Shark, 1779
Type: Sloop ; Armament 16
Launched : 1780 ; Disposal date or year : 1818
Disposal Details : Wrecked at Jamaica. Lieut. Charles Newton Hunter (actg. Com.)
Notes:

1793 : a part of the first squadron on the Newfoundland station following the outbreak of war.

13 Aug 1800 following problems with neutral states and a diplomatic breakdown involving the Danish 40-gun 18-pounder frigate Freya and her convoy in July ; see the Naval Chronicle, vol 4, p 157, the Baltic fleet, which was on the eve of sailing, received orders to remain in port ; this detention was, however, on the 13th relinquished, and the fleet departed from Yarmouth under convoy of the Shark and Lynx sloops of war.

16 Jan 1801 departed Sheerness for Cuxhaven.

15 Apr 1801 arrived this morning at N. Yarmouth from a cruise off Goree, a squadron from Adm. Dickson's North Sea Fleet, which appears to have changed somewhat since it departed : the Princess of Orange, Leyden, Assistance, Monmouth, Madras, Agincourt, Latona, Waarzaamheid, Shark, Diligence, Drake and Wright armed ship.

18 May 1801 departed Sheerness, the Shark, 18, Capt J Carthew, for Spithead, and from thence to take a convoy to the West Indies.

20 May 1801 the Hydra, Hon Capt Paget, arrived Spithead with the Terpsichore, 32, Capt Mackellar ; the Shark, 16, Capt Carthew, and a convoy, from the Downs, with Lord de Grey Wilton as a passenger in the former. The convoy included transports on board of which troops would soon be embarked for Egypt.

20 May 1801 appointed, with the Ambuscade, to take a convoy to the West Indies.

15 Jun 1801 departed Spithead for Falmouth, to collect the outward-bound West India convoy.

23 Jun 1801 the Shark, Capt Carthew, joined the Garland off Falmouth, with the vessels from this port.

16 Oct 1801 the Falmouth packet, Princess Elizabeth, Capt Kidd, called at Jamaica, where he found HM Ships Cumberland, Abergavenny, Topaze, Circe, Cerberus, Retribution, Volage, Shark, Calypso, and Merlin, and during her stay the Carnatic, Seine, and Crescent arrived, and Capt Kidd departed Jamaica 2 Nov., with HM ship Apollo in company.

Circa 26 Dec 1801 Lieutenant Johnson, made Commander of the Shark.

Circa 26 Dec 1801 Captain Carthew, of the Shark, is to be made Post, apptd to the Garland.

Circa 14 May 1802 the Stork, just arrived Jamaica from England, in a letter to Portsmouth, reports the departure of the sloop Shark, Capt Johnstone, lately from Jamaica for St Lucia, so dates more than a little approximate.

Circa 22 Sep 1802 Captain Huring is appointed to the Shark.

13 Jan 1803 when the Falmouth packet Leicester arrived at Port Royal, Jamaica, she found lying there the Leviathan, 74 ; Bellerophon, 74 ; Vanguard, 74 ; Elephant, 74 ; Desiree, 40 ; and sloops Shark, Pelican and Racoon ; the De Ruyter arriving on the 17 Jan, with the 87th Regt., from Curacoa, and on the 21st the Theseus, 74 ; Cumberland, 74 ; Goliath, 74 ; and Ganges, 74, from a cruise.

14 May 1803 letters are received at Plymouth, reporting the arrival of the Hercule, Capt Ferris, at Guadaloupe on 5 Apr, from Plymouth, and expects to depart shortly for Jamaica. The letters also advise that the Blenheim has recently been ashore and had to throw 18 guns overboard to get off, and has gone to Martinique. The Elephant, Vanguard, and Bellerophon, 74s, and the frigate Desiree, were reported to be at Jamaica. The Goliath, Cumberland and Theseus were on a cruise, as were the Tartar, Shark and Echo, off the North of Jamaica, and the Calypso off Cape Tiberon.

31 Jul 1803 the merchant ship Henrietta, of Guernsey, Capt Poingdestre, departed Honduras, for London, laden with logwood and other stores. She came through the Gulf [Gulph], with the Shark, bound for Jamaica, until the Shark was relieved by the Port Mahon, whose commanding officer, Capt Neville died shortly afterwards.

19 Sep 1803 Port Royal, Jamaica.

Circa 13 Feb 1804 Lieut Baker apptd to the Shark, vice Herring, deceased.

1805 Jamaica Station.

1807 Receiving Ship.