HMS Pickle (1800) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 United Kingdom |
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| Name | HMS Pickle |
| Launched | 1799 |
| Acquired | Purchased January 1801 as Sting |
| Renamed | Pickle, 1802 |
| Honours and awards |
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| Fate | Wrecked 27 July 1808 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type | Topsail schooner |
| Tons burthen | 127 (bm) |
| Length |
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| Beam | 20 ft 7+1⁄4 in (6.3 m) |
| Depth of hold | 9 ft 6 in (2.9 m) |
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Sail plan | Gaff rig with square topsail on foremast |
| Complement | about 40 |
| Armament | 8 × 12-pounder carronades |
HMS Pickle was a small but important ship in the Royal Navy. She was a topsail schooner, which is a type of sailing ship. Originally, she was a civilian boat called Sting. Pickle became famous for carrying the news of Nelson's big victory at the Battle of Trafalgar to Great Britain. She also captured a French privateer ship called Favorite. Sadly, Pickle was wrecked in 1808, but everyone on board was safe.
Contents
The Ship's Beginning
Pickle was built in 1799 in Bermuda. At first, she was called Sting. Vice-Admiral Lord Hugh Seymour bought her in 1800 for £2,500. He had been renting her for a while! Even though he wasn't supposed to buy ships, the Admiralty (the Royal Navy's leaders) agreed and officially changed her name to Pickle in 1801.
In 1801, Pickle (then still sometimes called Sting) was part of a group of ships. She was escorting a convoy when some ships got wrecked. Later that year, Pickle had a tough fight with a Spanish privateer. Her commander, Lieutenant Greenshields, was sadly killed. After this, Lieutenant Thomas Thrush took command. He had the important job of taking Admiral Seymour's body back to England, as the admiral had passed away from a fever.
In 1802, Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotiere became Pickle's new commander. He would later play a very important role in her history.
Adventures During the Napoleonic Wars
In 1803, Pickle joined Admiral William Cornwallis' fleet. Her job was to scout enemy harbors during the blockade of French ports like Brest. This meant watching the enemy ships closely.
On 25 March 1804, Pickle helped rescue the crew of Magnificent. Magnificent had hit a sandbank near Brest and was sinking. Pickle and other ships quickly came to help save the sailors before the big ship went down.
In July 1805, Pickle faced some Spanish gunboats near Gibraltar. The gunboats fired at her, but Pickle used her sails to move around and fire back. She managed to escape to safety, even though one gunboat kept bothering her for a while. Only one sailor on Pickle was hurt in this fight.
Later that year, Pickle helped watch the coast near Cádiz in Spain. She sailed very close to the harbor to count the enemy warships there. She even managed to capture a small Portuguese boat carrying food for the enemy.
The Battle of Trafalgar
During the famous Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, Pickle was too small to fight directly. A single shot from a large warship could have sunk her! So, she stayed safely away from the main battle.
After the fighting, Pickle helped rescue sailors from the French ship Achille, which had caught fire and exploded. She saved many men and even two women! The prisoners on Pickle outnumbered her crew, but the crew kept a close watch, and nothing bad happened.
Pickle had the great honor of being the first ship to bring the news of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar back to Great Britain. She arrived at Falmouth on 4 November 1805, after a difficult journey through bad weather. Vice Admiral Collingwood, who took command after Nelson was killed, chose Pickle to carry his important messages.
Lieutenant John Richards Lapenotière, Pickle's captain, rushed from Falmouth to London by post-chaise (a fast horse-drawn carriage). He stopped 21 times to change horses! This was a huge honor for him and helped him get promoted. He also received a special sword and money for his service. The path he took is now known as The Trafalgar Way.
Capturing the Favorite
In 1806, Lieutenant Daniel Callaway took command of Pickle. On 3 January 1807, Pickle was chasing a French privateer ship called Favorite. Pickle caught up and fired two broadsides (all the guns on one side of the ship). Callaway then bravely sailed Pickle right next to the French ship, and his crew boarded it, capturing Favorite!
Favorite had 14 guns and 70 men. She lost one man killed and two wounded. Pickle had three men wounded. This was a great victory for the small schooner. Years later, a special medal was given to the survivors of this battle.
The End of Pickle
On 26 July 1808, Pickle was carrying important messages from England to Admiral Lord Collingwood. In the evening, her commander, Lieutenant Moses Cannadey, thought he knew where they were. But at midnight, the lookouts saw broken water, meaning shallow rocks. The helmsman tried to turn the ship, but it was too late. Pickle hit the ground and started filling with water.
The crew quickly got into the boats and landed safely on the Spanish shore. In the morning, Cannadey went back to the wreck. He found that Pickle's bottom was completely broken, and she couldn't be saved. She had wrecked on the Chipiona shoal near Cadiz. Luckily, a diver was able to get the important messages from the sunken ship.
A naval court later decided that the wreck happened because of a mistake in calculating the ship's position. Lieutenant Cannadey was told to be more careful in the future.
Remembering Pickle
- Since 1974, the Royal Navy's petty officers (a type of non-commissioned officer) have an annual Pickle Night dinner. This is like the Trafalgar Night dinner held by commissioned officers, but it's usually a week later.
- In 2005, the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar, Pickle's historic journey was remembered. A special event called the New Trafalgar Dispatch followed the route Lapenotière took.
- A modern schooner, also named Pickle, took part in the 2005 Trafalgar anniversary celebrations. While not an exact copy of the original, she helped people remember the famous little ship.
See also
- Bermuda sloop
- Dispatch boat
- HMS Whiting (1805)
