug 1842 chased by the frigate and her boats in lat. 4� 49' S. long. 11� 46' E., off Black Point, but was run ashore, the Spanish slave brigantine Roberto, Antonio Marques, master, which case was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone, and on 24 Jan 1844 sentenced to be condemned.

26 Aug 1842 at Sao Paulo de Luanda, aka St Paul de Loanda, it is noted in a letter from the ship that 3 men of the ship's company were killed and 1 wounded when attacking a slave barracoon recently.

14 Oct 1842 was at Ascension when the Dolphin departed for England.

7 Nov 1842 at Portsmouth : from letters of 15 Aug 1842 from the Coast of Africa it is reported that a boat from the Madagascar, in charge of the Boatswain, was upset when coming out of one of the rivers to the south of the line, and that he and 12 men were drowned, this apparently having happened not long after a vessel, fitted for slaves, but none on board, was captured in the river by the ship's boats and escaped to sea safely. The upturning of ship's boats, whilst not a common occurrence, was most often likely to take place on that shore when crossing the bar in certain weather conditions. Whilst the date of the accident isn't noted it looks as though it probably happened following the capture of the Ermelinda Segunda, above.

8 Aug 1843 the ship's boats detained in lat. 4� 51' S. long. 11� 35' E., 20 miles off Black Point, the Brazilian slave brigantine Independencia, 199 tons (Portuguese), Francisco dos Santos d'Azevedo, master, which was sent to the British and Brazilian Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone for adjudication and was condemned on 10 Nov 1843. 28 Aug 1845 the proceeds arising due for payment.

28 Aug 1843 detained a slave schooner, Name Unknown, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at St. Helena, and on 14 Dec 1843 sentenced to be condemned.

28 Oct 1843 the Madagascar, when in company with Espoir, detained in lat. 5� 27' S. long. 12� 2' E., off Cabenda, the Brazilian slave polacca Prudencia, Joao Luiz da Silva, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Brazilian Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and on 6 Feb 1844 sentenced to be restored to her Master.

1 Nov 1843 detained in Lat. 7� 28' S., long. 12� 47' E, off Juma Bay, the Brazilian slave brigantine Loteria, Felicianno Alexandrino Gomes, master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Brazilian Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and on 15 Dec 1843 sentenced to be condemned.

20 Dec 1848 Store ship at Devonport.

1853 Harbour Store ship at Rio de Janeiro.

24 Oct 1858 the Flag Officer, on board the Madagascar at Rio de Janeiro, advises the Siren, en route for the Falkland Isles and the Harrier at Montevideo, to be on the look out for the Brazilian ship Santo, partially fitted out for the slave trade, and supposed to be stopping in the River Plate before leaving for the Cape of Good Hope and Calcutta, although it is suspected that she is probably nearly half way across the Atlantic, en route for the West Coast of Africa ?

8 Nov 1858 the Flag Officer has sent the Oberon to the River Plate.

1860 now based at Rio de Janeiro as the Admin, Store & Receiving ship etc.