HMS Favourite (1794) facts for kids
,_and_modified_Cormorant_class_(1805)_RMG_J4212.png)
Favourite
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
 Great Britain |
|
| Name | HMS Favourite |
| Ordered | 18 February 1793 |
| Builder | Randall & Brent, Rotherhithe |
| Laid down | April 1793 |
| Launched | 1 February 1794 |
| Completed | By 14 May 1794 |
| Captured | By the French on 6 January 1806 |
 France |
|
| Name | Favorite |
| Acquired | 6 January 1806 by capture |
| Captured | 27 January 1807, by the Royal Navy |
 United Kingdom |
|
| Name | HMS Goree |
| Acquired | 27 January 1807 |
| Reclassified | Prison ship in 1813/14 |
| Honours and awards |
Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Martinque" |
| Fate | Broken up in 1817 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | 16-gun Cormorant-class sloop |
| Tons burthen | 42688⁄94 bm |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 29 ft 9 in (9.1 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Sloop |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
HMS Favourite was a 16-gun sloop of the Royal Navy. She was built in 1794 in Rotherhithe, England. In 1806, the French captured her and renamed her Favorite. However, the British recaptured her in 1807 and gave her a new name: HMS Goree. She later became a prison ship and was taken apart in 1817.
Contents
Life as HMS Favourite
Early Missions and Captures (1794-1797)
Favourite began her service in March 1794. Her first captain was Charles White. In September 1795, Commander James Athol Wood took command. He sailed her to the Leeward Islands.
One of her first jobs was to help stop rebellions on Grenada and St. Vincent. Captain Wood's ship patrolled the seas. They aimed to stop ships bringing supplies to the rebels.
On 5 February 1796, Favourite captured two French privateer ships. One was the Général Rigaud, which had eight guns and 45 men. The other was a packet ship called Hind.
Less than a month later, on 1 March, Favourite helped British troops. She evacuated about 1,100 to 1,200 soldiers from Sauteurs. They had been trapped by rebel forces. The next day, the troops were safely delivered to St. George's.
A week later, on 9 March, Favourite chased three enemy ships near Grenada. These were two French privateer schooners and a 14-gun ship. After a long chase, Favourite captured the ship. The two schooners got away. The captured ship was the Susanna, which the privateers had taken earlier.
In July, Favourite and another ship, Mermaid, recaptured a sloop called Two Sisters. In November, Favourite helped blockade the port of Paramaribo.
The Capture of Trinidad (1797)
In January 1797, Commander Wood explored Trinidad for General Sir Ralph Abercromby. Admiral Sir Henry Harvey then asked Wood to plan an attack.
In February, Favourite took part in the capture of Trinidad. The British fleet sailed on 15 February. They arrived off Port of Spain the next day. There, they found a Spanish fleet.
On 17 February, the British discovered four Spanish ships on fire. They managed to capture one, the 74-gun San Domaso. The others were destroyed. Later that morning, General Abercrombie landed his troops. The Governor of Trinidad surrendered the next day.
Favourite shared in the prize money from the captured ships and property. On 27 March, Wood was promoted. He then sailed San-Damaso to England.
A Difficult Command (1797-1799)
In May 1797, Commander S. Powell took command. Later, in July, Commander James Hanson was in charge. Then, Lieutenant Lord Camelford took over.
On 13 January 1798, a serious incident happened. In a dispute over who was senior, Lieutenant Lord Camelford shot and killed Lieutenant Charles Peterson. Peterson was acting captain of another ship, Perdrix. Both ships were in English Harbour, Antigua. A court martial later found Camelford not guilty.
More Captures (1799-1804)
In May 1799, Commander Joseph Westbeach became captain. He sailed Favourite back to England. She then served in the North Sea.
On 15 January 1801, Favourite captured a French privateer cutter called Voyageur. It had 14 guns and 47 men. Two months later, on 13 March, Favourite chased and captured another French privateer, the schooner Optimiste. It had 14 guns and 47 men.
On 17 April, Favourite captured a French privateer lugger named Antichrist. It had 14 guns and 60 men. Favourite also recaptured its only prize, the ship Brotherly Love.
Between May 1803 and June 1804, Favourite underwent repairs at Sheerness.
Napoleonic Wars and Capture
Commander Charles Foote took command of Favourite in May 1804. On 1 August, she helped bombard Le Havre.
On 12 December 1804, Favourite chased two French privateer luggers. She caught one, the Raccrocheuse, which had 14 guns and 56 men. The other privateer escaped.
In December 1804, John Davie became captain. In September 1805, Favourite sailed from England. She convoyed a slave ship called Andersons and other vessels. They reached Gorée in November.
In December 1805, Favourite was searching for a privateer near the Îles de Los. Captain Davie found the privateer, General Blanchard, near the Pongo River. On 28 December, Favourite engaged the privateer. The General Blanchard had 16 guns and 120 men. After a 20-minute fight, the privateer surrendered. She lost 11 men killed and 25 wounded. Favourite had only one person lightly wounded.
Captured by the French (1806)
While under Commander John Davie, Favourite was captured by a French squadron on 6 January 1806. She was sailing off Cape Verde. She saw what looked like three large merchant ships with an escort. However, they turned out to be a French warship, two frigates, and a sloop. Favourite tried to escape but was trapped. She had to surrender to the French ships Régulus and Président. The French then took Favourite into their own navy and renamed her Favorite.
The French put Favourite's crew on a British slave ship they had captured. This ship, Trio, then sailed back to England.
In June 1806, Favorite reached Cayenne. She was re-armed and sailed again on Christmas Eve 1806. She was with another French ship, the brig Argus.
Recaptured by the British (1807)
On 27 January 1807, the British frigate Jason intercepted Argus and Favorite. Favorite fought for an hour to let Argus escape. But she was eventually forced to surrender. At the time, Favorite had 16 guns and 13 carronades, with a crew of 150 men. She lost one man killed and one wounded. Jason had only one man wounded. The British took Favorite back into their service. They renamed her HMS Goree.
Goree took part in the second British invasion of the Danish West Indies in December 1807. The British fleet captured the Danish islands of St Thomas and Santa Cruz. The Danes did not fight, and the capture was peaceful.
Life as HMS Goree
On 22 April 1808, Goree, under Commander Joseph Spear, fought two French brigs. The fight was not decisive. In January 1809, Goree participated in the invasion of Martinique. For this, she later received a special medal.
From 1810 to 1813, Goree was stationed in Halifax. In 1811, her captain, Henry Dilkes Byng, stopped the American ship San Carlos. He believed her papers were fake and that she was involved in the African Slave Trade. The court in Nassau released the ship because it had no slaves aboard.
After the War of 1812 began, on 2 October, Goree captured the American ship Ranger. This ship was sailing with valuable cargo. In March 1813, Goree became a prison hulk. This means she was used to hold prisoners.
Goree was moved to Bermuda. On 24 April 1814, eleven American prisoners escaped from her. They overpowered their guards and took over a schooner. They sailed it to Cape May, New Jersey, and escaped.
From July 1814, Goree was under Commander Constantine Richard Moorsom. She was involved in the capture of the ship St. Nicolay in November 1814.
Lieutenant Edward Stone Cottgrave became acting commander in April 1815. Lieutenant John Boulton and Commander John Wilson also commanded her briefly.
Final Fate
HMS Goree was broken up, or taken apart, in Bermuda in 1817.
