HMS Mercury

Naval Database

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Mercury, 1779
Type: Floating battery (1803) ; late 6th rate ; Armament 28
Launched on the River Thames in 1779 ;
Disposal date or year : 1814
Tons (BM) : 605
Notes:

6 Jan 1798 Mercury and others captured the French privateer Benjamin on the Lisbon station.

15 Jan 1798 captured the French privateer Trois Soeurs on the Lisbon station.

25 Jan 1798 captured the French privateer Constance on the Lisbon station.

1 Jan 1799 Capt. T. Rogers.

17 Jan 1799 arrived Spithead from a cruise with the Danish brig Resolution, from Venice to Hamburgh, which she detained some days since in the Channel.

19 Mar 1799 at Portsmouth, in dock.

18 Jan 1800 Plymouth, came in the Embden, from New York, detained by the Mercury frigate.

19 Jan 1800 Plymouth, passed up [the Channel] this morning, with part of the Newfoundland fleet.

24 Jan 1800 whilst cruising, re-captured, S.W. of the Scilly Isles, the ship Aimwell, of Whitby, from Quebec to London, taken 15 days previously by French privateer L'Arriege, of Bourdeaux.

5 Feb 1800 whilst returning to Spithead, close in with Peverel Point, captured the French privateer brig Egyptienne, 15 brass guns, 66 men, from Cherbourg. She had departed from Cherbourg the day before, and had not taken any thing.

5 Apr 1800 a court martial was held on board the Gladiator, on Mr. John Hopgood, Boatswain of the Mercury, for absenting himself without leave. Having been found guilty he was sentenced to be dismissed from his present post and to serve in the Navy as the Lords of the Admiralty shall direct.

3 May 1800 Portsmouth, departed the Loire, Captain Newman, and Mercury, Captain Rogers, with a large convoy for the Mediterranean.

May 1800 Captain Maitland is appointed to the Camelion, at Gibraltar, and is gone out in the Mercury.

5 Jan 1801 a French tartan, (name unknown) from Marseilles bound to Cette, in ballast ; taken by the Mercury on the Mediterranean Station.

6 Jan 1801 ship's boats captured 15 vessels from a convoy of 20 in the gulf of Lyons, from Cette, bound to Marseilles, 2 ships, 4 brigs, 3 bombards, 2 settees, and 4 tartans.

20 Jan 1801 captured French 20-gun ship-corvette Sans-Pareille.

6 Feb 1801 the American schooner Industry, from Salem, laden with cocoa, hides and fish, detained by the Mercury, on the Mediterranean Station.

17 Feb 1801 the Swedish brig Hoppet, from Tunis bound to Marseilles, in ballast ; detained by the Mercury, for breaking the blockade.

18 Feb 1801 the ship L'Esperance, from Tunis, laden with silk, cotton, and other merchandize ; taken by the Mercury and Mermaid.

25 Feb 1801 sighted the French squadron bound for Egypt off the island of Toro.

29 Mar 1801 the French bombard La Courageux, from Toulon bound to Alexandria, laden with sundry merchandize ; taken by the Mercury, in sight of Sir John Warren's squadron.

30 Mar 1801 the French bombard St. Gerrist, from Toulon bound to Alexandria, laden with sundry merchandise, taken by the Mercury, Rogers.

25 May 1801 captured a small vessel just out of Ancona, and attempted to re-capture the late British bomb-vessel Bulldog : the names of the men killed and wounded were : John Gray, seaman ; Morgan Davis, marine, killed. Wm. Haines, Thomas Guillain, Wm. Morris, Henry Mew, wounded. The Bulldog was subsequently recaptured in Sep 1801

23 Jun 1801 captured the pirate tartan Tigre.

17 Sep 1801 Gulf of Tarento, the Mercury having received Information that HM late sloop the Bull Dog had departed from Ancona on the 25 of August, with several trabacolos for Egypt or Tarento, laden with cannon, powder, shot, &c. I went immediately in pursuit of them with the Champion; and on the morning of the 15th, just entering the Gulf of Tarento, we had the satisfaction to discover the St. Dorothea in chase of the above-mentioned vessels, but at a very great distance to windward, and it was impossible to get near enough to keep sight of them after dark ; however we continued beating to windward all night, and at day-light the Champion made the signal for seeing them to leeward, close in with Gallipoli ; but she was unable to prevent their anchoring under the guns of the garrison ; this was, however, no check to the gallantry of Lord William Stuart, who persevered in a very distinguished manner, notwithstanding the fire from the batteries and the Bull Dog, until he had got close in under her stern, and then gave her so warm a return, that in a few minutes she hauled down her colours, and the cable being cut was soon without reach of the batteries. There were four trabacolos and a tartan with the Bull Dog, all of which had warped close to the walls of the garrison, except one trabacolo, which was also well in and defended by the batteries ; but the Mercury was enabled to get so near as to drop a boat and bring her off without mischief ; she is laden with brass mortars, field-pieces, &c. and was destined for Tarento. Lord William Stuart reports one man killed on board the Champion, and several shot in the masts and hull, chiefly from the batteries.

31 Mar 1802 arrived Portsmouth and put in quarantine on the Motherbank, the Mercury, from the Mediterranean.

8 Apr 1802 departed Spithead to the Eastward, to be paid off.

10 Apr 1802 passed through the Downs for Sheerness.

15 Apr 1802 arrived Sheerness, the Mercury, from Spithead, and departed for the R. Thames, to be paid off.

4 Jun 1803 departed the Downs in the evening the Mercury, Fairy, Lark, and Peterell, sloops ; with the bombs Perseus, Fury, and Terror, with a convoy to Spithead.

6 Jun 1803 arrived Spithead from the Downs having been fitted out as a floating battery.

8 Jun 1803 departed Spithead, the Mercury, Hon Capt Bouverie, with a convoy for Guernsey, and to remain for the defence of the Channel Islands as a floating battery.

6 Jul 1803 arrived Spithead from Guernsey.

8 Jul 1803 came into Portsmouth harbour from Spithead to have her stern and false keel repaired, damaged when she got ashore on the French coast.

12 Jul 1803 departed Spithead with a convoy for Guernsey.

20 Dec 1803 the Mercury, Capt Bouverie, arrived Spithead from Guernsey.

29 Jan 1804 arrived Spithead from Guernsey.

12 Feb 1804 departed Spithead for Guernsey, the Mercury.

6 May 1804 the Mercury, Capt Bouverie, arrived Spithead from Guernsey.

18 May 1804 departed Spithead for Jersey, the Mercury, Capt Bouverie.

12 Sep 1804 arrived Spithead from Guernsey.

15 Sep 1804 came into Portsmouth harbour from Spithead.

7 Dec 1804 went out to Spithead.

Circa 15 Dec 1804 the Mercury is to prepare for service with Sir John Orde's squadron off Cadiz, and thence to Gibraltar.

21 Dec 1804 departed Spithead with a convoy for the Mediterranean.

May 1805 With Vice Admiral Sir John Orde.

4 Apr 1808 with a small squadron, including the ship's boats, involved in an attack on a Spanish convoy abreast of the town of Rota.

1 Apr 1809 ship's boats cut out the gun-boat L�da from the port of Rovigno.

23 Apr 1809 Spartan, Amphion, and Mercury, cruising off the town of Pesaro, with the ships' boats, briefly captured the town and brought off 13 deeply laden vessels and destroyed the military installations.

2 May 1809 Spartan and Mercury chased two vessels into the port of Cesenatico : with the ships' boats, brought off 12 vessels and destroyed the military installations.

15 May 1809 cannonaded the town of Rotti, near Manfredonia, following which the ship's boats landed and destroyed seven trabacolos which had been hauled on shore.

7 Sep 1809 ship's boats entered the harbour of Barletta, near Manfredonia, and boarded and carried the French national schooner Pugli�se.

Portsmouth 21 Jan 1810 arrived with convoy from the Mediterranean.

Cowes Roads 11 Apr 1811 departed for Lisbon.

Plymouth 14 Apr 1811 arrived : to embark troops for Lisbon.

Portsmouth 28 Jul 1811 departed with convoys for Lisbon, the Cape and South Seas.

Falmouth 2 Aug 1811 arrived with a convoy of transports, put in by unfavorable winds.

Falmouth 9 Aug 1811 departed for Portugal with troops in transports.

Falmouth 13 Sep 1811 Is reported to have arrived at Lisbon with convoy, having departed some 36 days previously.

Plymouth Dock 23 Sep 1811 arrived from Lisbon, with a convoy and anchored in the Sound.

Plymouth Dock 2 Oct 1811 departed for Portsmouth.

Portsmouth 5 Jan 1812 departed with the West India convoy.

St. Thomas 3 Jul 1813 departed with a convoy.

Deal 19 Aug 1813 departed for the river.