Myrmidon, 1813
Type: 6th ; Armament 20
Launched : 1813 ; Disposal date or year : 1823
Notes:

6 Feb 1815 arrived Spithead from off the Western Islands with dispatches, and is put under quarantine.

10 Feb 1815 departed Spithead for Plymouth.

3 Jun 1815 departed Plymouth on a cruise.

24 Jul 1815 arrived Torbay in company with the Bellerophon, which has Napoleon Buonaparte, General Bertrand, and others onboard.

6 Aug 1815 This afternoon anchored off Berry Head, and at 5 o'clock getting under way again.

11 Aug 1815 Has departed as a part of the Northumberlands' squadron, for St Helena.

26 Aug 1815 arrived Plymouth.

16 Sep 1815 arrived Plymouth from a cruise.

11 Dec 1819 on arriving off off the River Gallinas Manna, sent Lieut Nash, the first lieut, with the Pinnace and Cutter well armed, to examine any vessels he might find. He eventually succeeded in getting alongside the largest schooner, and after only a slight resistance took possession of her. She proved to be the Spanish schooner Bella Dona, of 150 tons, 2 guns, and a complement of 24 men, and a part of her cargo consisting of 122 slaves bound to Havanna. As soon as the other schooners in company saw what had happened they fired their broadsides, and when the Bella Dona slipped her cables, for Sierra Leone, they did the same, and 5 of them bore up in line and each gave the schooner three or four broadsides, but the only injury appears to have been a musket ball through the arm of one of the boarding party.

15 Dec 1819 off Cape Mount, West Coast of Africa. I Have the honour to inform you, that this morning at daylight, having fallen in with and detained a Spanish Schooner, the Virgen, on suspicion of Piracy, I sent Lieutenant Belcher, Second Lieutenant of this Ship, to take charge of her, with a party of 25 Petty Officers, Seamen and Marines. At this moment a Fleet of Schooners hove in sight, when I made her signal to chase, doing the same with the Ship I have the honour to command. At ll I had brought to and boarded 3 Schooners, 1 of them with 140 Slaves; but being under French Colours I could not detain her, though I am satisfied that she was carrying on this disgusting traffic for the Spaniards, having seen a Paper to that effect on board her. A short time after this Lieut. Belcher, in the Schooner, made sail in chase of a large Brig, the Ship being at this time out of sight ; the moment he got within gun-shot of her she hoisted Spanish Colours, and fired her broadside into the Schooner, hove up, and run on shore; the Slaves immediately jumped overboard ; the Vessel, I am happy to say, has been totally destroyed, having her back broken and 3 shot holes through her bottom. Lieut. Belcher's conduct upon this occasion, as well as those placed under him, has been such as to merit my warmest thanks and approbation. Cdre Sir GR Collier.

13 Jan 1820 off Sierra Leone. Captain Leeke to Commodore Sir G. R. Collier. Having obtained from several Persons at Sierra Leone, information of a number of Vessels being at anchor off the Rivers Gallinas, Manna and Lagesey, for the purpose of carrying on the traffic in Slaves, I immediately put to sea for the purpose of intercepting them. On the 10th December, at sun-set, being close in with the first-mentioned River, I dispatched Lieutenant Nash, first of this ship, with the Pinnace and Cutter, properly armed, and furnished with an extract of the late Slave Treaties, to examine any vessels he might find there; and I am happy to say, that the next evening he succeeded in getting alongside the largest Schooner, and the only one that had Slaves on board at the time, (the others having landed theirs on discovering the Myrmidon in the morning,) and after a slight resistance took possession of her : she proved to be the Bella Dora, a Spanish Schooner of 150 tons, 2 guns, a compliment of 25 men, and part of her cargo, consisting of 122 Slaves, bound to The Havannah. As soon as the other Schooner observed her to be taken possession of, they fired their broadsides into her, and at the moment of her slipping her cable they did the same, and to the number of 5 hove up in a line, and each gave the Bella Dora 3 or 4 broadsides. I am happy to say, we lost no men in this little affair, and but I wounded, a musket ball having gone through his arm. Considering the great disparity of force, and the determined conduct of the Renegadoes, now usually employed in illicit trading, I cannot refuse myself the satisfaction of bringing Lieut. Nash's conduct before you, and of expressing my high approbation of all those serving under him on this occasion. I have, &c. Henry J. Leeke.

25 Jan 1820 the Myrmidon, when in company with the Morgiana, detained off the River Manna the Portuguese slave vessel San Salvador, with one slave on board, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, but sentence was delayed since the Portuguese Commissioners hadn't arrived, and when they did arrive, because the Act only used the word slaves and not slave, they decreed that the vessel couldn't be condemned, and it was therefore released.

8 Feb 1820 arrived in the Roads off Sierra Leone, from a cruize to the Gallinas, and brought with him 5 vessels, taken in or near that place, viz. a Privateer or Pirate, under the Venezuelan Flag, with 2 Spanish Slave vessels, plundered by the Pirate ; a Portuguese vessel, with 1 Slave; and a Schooner under French Colours, with 104 Slaves.

19 Feb 1820 arrived in the Roads at Freetown from a cruise to the Gallinas, bringing with them 5 vessels, one of which was either a pirate or privateer, and another a French vessel, Marie, that had slaves embarked by an Englishman by the name of J Kearney, see letter in sources, who would appear to be leaving himself open to prosecution under English Law for Slave Trading. See p 189-193, NA FO 84/7.

21 Feb 1820 departed Sierra Leone for the Northward.

11 Oct 1820 the Admiralty announced that the commanding officers of the following vessels now cruising on the West Coast of Africa, ie the Tartar, Capt Collier ; Pheasant, Capt Kelly ; Morgiana, Capt Wm Finlaison ; Capt Locke, Myrmidon ; Lieut R Nash, Snapper ; Lieut R Hagan, have been supplied with their instructions, should the right circumstances arise, authorising them to detain Portuguese or Spanish vessels in accordance with the several Treaties with foreign powers for preventing the Illegal Traffic in slaves with those countries.

Capt Collier of the Tartar observed that very early in 1821, so close to the British settlements as the Galinas, the schooner Carlotta was boarded by his Majesty's ship Myrmidon; the master and supercargo were then said to be on shore contracting for a cargo. * �The vessel was under the colours of Spain; but she had no papers whatever; and though there seemed no doubt that she, like very many others similarly circumstanced, was at one period of the year engaged in piratical cruizing, and in slaving, when it seemed to offer better prospects; and it was acknowledged by part of the crew that the object of the vessel was slaving (but this was qualified by stating, that the slaves were to be embarked south of the line); yet not having any slaves on board, although the want of papers would seem to found a reasonable suspicion of her being a pirate, it was not thought prudent to take her to Sierra Leone for adjudication. But as I considered it my duty to frustrate the evident intentions of the Carlotta, if possible, I took her in charge from Captain Leeke, and towed her to Cape Coast Castle, where, after receiving the depositions of the crew, I dismissed her. When no longer detained by me, she beat round Cape Palmas, back to the very spot where she was first met, confirming my original suspicion of her object. Her cargo being prepared, she embarked 260 slaves: and the very next day, in a tornado off St. Ann's, for want of timely precaution, upset; and, dreadful to relate, the whole of these wretched people confined in irons sunk with her. And I cannot help regretting that her master, (who was the whole time on board in disguise, though sworn by himself to be left on shore,) and two of her crew, contrived to reach Sierra Leone in a boat, where I found them � as humanity would induce, but as justice would forbid � lodged in the hospital, receiving all the comforts British charity would bestow upon those of better deserts. Art. 32. 16th Report of the Directors of the African Institution, read at the AGM, 10 May, 1822

18 Mar 1821 reported in the Royal Gazette and Sierra Leone Advertiser to have arrived Sierra Leone.

17 Jun 1921 was expected to refit at Ascension during the rains in the Bight of Biafra.

Jul 1821 has examined 16 vessels in the Bight of Benin which were considered to be capable of carrying slaves.

4 Sep 1821 detained in the River Bonny, Bight of Biafra the Spanish slave vessel Caridad, with 153 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone and sentenced to be condemned on 7 Nov 1821.

7 Sep 1821 detained in the River Bonny, Bight of Biafra the Spanish slave vessel Nueva Virgen, with 140 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone and sentenced to be condemned on 7 Nov 1821.

27 Nov 1821 Is in commission and based off the Coast of Africa.

17 Mar 1822 detained in lat 5� 44 N., long 9� 50 W, off Trade Town, the Spanish slave schooner Dichosa Estrella, 1 gun, 100 tons, 20 men, aka in France L'Heureuse Etoile, late Borriguen Laura, Domingo Larose, aka Mons Larose, master, 34 slaves, wrecked in Mesurada Bay whilst on her way to Sierra Leone and condemned on 18 Jun 1822 by the British and Spanish Mixed Court of Justice, Sierra Leone. 1 Apr 1822 the boats of Iphigenia, and Myrmidon detained in lat. 5� 16' N. long. 0� 10' 30" W., the Portuguese slave vessel Des de Fevreiro, 2 guns, 150 tons, 23 men, with 10 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and sentenced to be condemned on 22 Jun 1822.

6 Apr 1822 the boats of Iphigenia, and Myrmidon detained in lat. 6� 17' N. long. 2� 55' E., the Portuguese slave vessel Nymfa del Mai, 3 guns, 104 tons, 24 men, with 2 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and sentenced to be condemned on 28 Aug 1822.

7 Apr 1822 the Iphigenia, with the Myrmidon in company, detained in lat. 6� 20' N. long. 4� 12' E., the Portuguese slave vessel Esperanza Felis, 4 guns, 142 tons, 24 men, with 187 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and sentenced to be condemned on 4 Jul 1822.

15 Apr 1822 in the river Bonny, the boats of his Majesty's ships Iphigenia and Myrmidon, manned with about 150 seamen, and commanded by Lieut G. Wm. St. John Mildmay, experienced a most severe contest, in which two seamen were killed, and seven were wounded. The French brig, of 240 tons, the Vigilante, with six others, formed a little slave-trading squadron, which was discovered, by the boats despatched by Sir R. Mends to reconnoitre the river Bonny, moored across the stream of the river, with springs on their cables, all armed, with apparently about 400 men on board, and perfectly prepared to resist the approach of boarders. Lieut. Mildmay pushed on with his boats, and, as he got within range, opened a heavy fire of cannister grape shot, and musketry ; nothing could withstand the coolness and undaunted courage of our seamen, and all the vessels were soon in their possession : their defenders, on being boarded, either ran below, or jumped overboard. The vessels proved to be as follows:� French brig Vigilante, four guns, thirty men, 343 slaves ; French brig Petite Betsey, 148 tons, four guns, twenty five men, 218 slaves ; French brigantine L�Ursule, 100 tons, four guns, twenty-seven men, 247 slaves ; Spanish schooner Yeanam, 306 tons, ten guns, fifty-five men, 380 slaves ; Spanish schooner Vecua / Becua, 130 tons, 9 guns, forty-five men, 300 slaves; and another brig, which took part in the action, but had no cargo. The state of the slaves on board these vessels it is impossible to describe : some were linked in shackles by the leg, in pairs ; some of them were bound with cords ; and many of them had their arms so lacerated, that the flesh was completely eaten through ! In one of the captured vessels, which the traders, on the attack being made, deserted, a lighted match had been placed in the magazine, in which were several barrels of gunpowder, in the hope, no doubt, that as soon as our sailors had boarded, the vessel would blow up with them and the 300 slaves who were chained together in the hold. Providentially, one of the men discovered the match, put his hat under it, and carried it safely on deck. On the passage of the prizes from the Bonny river to Sierra Leone, the schooner Yeanam (drawing 17 feet water), with 500 slaves on board, and 23 seamen, upset in a tornado, and all in her perished, excepting eight seamen, who were picked up five days afterward by the Myrmidon, in a state of derangement, from want of food. Messrs. Batty and Doughty, midshipmen, perished in her. The number of slaves liberated by the capture of these vessels was 1,876, about 200 of whom died on the passage to Sierra Leone ; the others (excepting those lost in the schooner) were landed at that place. It is perhaps worth noting that whilst perhaps the French vessels mentioned might have been charged with piracy, there is little doubt that the French would not have prosecuted them, any more than charging them with slave trading, to which the French turned a blind eye in those days, nevertheless all 3 French vessels were sent to Cherbourg, although the Vigilante was reported to have called at Portsmouth and the Petite Betsey at Plymouth.

27 Apr 1822 detained by the Myrmidon & and boats of the Iphigenia in lat. 4� 31' N. long. 8� 37' E., the Portuguese slave vessel Defensora, 2 guns, 35 tons, and 13 men, and 100 slaves on board when detained, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone and sentenced to be condemned on 4 Jul 1822.

2 Jun 1822 it is reported that a Spanish slave ship Yeanam, captured in the Bonny by the Iphigenia, with a prize crew of officers and men onboard and 400 slaves, capsized in a tornado in sight of the Myrmidon, with the loss of 2 officers, 16 men and 400 slaves, 7 of the Iphigenia's crew managing to survive on the wreckage of the Yeanam.

15 Aug 1822 one of the vessels captured at the River Bonny on 15 Apr 1922, the French brigantine L'Utile, also described in another source as the of a French brig, of 240 tons, the Vigilante, arrived Portsmouth in the charge of Lieut. C. Elliott, leaving Sierra Leone on the 23d June.