HMS Martin (1790) facts for kids

Martin
Quick facts for kids History
Great Britain
Name	HMS Martin
Ordered	17 January 1788
Builder	Woolwich Dockyard
Laid down	15 July 1789
Launched	8 October 1790
Commissioned	13 January 1791
Honours and awards	Naval General Service Medal clasp "Camperdown"
Fate	Lost, presumed foundered October 1800
General characteristics
Class and type	Hound-class sloop
Tons burthen	3294⁄94 bm
Length	100 ft 8+1⁄2 in (30.7 m) (overall) 83 ft 6+3⁄4 in (25.5 m) (keel)
Beam	27 ft 2+1⁄2 in (8.3 m)
Draught	8 ft 01 in (2.5 m) (laden) 11 ft 6 in (3.5 m) (unladen)
Depth of hold	12 ft 10+1⁄2 in (3.9 m)
Sail plan	Full-rigged ship
Complement	125 (from 1794, 121)
Armament	Upper deck:16 × 6-pounder guns and 14 x ½-pounder swivel guns Later: Upper deck:16 x 6-pounder guns QD:4 x 12-pounder carronades Fc:2 x 12-pounder carronades

HMS Martin was a small but important warship of the Royal Navy, built with 16 guns. She was a type of ship called a sloop, which was a fast, single-masted sailing ship used for scouting and carrying messages. Martin took part in the famous Battle of Camperdown in 1797. She also captured two enemy ships before she sadly disappeared at sea in 1800.

Building and Launching HMS Martin

Martin was a special kind of sloop called a Hound-class sloop. She was designed by a famous ship designer named John Henslow. The ship was ordered on January 17, 1788, from Woolwich Dockyard, which was a big shipbuilding place in England.

Building the ship took some time. Master Shipwright John Nelson worked on her until August 1790. Then, another expert, William Rule, finished the job. Martin was officially launched into the water on October 8, 1790. She was ready for duty and joined the Royal Navy on January 13, 1791. Building Martin cost about £8,732, and getting her ready for sea cost another £1,674.

HMS Martin's Adventures at Sea

Early Commands and Rescues

Martins first captain was George Duff. Under his command, she sailed along the East coast of Scotland. In March 1792, Martin was involved in a rescue mission in the Firth of Forth. Another ship, the Paisley, crashed into a brig called Hales Castle, which then sank. The Paisley saved three of Hales Castles six crew members, and Martin bravely rescued the other three.

Over the next few years, Martin had several commanders. Commander Richard Lane took over in February 1793, followed by Commander James Newman in May 1794, and then Commander Charles Garnier in August 1794.

Royal Escort and West Indies Voyage

In April 1795, Commander William Lobb became Martin's captain. During this time, Martin had an important job: she served as a special escort for Princess Caroline of Brunswick. She was like a bodyguard ship for royalty!

On September 1, 1795, Samuel Sutton was promoted to Commander and took charge of Martin. In December 1795, Martin left Britain for the West coast of Africa. After that, she sailed all the way to Jamaica in the Caribbean.

Capturing Enemy Ships

After her long voyages, Martin returned to British waters. On February 14, 1797, Martin and another ship, HMS Espion, worked together to capture an enemy ship called Buonaparte in the North Sea. Buonaparte was a privateer, which was a private ship allowed by a government to attack enemy ships during wartime.

The Buonaparte had 16 guns, but she threw eight of them overboard while being chased. She also had a crew of 110 men. She had sailed from Cherbourg, France, but had only captured one small ship, which the British were able to get back.

While in the North Sea, Martin also helped transport an important person, the Duc d'Angoulême (who would later become Charles X of France), from Leith in Scotland to Cuxhaven in Germany. Because of his good service, Commander Sutton was promoted again on June 27, 1797.

The Battle of Camperdown

Charles Paget became the new commander of Martin. Under his leadership, Martin was part of a very important battle: the Battle of Camperdown on October 11, 1797. In this big naval battle, Martin had a crucial role. She helped to repeat signals for Admiral Adam Duncan, who was the main commander of the British fleet. This helped make sure everyone knew what to do during the fight.

Years later, in 1847, a special medal called the Naval General Service Medal was given to the sailors who fought in the Battle of Camperdown. It had a special "Camperdown" clasp to show they were there.

More Captures and Convoys

In November 1797, Commander John Cleland took command of Martin, followed by Commander William Renton in January 1798. In August, Martin captured several ships: "Three Greenland Vessels and One Dogger."

Martin also helped capture a Dutch warship called Waakzaamheid on October 24. The main ship that captured her was Sirius. Waakzaamheid was a frigate with 24 guns and a crew of 100 Dutch sailors, plus 122 French soldiers. She was carrying weapons and supplies. She surrendered without a fight. Other British ships, like Kite and the cutter Diligente, also helped in this capture.

Commander the Hon. Michael Sinclair then took over command of Martin. Commander Sinclair and Martin had the job of escorting convoys (groups of merchant ships traveling together for safety) in the North Sea to Denmark.

On April 28, 1799, Martin captured another privateer called Vengeur. This enemy ship was a cutter with 14 guns and a crew of 105 men. She was sailing from Christiansand, Norway, but had not captured any ships before Martin caught her.

At this time, Martin was based out of Leith in Scotland. Some young sailors who later became famous served on Martin. One was John Brougham, the younger brother of a well-known politician. Another was Charles John Napier, who would become a famous admiral. Martin was Napier's very first ship!

In July 1800, Martin captured a ship called Hoffnung. Then, in October, she captured two more ships: Noodster and Jonge Isabella.

The Disappearance of HMS Martin

Sadly, Martin disappeared without a trace in the North Sea in October 1800. All the sailors on board were lost. It is believed that she sank during a bad storm or in very rough seas.