Melpomene, 1794
Type: Frigate ; Armament 40
Taken from the French, at Corsica, 10 Aug 1794 ;
Disposal date or year : 1815
Notes:

10 Aug 1794, the French frigates Melpom�ne and Mignonne taken at the surrender of Calvi. The latter mounted 32 guns, 8 and 4 pounders, was small and of little value, and, after lying up for a year or two, was burnt as unserviceable at Porto-Ferrajo. The Melpom�ne, a fine 40-gun frigate of 1014 tons, and was added to the British navy as a cruising frigate of the 38-gun class.

11 Jul 1796 captured the French privateer Revanche.

15 May 1797 captured the French privateer Espi�gle.

About the end of 1797 captured the French privateer Triton in the Channel.

3-4 Aug 1798 boats of the Melpomene and Childers captured the French 14-gun brig Aventurier from the port of Corigiou.

28 Oct 1798 Caesar, Terrible and Melpomene chase French Squadron on its return from Ireland.

Nov 1798 captured the French privateer Tigre on the Irish station.

1 Jan 1799 Capt. Sir C. Hamilton. Refitting at Plymouth.

9 Jan 1799 Plymouth, departed on a cruise.

28 Feb 1799 captured the French Corvette Zelie, 18 guns, and 94 men, nine leagues from the Saints, in site of the Melampus, a fine vessel from L'Orient, which had not long since taken the Betsy, a valuable English brig from Santa Crux, bound for Liverpool, with sugar, ivory, after which the Melpomene left in chace of, but before she could come up with her subsequent reports advise that the Betsey was run on shore among the rocks on the Penmarks and was totally destroyed.

2 Mar 1799 arrived Plymouth La Zel�.

3 Mar 1799 off Brest.

5 Mar 1799 the Melpomene, with another frigate was blocking up a provision fleet (bound coastwise for the fleet at Brest, to be from L'Orient, in a Bay between those two Ports.

25 Mar 1799 Plymouth, arrived from a cruise.

29 Mar 1799 Plymouth, departed with French prisoners for Portsmouth.

1 Apr 1799 Plymouth, arrived from Portsmouth.

19 Jun 1799 in Plymouth Sound.

3 Jul 1799 Plymouth, departed with the Phaeton, and Doris with several flat-bottomed boats, for the secret expedition fitting out at Portsmouth.

14 Jul 1799 Plymouth, arrived the Pearl, 34, from Portsmouth, with the Melpomene.

21 Jul 1799 Plymouth, in consequence of orders from the Admiralty, the Melpomene, Proselyte, Unicorn, Pomone, and Nereide frigates departed for Cork and Waterford, to take in troops for the Downs.

26 Jul 1799 Plymouth, arrived from Waterford the Nereide, 30, with part of the 29th regiment on board from Waterford for the Downs. She parted company in the Channel with the Melpomene, 44, and Proselyte, 36, with the remainder of the 29th regiment on board, in the evening the Nereide departed for the Downs, and the latter frigates passed this port.

13 Aug-Oct 1799 employed on expedition to Holland.

13 Dec 1799 Portsmouth, arrived from a cruise on the coast of France.

13 Feb 1800 Portsmouth, departed with the Magnanime, and Snake, with a convoy of the East India and African trade.

4 Apr 1800 with the Ruby and Magnanime, the 3 French frigates reported to be at anchor under the forts of Goree, had left the island, so summoned the island to surrender to me, which was accepted and landed the marines of the squadron and took possession of the garrison.

13 Apr 1800 sent Mr. Palmer with two boats and thirty men to Jool (a factory dependant on Goree); he returned on the 22d, having executed his orders, and bringing with him a French brigantine and sloop loaded with rice.

17 Jun 1800 captured on the coast of France the French letter of marque Anguste, 10 guns and 50 men, bound from Bourdeaux to Guadaloupe.

3 Jul 1800 Portsmouth, arrived from the coast of Guinea, with the account of his having taken Goree, in company with the Magnanime and Ruby.

4 Jul 1800 Portsmouth, arrived L'Auguste Spanish letter of marque, of 10 guns and 50 men, captured by the Melpomene.

Circa 1 Sep 1800 ---------- Palmer, Esq who particularly distinguished himself under Sir Charles Hamilton, at Goree, is made a Lieutenant of the Melpomene.

1 Sep 1800 Lt Edward O'Brien, late 1st of the Melpomene, is promoted Master and Commander and appointed to the Alecto.

4 Oct 1800 Portsmouth, went out of harbour with the Fly to Spithead.

15 Oct 1800 a court martial was held on board the Gladiator, in Portsmouth harbour, on Thomas M'Cartey, a seaman belonging to the Melpomene, for desertion. The sentence being proved he was sentenced to be hanged. There appears to be a bit of history behind the reason for such a severe sentence : this was the third time of his desertion after receiving each time the bounty for entering into the service : in addition he lied when entering the service, giving incorrect information regarding his place of birth, religion and former service. He is the first seaman to be condemned to death for desertion during the present war, but there have been 300 instances of desertion at Portsmouth in the previous 5 months and it was considered that in view of the effect desertion was having on the manning of ships an example should be set.

3 Jan 1801 ship's boats capture and destroy a French brig-corvette at S�n�gal.

19 Aug 1802 arrived at the Motherbank, for quarantine, in the Solent, the Melpomene, 44, Captain Sir Charles Hamilton, with part of the 59th regiment on board, from Antigua.

21 Aug 1802 departed Spithead for Deptford, to be paid off.

23 Aug 1802 passed through the Downs from Spithead to Sheerness.

17 Nov-30 Dec 1802 prize money resulting from the expedition to Holland due for payment.

17 Feb 1803 taken into dock at Deptford to be repaired.

20 Feb 1803 the Melpomene, Capt Oliver, has arrived in the Humber with a convoy, including 32 vessels from Hamburgh, and 14 outward bound ships from London, who after reaching the Elbe, in the light of what was taking place ashore, with the French Army heading northwards, considered it not prudent to proceed any further.

14 Jul 1803 came into the Downs from the Nore and remains.

31 Jul 1803 in company with the [Melpomene,] Trusty, Ariadne, Magnanime, Pluto, Meteor, Favorite, Merlin, Hecla, and Zebra, Locust Brig, and Nancy and King George Cutters captured the Postilion.

7 Aug 1803 departed the Downs for a cruise on the Coast of France.

22 Aug 1803 arrived in the Downs from a cruise.

26 Aug 1803 departed the Downs on a cruise.

25 Oct 1803 arrived Spithead with a convoy from the Downs.

28 Oct 1803 departed Spithead to join the squadron off Havre.

26 Oct 1803 Mr Trotter, master of the Melpomene was court martialled for disobedience of orders, but the charge not being proved he was acquitted.

20 Dec 1803 the Melpomene, Capt Oliver, in company with the Pheasant, and Princess Augusta, arrived Spithead from off Havre.

28 Dec 1803 departed Spithead for off Havre.

9 Feb 1804 arrived at Spithead from off Havre with only one day's victuals remaining, the Melpomene, Capt Oliver.

24 Feb 1804 departed Spithead, for a cruise off Havre, the Melpomene, Capt Oliver.

22 May 1804 the Melpomene, Capt Oliver, arrived Spithead from off Havre.

29 May 1804 came into Portsmouth harbour from Spithead.

9 Jun 1804 departed Portsmouth harbour for Spithead.

11 Jun 1804 departed Spithead, the Melpomene, to join the Squadron off Havre.

11 Jun 1804 departed Spithead, the Melpomene, to join the Squadron off Havre.

Circa 14 Jul 1804 it has been reported at Portsmouth by the Melpomene, per the Nancy cutter, that 70 gun brigs had lately come down the Seine, and joined the flotilla at Havre.

23 Jul -1 Aug 1804 bombardment of H�vre.

Circa 28 Jul 1804 the Pluto, Capt Janverin, brings an account of a more serious attack being made by Capt Oliver, of the Melpomene, and the Havre squadron, on the gun boats of that port, than any yet effected. The Squadron has been strengthened by the Trusty, Magnanime, Locust, Gun vessels, and Explosion, Zebra and Hecla, bombs.

9 Sep 1804 arrived Spithead from off Havre.

14 Nov 1804 arrived Spithead, the Melpomene, Capt Oliver, with the Clinker gun vessel, from off Havre.

Circa 1 Dec 1804 Capt Laroche, apptd to the Melpomene, at Portsmouth, vice Capt Oliver.

2 Dec 1804 departed Spithead the Melpomene, Capt Laroche, to join the Squadron off Havre.

May 1805 On a cruise westward

21 Aug 1807 captured the vessels La Grue and Bizarro, when in company with the Unite and Weazle.
24 Apr 1817 it was announced that copies of accounts of sale and proceeds' of the La Grue and Bizarro, were to be lodged in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty, on the 12 May 1817. Unfortunately though, for those entitled to the prize money from that time on things didn't seem to go as smoothly as they shoulda : the estate of the agent responsible for paying the prize money had gone bankrupt and therefore subsequent payments of the prize money were made in instalments, thus, presumably not amounting to the full sum due.
25 March 1822 notice was given that distribution of the dividends received by the Treasurer of this Institution, from the estate of Messrs Lark and Woodhead, in the undermentioned prize cases, will commence on 10 Apr next. Whether any dividends were paid in the interim I know not, but the final dividend of 5�d. in the pound due in this respect, didn't become due to be paid by the Examiner of Prize Accounts until 2 Jul 1850.

11 May 1809 chased a Danish man-of-war cutter on shore at Huilbo, following which the ship's boats were despatched to destroy the vessel.

23 May 1809 action off the Great Belt, off Omoe island, with about 20 Danish gun-boats which caused the ship and her crew serious damage.

7 Jul 1809 ships' boats of the Implacable, Bellerophon, Melpom�ne, and Prometheus capture 6 Russian gun-boats, and sink another : take 12 merchant vessels laden with powder and provisions for the Russian army, and burn another.

Portsmouth 12 Jul 1811 arrived from Lisbon.

Portsmouth 1 Aug 1811 departed for Lisbon with transports, but the wind changing to an unfavourable direction, remained at St. Helen's.

Portsmouth 10 Aug 1811 departed for Portugal with a convoy.

Plymouth 14 Aug 1811 Put back with convoy, bound for Lisbon.

Plymouth 25 Aug 1811 arrived from Lisbon.

Lisbon 18 Sep 1811 departed for England.

Cork 1 Oct 1811 arrived with transports with sick and wounded British officers and French prisoners.

Plymouth 8 Oct 1811 arrived. During the storm last night she reports that her mizen-top-mast rolled away.

Plymouth 9 Oct 1811 departed for Portsmouth.

Portsmouth 11 Oct 1811 arrived from Plymouth.

Portsmouth 3 Feb 1812 Will sail tomorrow.

Portsmouth 6 Feb 1812 departed with convoy for Lisbon.

Plymouth 2 Mar 1812 arrived from Portsmouth, and will sail from hence in a few days for Lisbon.

Plymouth 1 Aug 1812 Went up the harbour to be refitted.

Plymouth 12 Sep 1812 departed for Portsmouth, from whence she will proceed to Lisbon.

Portsmouth 17 Sep 1812 arrived from Plymouth.

Portsmouth 21 Sep 1812 arrived from the Downs.

Portsmouth 30 Sep 1812 departed for Lisbon.

Plymouth 26 Oct 1812 Came in with a convoy of transports from Lisbon, with French prisoners.

Plymouth 27 Oct 1812 Last night were landed several wounded officers from battle of Salamanca.

Plymouth 3 Nov 1812 departed to the eastward.

Portsmouth 4 Nov 1812 arrived from Plymouth.

Deal 10 Dec 1812 arrived from Leith.

Plymouth 18 Jan 1813 arrived from Portsmouth.

6 Jul 1813, arrived Halifax, from Gibraltar, in company with the Regulus and Dover, having on board 1,100 men from the Regiment De Meuron, bound for Quebec.

10 Jul 1813, Regulus departed, with the Dover, and Melpomene, for Quebec, with men from the Regiment De Meuron on board.

23 Aug 1813, Melpomene and Regulus arrived Halifax with 500 American prisoners from Quebec in 14 days.

Falmouth 27 Jan 1814 departed with a convoy for Portsmouth, London &c.

Portsmouth 5 Apr 1814 Will sail tomorrow morning for North America.

Portsmouth 6 Apr 1814 Went down to St. Helen's preparatory to sailing in the morning with troops for North America.

Aug 1814 a portion of the prize money resulting from the various actions in the Chesapeake became due for payment on 1 May 1835 : namely a dividend from the estate of the bankrupt agent Henry Abbott : no doubt one of the many fraudsters who ripped off matelots in those days : both officers and ratings being fair game.

Portsmouth 18 Apr 1815 Passed by for the Downs with troops from America.

16 May 1815, the Bacchante arrived Halifax with the escorts Ceylon, Regulus, Melpomene, and Calliope, with several transports with part of the 7th Regt. on board, en route for England.

Portsmouth 24 Jun 1815 came across to Spithead from the Motherbank on release from Quarantine.

Deal 26 Jun 1815 arrived with troops from America, last from Portsmouth.

Plymouth 4 Jul 1815 departed on a cruize.

Falmouth 7 Jul 1815 departed for the Downs.

22 Jul 1850 Balance of Prize Monies due 1807 paid, following the bankruptcy of the agent appointed to make payment.