HMS Proselyte (1796) facts for kids
Proselyte
|
|
Quick facts for kids History |
|
|---|---|
  Dutch Republic;Batavian Republic |
|
| Name | Jason or Iazon |
| Builder | Paulus van Zwinjndregt, Rotterdam |
| Launched | 1770 |
| Fate | Surrendered by mutineers 1796 |
 Great Britain |
|
| Name | HMS Proselyte |
| Acquired | 1796 by capture |
| Fate | Wrecked 4 September 1801 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Frigate |
| Length |
|
| Beam | 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m) |
| Draught | 37' (Dutch) |
| Depth of hold |
|
| Propulsion | Sails |
| Complement |
|
| Armament |
|
HMS Proselyte was a 32-gun warship in the Royal Navy. She was a type of ship called a frigate. Before she became a British ship, she was a Dutch frigate named Jason. She was built in 1770 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. In 1796, her crew had a mutiny and gave the ship to the British. The Proselyte then served the Royal Navy until she was shipwrecked in 1801.
Contents
The Ship's Mutiny and Capture
In 1796, the Dutch ship Jason was sailing with other ships from Texel. Captain Gerardus Donckum was in charge of the Jason. The ship ran into problems and had to stop for repairs in Drontheim, Norway.
On May 31, 1796, the Jason captured and sank a British merchant ship called Maryann. This ship was traveling from Nevis to Greenock, Scotland.
After this event, some of the Jason's crew were unhappy. They had disagreements about politics and felt they were treated badly. So, they decided to mutiny. They locked Captain Donckum and his supporters below deck. On June 8, they sailed the ship into Greenock. Captain John K. Pulling of the British ship Penguin accepted the mutineers' surrender. The Jason had over 200 men on board when it surrendered. A large group of soldiers from the Sutherland Fencibles marched from Glasgow to Greenock to take control of the frigate.
HMS Proselyte in British Service
The British Navy, called the Admiralty, decided to use the captured ship. They renamed the Jason to HMS Proselyte. She became a 32-gun frigate. In September 1796, Captain John Loring was given command of the ship. When she was a British ship, the Proselyte carried twenty-six 12-pounder guns and six 6-pounder guns. Soon after, on February 20, 1797, she sailed to Jamaica.
Capturing French Ships
On June 4, the Proselyte captured a French privateer ship named Liberté. This happened while the Proselyte was in the West Indies. The Liberté had six guns but only 13 men on board. The rest of its crew were away on other captured ships.
George Fowke became a Post-captain on July 9, 1798. In December, he took command of the Proselyte.
Invasion of Holland
The Proselyte was part of a British fleet in August 1799. This fleet was led by Vice-Admiral Sir Andrew Mitchell. They were part of a large attack on Holland, known as the Anglo-Russian invasion of Holland.
On August 8, the British captured several Dutch ships and hulks (old ship bodies) in the New Diep. These included the Drotchterland, Brooderschap, Helder, Venus, Minerva, and Hector. Many sailors shared in the prize money from these captures. However, an ordinary sailor only received a small amount, about 6 shillings and 8 pence. This was only about five days' pay.
The Proselyte was also there when the ships of the Batavian Republic (the Dutch government at the time) surrendered. This event was called the Vlieter Incident. More prize money was given out after this surrender.
More Captures
On August 28, the Proselyte captured a Prussian boat called the Zeeluft. Later, on October 11, 1800, the Proselyte and a hired armed cutter named Fly captured a ship called the Proteus. The very next day, the Proselyte captured a small French cutter named Victor et Natalie near Havre. It was sailing without cargo from Dieppe to Cancalle. Then, on December 1, the French frigate Loire, the Proselyte, and the Fly captured a Danish ship called the Fortuna.
Caribbean Operations
Captain Fowke sailed the Proselyte to the Leeward Islands in February 1801. In March, the Proselyte helped in Rear Admiral Duckworth's successful attack. They captured the islands of St. Bartholomew and St. Martin.
The Proselyte, Hornet, and Drake stayed at St. Martin. Their job was to secure the island and pick up the soldiers there on March 26. The rest of Duckworth's ships went on to St Thomas. Duckworth ordered the Proselyte and Hornet to take over from Unite. This allowed the Unite to take prisoners to Martinique and arrange for a group of ships to sail to Great Britain.
The Ship's Loss
On September 4, 1801, the Proselyte was shipwrecked. Lieutenant Henry Whitby was temporarily in command because Captain Fowke was not on board. The ship was sailing from St. Kitts into the port at St. Martin. It hit a dangerous spot called the "Man of War Shoal" right in front of Philipsburg.
Luckily, boats from Philipsburg were able to save everyone on board. A special naval court was held on board HMS Magnanime at Fort Royal, Martinique, on November 7, 1801. The court found Lieutenant Whitby guilty of not paying attention to warnings about the reef. He was punished by being lowered in rank. The ship's master, Luke Winter, was also dismissed from the Navy. Whitby had left Winter in charge of navigation. They both ignored the local rules that showed where the shoal was and how ships should enter the port safely.
The Wreck Site Today
The Proselyte is now a popular place for divers visiting St. Martin. The ship lies on its side about 50 feet (15 meters) underwater. It is just outside the mouth of Great Bay at Philipsburg.
Many cannons, heavy ballast bars, barrel hoops, and anchors are scattered around the wreck. They are all covered in coral. This coral has created the "Proselyte Reef," which is why it's a popular dive site. The Sint Maarten Museum has many items that were found on the Proselyte on display.
