HMS Cherokee (1808) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | HMS Cherokee |
| Ordered | 30 March 1807 |
| Builder | John Perry, Blackwall Yard, London |
| Laid down | December 1807 |
| Launched | 24 February 1808 |
| Commissioned | April 1808 |
| Decommissioned | c.1824 |
| Fate | Sold, 26 March 1828 |
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | Cherokee |
| Acquired | 1828 |
| Fate | Wrecked 27 August 1831 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Cherokee-class brig-sloop |
| Tons burthen | 23738⁄94, or 239, or 250 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 24 ft 7 in (7.49 m) |
| Draught |
|
| Depth of hold | 11 ft 0 in (3.35 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Brig |
| Complement | 75 |
| Armament | 8 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder chase guns |
| Service record | |
| Commanders: |
|
| Operations: | |
| Awards: | Naval General Service Medal "Cherokee 10 Jany. 1810" |
HMS Cherokee was a special type of warship called a brig-sloop built for the British Royal Navy. She was the first ship of her kind, and many more were built just like her. Cherokee served during the Napoleonic Wars, a big conflict in Europe. In 1810, her crew earned a special medal for their bravery. The Navy later sold Cherokee in 1828. After that, she became a merchant ship, carrying goods between Liverpool and Africa. Sadly, Cherokee was wrecked in August 1831 while sailing back to England from Africa.
Contents
Building the Cherokee
The Royal Navy ordered Cherokee on March 30, 1807. She was designed by Henry Peake. The ship was built by John Perry at Blackwall Yard in London, starting in December 1807.
When finished, Cherokee was about 27.5 meters (90 feet) long at her main deck. She was about 7.5 meters (24 feet) wide. The ship was armed with eight powerful 18-pounder carronades (a type of short cannon) and two smaller 6-pounder guns at the front, called bow chasers. She had a crew of 75 sailors. Cherokee was officially launched into the water on February 24, 1808.
Commander Richard Arthur became the first captain of Cherokee on April 12, 1808. Her job was to patrol the English Channel. In early 1809, she captured two French ships, Union and Juene Emma. The money from selling these captured ships and their cargo was shared among the crew.
Cherokee also took part in the Walcheren Campaign from July to December 1809. This was a military operation where British forces tried to capture land in the Scheldt area. Cherokee and many other ships received prize money for property captured during this campaign.
A Daring Attack
On January 10, 1810, Commander Arthur bravely sailed Cherokee into the French port of Dieppe. He saw seven French privateer ships (private ships allowed to attack enemy vessels) hiding near the pier. At 1 a.m., Cherokee slipped into the port, right between two of the enemy ships.
The French tried to board Cherokee, but her crew fought them off. Even under fire from shore cannons and muskets from other privateers, Cherokee successfully captured one of the French ships. This ship was named Amiable Nelly, and she had 16 guns and a crew of 60. Cherokee had only two sailors slightly hurt, while the French lost two men and had eight wounded. For this brave action, Commander Arthur was promoted to a higher rank, post-captain. Years later, in 1847, a special medal clasp (a bar on a medal ribbon) was given to surviving sailors who were part of this action.
North Sea Patrols
After Commander Arthur's promotion, Commander William Ramage took command of Cherokee. The ship was then based at Leith in Scotland and patrolled the North Sea and the coast of Norway.
- On January 7, 1811, Cherokee captured two more ships, Lavens Laver and Hercules.
- On May 1, 1811, boats from Cherokee and other British ships tried to capture some small ships called galliots at Egersund in Norway. However, Danish boats arrived and stopped them.
- On October 9, 1811, Cherokee captured a Danish privateer cutter (a small, fast ship) that had two guns and a crew of twenty.
- She also captured several other ships in 1811 and 1812, including Zeegeluk, Arve Brakart, Envold Fortuna, Maria, and Bergen. The money from these captures was paid to the crew when Cherokee returned to Leith.
Later Years in Service
Commander Ramage stayed in command of Cherokee even after the war ended. Then, on January 1, 1817, Commander Thomas Smith took over. Commander Smith had been a prisoner of war in France for several years. In November 1818, he used Cherokee to transport the Archduke Maximilian of Austria-Este (a royal from Austria) to Ireland. The Archduke was so grateful that he gave Commander Smith a gold snuff box as a gift.
Commander Theobald Jones became captain of Cherokee on February 26, 1819, and she served in South America in 1822. Finally, Commander William Keats took command on October 7, 1822. He was based at Leith and Cork.
A New Life as a Merchant Ship
On March 26, 1828, the Navy Board (the part of the Navy that managed ships) offered Cherokee for sale at Deptford. She was bought by J. Crystal for £610.
Cherokee then became a merchant ship, carrying goods instead of fighting battles. She was listed in important shipping records like the Register of Shipping and Lloyd's Register in 1829. Her main route was between Liverpool, England, and Africa.
| Year | Master | Owner | Trade | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1829 | Griffiths | J.Tobin | Liverpool–Africa | RS; repairs 1829 |
| 1829 | J.Griffiths | Horsfall | Liverpool–Africa | LR; raised, new deck, and small repairs 1829 |
The Final Voyage
On August 27, 1831, the ship Cherokee, with Houstan as her master, ran aground in a thick fog. This happened about 5 kilometers (3 miles) south of Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire, Wales. She was on her way back to Liverpool from New Calabar in Africa when she was wrecked. Luckily, her entire crew was saved.
