HMS Shark (1776) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History |
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 Great Britain |
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| Name | HMS Shark |
| Builder | Randall, Rotherhithe |
| Launched | March 1776 |
| Acquired | 1775 by purchase on the stocks |
| Renamed | HMS Salamander |
| Fate | Sold August 1783 |
 Great Britain |
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| Name | Salamander |
| Owner |
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| Acquired | By purchase c.1783 |
| Fate | No longer listed in 1812 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 303, or 309, or 313, or 319, or 320, or 342 (bm) |
| Length | 96 ft 3 in (29.3 m) (overall); 78 ft 4 in (23.9 m) (keel) |
| Beam | 27 ft 5 in (8.4 m) |
| Draught | 9 ft 0 in (2.7 m) |
| Sail plan |
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| Complement |
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| Armament |
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The British Royal Navy bought HMS Shark in 1775 while it was still being built. It was launched in 1776. In 1778, it was changed into a fireship and renamed HMS Salamander. The Navy sold the ship in 1783.
After being sold, it became a merchant ship named Salamander. In the 1780s, it hunted whales in the northern seas. In 1791, it carried convicts to Australia. Later, it became a whaling ship in the southern seas for several years. Then, it worked as a general transport ship. Finally, it was used to transport people as part of the slave trade. In 1804, French forces captured the ship, but the Royal Navy quickly got it back. The ship was last mentioned in records in 1811.
Contents
The Navy bought Shark in November 1775. It was launched on March 9, 1776. The ship was put into service under Commander John Chapman. It sailed to the Leeward Islands on May 26, 1776. On July 27, 1776, Shark had a short fight with the American ship USS Reprisal, but neither ship won.
In April 1777, Shark returned to England. It helped escort a group of ships, including Yarmouth, which needed repairs. Shark left Britain again on July 27, 1777, to go back to the Leeward Islands. On July 23, 1778, the Navy changed Shark into a fireship. A fireship was a vessel filled with flammable materials, used to set enemy ships on fire. It was then renamed Salamander.
Salamander in Action
Commander James Kinneer took command of Salamander in November 1778. The ship joined Admiral Hardy's fleet. In September 1779, Commander Seymour Finch took over from Kinneer. On May 28, 1780, Salamander sailed for the Leeward Islands.
In February 1781, Commander R. H. Hichens became the new commander. Salamander was one of the ships that received prize money for capturing the island of Saint Eustatius in February 1781. Prize money was a share of the value of enemy ships or goods captured during wartime.
Commander Henry Edwyn Stanhope replaced Hichens around April. Stanhope was promoted, and Commander Edward Bowater took command on September 5. Salamander was part of Sir George Brydges Rodney's group of ships. However, it did not take part in the Battle of the Chesapeake.
In March 1782, Commander Richard Lucas replaced Bowater. A month later, Commander Henry Deacon took over on the Jamaica station. Salamander shared in the money from capturing the French ship Prince of Orange in March 1782. The Navy sold Salamander on August 14, 1783.
Salamander as a Merchant Ship
After leaving the Navy, Salamander began a new life as a merchant ship.
Whaling in the North (1784–1790)
In 1786, Salamander was listed as a ship owned by P. Mellish, sailing from London to Greenland. This meant it was used for whale hunting in the Greenland area. In 1784, it was reported to have caught "3 fish," meaning three whales. In August 1786, Salamander returned from Greenland with eight whales. In July 1787, it caught two whales near Davis Strait. In 1788, it returned to London with three whales.
Carrying Convicts to Australia (1791)
Under Captain John Nichol, Salamander became part of the Third Fleet. This fleet carried convicts (people who had committed crimes) to Australia. The ship left Portsmouth, England, on March 27, 1791. It arrived in Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia, on August 21, 1791. It carried 160 male convicts, and five of them died during the long journey.
After dropping off the convicts, Salamander left Port Jackson on September 4, 1791. It sailed to Norfolk Island. During this trip, it was the first known ship to enter Port Stephens. Several places there, like Salamander Point and Salamander Bay, were named after the ship.
Whaling in the South (1791–1796)
Salamander then became a whaler in the South Pacific. It sailed to Peru and was reported there in November 1792 with 30 tons of sperm oil. On March 30, 1793, it had 132 barrels of sperm oil and 6,000 seal skins. It returned to England on September 15, 1793, with 117 tuns of sperm oil and 6,100 seal skins.
Captain William Irish took command in 1794. On February 9, 1794, Salamander sailed again for the New South Wales whaling grounds. It stopped in Rio de Janeiro for repairs. It returned to Britain on September 2, 1796, with 141 tuns of sperm oil, whale oil, whale bone, and seal skins.
Transport Ship (1797–1799)
From 1797 to 1799, Salamander worked as a transport ship. It sailed from Yarmouth on June 17, 1797, heading to the West Indies. It was reported in Barbados and Jamaica. The ship returned from Jamaica, arriving in Gravesend, England, on July 27, 1799.
More Whaling (1800–1801)
Salamander had a "good repair" in 1799. Captain Thomas Hopper then received a letter of marque for the ship on December 13. A letter of marque allowed a private ship to attack and capture enemy ships during wartime. The ship sailed in 1800 for the Brazil Banks, a whaling area. It stopped in Rio de Janeiro in May 1800 for repairs after being attacked.
In April 1801, Salamander was near the Cape of Good Hope. It had taken a small Spanish ship as a prize. By October 2, 1801, Salamander was at St Helena. It then returned to England on November 8.
Transporting People (1802–1804)
In 1802, Salamander was used to transport people as part of the slave trade. Captain William Jameson sailed from London on October 11, 1802, heading to West Africa. The ship took on 313 people who were forced to go. It delivered them to Havana on May 1, 1803. The ship arrived back in London on August 26, 1803.
In 1804, the ship's ownership changed. Captain Derick Woolbert took command and received a letter of marque on February 17, 1804. He sailed from London on March 4, 1804.
Later in 1804, the French privateer Grand Décidé captured Salamander. A privateer was a private ship authorized by a government to attack enemy shipping. Grand Décidé had captured another ship, Princess Royal, and used it to hold some of the people from Salamander. Grand Décidé then sent Salamander and two other ships to Basse-Terre, Guadaloupe.
However, the Royal Navy ship HMS Heureux soon recaptured Salamander. At that time, Salamander had only five people on board who were being transported. Princess Royal was also recaptured by HMS Curieux. It arrived in Barbados on October 13.
Later Years
After 1804, Salamander was no longer mentioned in ship news. Its entry in Lloyd's Register remained the same until 1811. However, Britain ended the slave trade in 1807. Salamander was no longer listed in 1812.
