HMS Redwing

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Redwing, 1806
Type: Sloop ; Armament 18
Launched : 1806 ; Disposal date or year : 1827
Disposal Details : Supposed foundered, West Africa station : all lost ; Com Douglas Chas. Clavering
Notes:

13 Jun 1807 Scout and Redwing captured the Spanish privateer De Bon Vassallio, 3 guns, 42 men, on the Mediterranean station.

7 May 1808 off Cape Trafalgar, attacked a Spanish convoy, driving on shore the protecting gun-boats, and sank or captured most of the merchant vessels.

8 Feb 1809 Amphion, and Redwing, cruising off Long island in the Adriatic : action at the island of Melida.

16 Sep 1811 captured the French privateer Victorieux.

Deal 31 Dec 1811 departed on a cruise.

Off Toulon 15 Aug 1812 Joined from Mahon, and proceeded on the 16th to Malta, with dispatches.

30-31 Mar 1813 Undaunted, Volontaire and Redwing : ship's boats brought out 11 vessels laden with oil, and destroyed others in the harbour of Morgion.

2 May 1813 Repulse, and Undaunted, Volontaire and Redwing : ship's boats captured 6 small vessels and destroyed shore installations in the harbour of Morgion.

18 Aug 1813 ships' boats of the Undaunted, Redwing, Kite, Caledonia, Hibernia, Barfleur, and Prince-of-Wales captured 3 gun-boats, and 24 merchant settees and tartans in the harbour of Cassis.

28 Apr 1814 arrived Spithead from Cherbourg.

18 May 1814 departed Spithead with French prisoners on board for Cherbourg.

23 May 1814 arrived Spithead from Cherbourg with a few English prisoners.

25 May 1814 departed Spithead with French prisoners and a convoy of transports with more on board.

1 Jun 1814 Will sail Spithead with the Mediterranean convoy as far as Gibraltar the moment the wind is fair.

24 Aug 1814 departed Spithead with a convoy for Spain and Portugal.

31 Aug 1814 Has replenished her stores at Spithead and is ready for sea.

1 Oct 1814 Remains in the Tagus.

2 Oct 1814 departed Lisbon with a convoy for England.

19 Oct 1814 arrived Spithead with a convoy from Lisbon and the North coast of Spain.

4 Nov 1814 departs Spithead tomorrow morning with a convoy for the West Indies.

9 Nov 1814 Remains at Lymington with the West India convoy, wind bound.

15 Nov 1814 Detained at Lymington with the West India convoy by westwardly winds in Yarmouth Roads.

19 Nov 1814 Has returned to Spithead with the West India convoy from Yarmouth and Lymington Roads to the Motherbank, Stokes Bay and Spithead.

2 Dec 1814 departed from St. Helen's with a convoy for the West Indies.

5 Dec 1814 departed Torbay with her convoy this morning.

25 Dec 1814 departed Falmouth with the out-ward bound West Indies convoy.

6 Aug 1815 arrived Spithead from a cruise.

15 Nov 1815 arrived Spithead from Shields.

14 Jun 1820 Lying at St Helena.

20 Sep 1820 remains St Helena.

11 Oct 1820 the Admiralty announced that the commanding officers of the following vessels now cruising on the Cape of Good Hope and St Helena Station, ie the Vigo, Blossom, Menai, Brazen, Redwing, Heron, Rosario, Shearwater and Cygnet, 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.

25 Nov 1820 remains at Ascension.

18 Feb 1822 went down from Hamoaze into Plymouth Sound.

14 Oct 1824 remains Devonport.

4 Jun 1825 departed Portsmouth for the West Coast of Africa.

13 Aug 1825 arrived Freetown, Sierra Leone from England having touched at the Cape de Verd Islands, having gone aground off the island of Bonavista. She sails shortly for the Cape Coast Csstle.

9 Sep 1825 the Atholl, when in company with the Esk and Redwing, detained in lat. 2� 23' N. long. 4� 17' E., the Brazilian slave schooner Uniao, Joz� Ramos Gomis, Master, which was sent for adjudication to the British and Portuguese Court of Mixed Commission, Sierra Leone, and 21 Oct 1825 sentenced to be condemned.

15 Sep 1825 departed Prince's Island in company with the Maidstone, Atholl, Esk and Conflict who departed in execution of their various orders, whilst the Redwing departed for the Bonny, Calabars, and Cameroons rivers, the Redwing being chosen on account of her bad sailing qualities, occasioned by her having struck on a coral reef in her way from England. On the 5 Oct Captain Clavering came too off the Old Calabar, and sent his boats, under command of Lieutenant Card, to examine the river, who at daylight, on the 6th, discovered two vessels working down, who, on seeing the boats hoisted Spanish colours, and commenced a heavy fire of grape and musketry, which was returned by Lieutenant Card and his boats crews. After 15 minutes from the commencement he succeeded in boarding the first, and carried her, sword in hand, in a very, gallant manner, but not without their slightly wounding the gunner, Mr. Messum, in the hand and one of the men in the chest, who was said to be doing well. The crew of the other perceiving the fate of their consort, took to their boats and escaped, among the bushes. They proved to be the Teresa and Isabella, belonging to St. Jago de Cuba, the former with 248, and the latter 273 slaves.

The following story would appear to have taken many months to come to light, e.g. in May 1826, although, as a result of the non-appearance of the prize at Sierra Leone was still the subject of much rumour for a long time, although the commanding officer seem to have surmised what probably happened :
6 Oct 1825 the Spanish slave brigantine Isabella, Francisco Granelle, Master, was detained as described above. A prize crew of 3 Officers and 12 men was put in charge to take the prize to Sierra Leone, but after a few days they fell in with the Brazilian slave schooner "Disuniao," Fernando da Costa Piera, Master, which the Prize Master of the "lsabella" captured transferring 1 Officer and a part of his crew to the newly-taken prize. Soon after this division of the British force, the 2 prizes, whilst on their passage towards Sierra Leone, in company, encountered a piratical Spanish brig, "Pelicano," commanded by Don Joz� Sagara, well armed and manned, and which succeeded in capturing both of them, after a sharp engagement, during the progress of which, and after its close, the whole of the British crews, and many of the Brazilians, were killed.

11 Oct 1825 the boats were again sent manned and armed under Lieutenant Card, who upon opening the harbour discovered a schooner apparently ready for sea. Upon seeing the boats she fired several guns, slipped her cables, made sail to escape, but after a chase of a few hours was captured by the Teresa, in charge of Lieutenant Wilson. She proved to be the Ana, of St. Jago de Cuba, with 106 slaves.

19 Oct 1825 unfortunately the Teresa was subsequently lost in a squall and the Commodore, in the Maidstone, wrote to the Admiralty as follows : "I am sorry to have the painful duty of detailing to their Lordships, and it is with feelings of the most poignant regret I do so, that on the 19th, at 2.30. A.M. the Teresa experienced a heavy squall off the land, which took the vessel so suddenly, that in spite of every effort, threw her on her beam ends, and she instantly sunk, by which dreadful catastrophe 2 marines, 1 seaman, and a boy belonging to the Redwing, 192 slaves, and a Spaniard, have unfortunately perished ; 50 slaves having been removed the day previous by order of Captain Clavering into the other vessel, on account of her being too much crowded. Lieutenant Wilson, Mr. M'Gowan, mate, four slaves, and the rest of the crew, by the interposition of Providence, were picked up the next morning off loose spars, after being upwards of eight hours immersed in the water ; the Redwing, although in company, not being aware from the darkness of the night until daylight of the melancholy accident.

5-11 Oct 1825 capture of the Spanish brigantine Isabella [moiety of bounty-money granted for certain slaves per London Gazette of 16 Nov 1827]. 16 Feb 1831 final account of the seizor's moiety of the proceeds of the hull and cargo of the schooner Ana, and of the bounty money granted, for the release of certain natives of Africa on board that vessel, and the schooner Teresa, captured 6 and 11 Oct 1825, to be delivered to the High Court of Admiralty 4 Mar 1831.

8 Mar 1826 detained off Whydah the French vessel Cantabre, 219 tons, Chenum, Master, which is known to be a slave trader, and is suspected of having two sets of documents : as a French vessel she is unable to detain the vessel, but if say she is really a Dutch vessel, as several have been lately, then she can be arrested in accordance with the Treaty with the Netherlands. It is "merely" (!) a case of finding the second set of papers, otherwise there could well be a diplomatic incident brewing ?

13 May 1826 at Sierra Leone, where the captain writes to the Commissioners of the Mixed Courts regarding an inquiry into the apparent disappearance of a prize, Isabella, taken last October, which it is suspected had been taken by pirates. Those missing are detailed as follows :-

Name Rating age height complexion Marks and scars etc. A Native of :
Mr Charles Reynolds Jackson Admiralty Mate




James Harman Fitzmaurice Mate




James Stewart Assistant Surgeon




George Smith Able Seaman 36 5 ft 8� ins. fresh potted with small-pox North Shields
George Hill Able Seaman 32 5 ft 4� ins. dark
Dover, Kent
William Lewis Able Seaman 19 5 ft 4 ins. fresh
Clare, Suffolk
William Edging Ordinary Seaman 21 5 ft 5 ins. fresh potted with small-pox London
William Johnson Able Seaman 21 5 ft 7 ins. sallow
Maidstone
John Lock Ordinary Seaman 19 5 ft 2 ins. fresh potted with small-pox Exeter
Richard Brown Able Seaman 21 5 ft 5� ins. dark
Nottingham
Henry Lewis Boy Seaman 1st Class 18 5 ft 2 ins. fresh
London
Alfred Nave Private Marine 22 5 ft 7 ins. sallow
Norwich
Robert Beales Private Marine 19 5 ft 6� ins. dark scars on face Barnham-Broome

2 Kroomen





13 Nov 1826 departed from Cape Coast Castle.

27 Nov 1826 departed from St. Thomas's. Is reported to have departed for England with Major Rowan, commissioner of the West African inquiry, and to have some damage to her hull repaired.

16 Dec 1826 Admiralty Clerk of the Maidstone apptd to be Purser of the Redwing, vice Braund deceased.

16 Dec 1826 Mid Webb, of the Redwing, apptd. Lieutenant of the Redwing vice Lieut Douglas, invalided.

Portsmouth 27 Jan 1827 arrived from the West Coast of Africa. It is reported that during her 2 year commission that 9 officers and nearly 50 men have either died from fever or onboard detained slave vessels, or have been invalided home, and one who was taken by a shark just prior to sailing, whilst bathing.

June 1827 was reported to be back on the West Africa station. 1827 supposed foundered, West Africa station : all lost ; Com. Douglas Chas. Clavering.

9 Apr 1831 prize money due for Anna and Teresa, captured 6 and 11 Oct. 1825, due to be paid.

Redwing,