Sealark, 1843
Type: Brig - sloop ; Armament 10
Launched : 27 Jul 1843 ; Disposal date or year : 1898
BM: 319 tons
Complement: 27
Notes:

18 Sep 1841 Portsmouth, Orders received to expedite the building of this vessel.

24 Jan 1845 off Gallinas with the Larne, Growler, and Eclair, when the Penelope arrived from Sierra Leone with provisions and stores, the Sealark being dispatched to her station off New Cestos.

1846 Coast of Africa

24 Sep 1846 detained the slave vessel Tentacao, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at St. Helena, and sentenced to be condemned. 26 Jul 1848 tonnage bounty arising due for payment.

21 Oct 1846 detained the slave vessel Bonito Porto, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at St. Helena, and sentenced to be condemned. 24 Jan 1849 proceeds arising due to be paid.

22 Oct 1846 detained the slave vessel Aguia, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at St. Helena, and sentenced to be condemned. 24 Jan 1849 proceeds arising due to be paid.

18 Apr 1847 detained the slave vessel Gustavo Primeiro, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at St. Helena, and sentenced to be condemned. 24 Jan 1849 proceeds arising due to be paid.

7 Aug 1847 detained the slave vessel Lebro, which was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, and sentenced to be condemned. 18 Apr 1849 proceeds arising due to be paid.

31 May 1848 Jun-Jul 1848 Off the Slave Coast (Sierra Leone). See the vessel Amphitrite for article from the Morning Chronicle, for 11 Sep 1848.

13 January 1847-48 officers and crew paid �4 15s. 2d. in respect of excess of expenses above the proceeds of the slave vessel at Tentacao, at St. Helena.

21 Aug 1848 detained the Brazilian slave brigantine San Francisco. per London Gazette and page 110 of book entitled Six Months Service in the African Blockade, available in Google Books.

7 Sep 1848 detained in lat. 11� 46' S. Long. 13� 30' E., the slave vessel Francellina. Per Navy List and London Gazette.

20 Dec 1848 Coast of Africa.

3 Feb 1849 assembled a squadron off Gallinas, consisting of the Penelope, Favorite, Sealark, Waterwitch, Bonetta, Dart and Pluto. Boats from the squadron with 300 men passed the bar at 7.30. a. m., and landed at Dombocorro, took possession of it, and the neighbouring factories and barracoons...whilst the boats of the Penelope, pushed on to the Solyman factories, and the village of Dreesing, were totally destroyed. Commander Murray also conducted a party to Mineh, and destroyed the factories and barracoons which it contained. On the 4th the three large factories in the vicinity of Dombocorro were destroyed, along with Dombocorro itself, with all its contents, was burnt to the ground, and by sunset, the force had returned to their respective ships, without a single casualty (representing a summary of Commodore Hotham's report on the event).

6 Oct 1849 detained in lat. 11� 46' S. Long. 13� 30' E., the slave vessel Francellina. Per Navy List and London Gazette.

14 Nov 1849 detained in lat. 10� 50' S. long. 13� 39' E., a slave schooner, Name Unknown, having been run ashore and set on fire by her crew, who then deserted the vessel. What remained of the vessel was broken up and a spar was saved to be produced at the Vice-Admiralty Court, at St. Helena, where she was condemned on 24 Jan 1850.

25 Dec 1850 arrived at Quicombo, in Lat. 11� 26' S. Long. 13� 48' E., with a view to boarding and searching a vessel sighted at this place. However, before the boats could be lowered the vessel, a brigantine, Name Unknown, had weighed anchor and was allowed to drift ashore, where a large number of men had removed everything portable and scuttled her, so that by the time this ship's boats arrived the vessel was deserted and bilged. No paperwork could be found on board, nor trace of a name and by the next morning "scarce a vestige of the wreck" was left. The case was sent for adjudication to the Vice-Admiralty Court at Sierra Leone, and on 1 Oct 1851 the vessel was sentenced to be condemned.

25 Dec 1850 also detained, in Lat. 11� 26' S., long. 13� 46' E., a slave launch, Name Unknown.

Feb 1851 Sighted off Ambriz - anti-slaving patrol

2 Oct 1851 at Sierra Leone.

23 Dec 1851 at Lagos, operations recommenced against the usurping King Kosoko with a view to reinstating King Akitoye - see p. 368-> at www.archive.org/details/royalnavyhistory06clow

1860 Tender to Britannia at Portsmouth

1864 Training Brig on the Home Station. Number of Cases of Disease and Injury.

1870 Tender to Implacable, Devonport

1875 Converted for use as a training brig and her tonnage reduced from 319 tons bm to 311 bm

Apr 1886 Devonport

1890 Devonport. Tender to "Lion". Officer borne in "Lion".

26 Jun 1897 Used for sail training

26 Jun 1897 Present at the Naval Review at Spithead in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee.

Daily News of 1 May 1851
Naval Prize Money (from Tuesday's Gazette)

The Sealark.- Notice is given that an account will be exhibited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty on the 15th of May next, showing the amount of tonnage bounties received for a vessel, name unknown, captured by her Majesty's sloop Sealark, on 14th of November, 1849.- Hallett, Robinson and Co., Agents