HMS Seahorse (1748)

HMS "Seahorse" was a 24-gun sixth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, famous as the ship on which a young Horatio Nelson served as a midshipman. [cite book|title=Nelson, the New Letters|last=Nelson|first=Horatio|coauthors=Colin White|publisher=Boydell Press|year=2005|isbn=1843831309]

Construction and commissioning

"Seahorse" was ordered on 4 February 1748, with the contract being awarded to John Barnard, of Harwich, on 23 February 1748, with the keel being laid that very day. She was built to a design by the Surveyor of the Navy Jacob Acworth, named "Seahorse" on 23 August, launched on 13 September 1748 and commissioned on 17 February 1749 at Sheerness, having cost £4,063.10.0d to build, and with a further £1,264.14.8d spent on fitting her out.cite book |last=Winfield |title=British Warships of the Age of Sail |pages=p. 255]

Career

Her first commander was Captain Samuel Barrington, who took over in November 1748, and sailed her to the Mediterranean in 1749. "Seahorse" was back in the English Channel in 1752, with Barrington being succeeded by Hugh Palliser in April 1753. "Seahorse" then served initially in Home waters, before sailing to North America in January 1755. She returned to Britain in July that year, carrying the flag of Admiral Augustus Keppel. Captain George Darby took command in 1756, and sailed from Britain bound for Newfoundland on 15 May 1756. Darby was succeed by Captain Thomas Taylor in March 1757, under whom "Seahorse" was active in the North Sea, later fighting an engagementwith the sloops HMS "Raven" and HMS "Bonetta" against two enemy frigates off Ostend. "Seahorse" was then briefly under the command of acting Commander James Hackman from July 1758, before Captain James Smith took over command in October. The "Seahorse" then left for North America on 14 February 1759, and spent the rest of the year at Quebec.

The "Seahorse" was surveyed on 24 January 1760 and declared in need of repairs. A large repair was carried out at Deptford between March and August that year, at a cost of £5,765.19.8d. She fought an action with the 32-gun "L’Aigrette" on 10 January 1761, before passing under the command of Captain Charles Cathcart Grant later in the month. She sailed for India on 4 February 1761 to observe the transit of Venus, and then moved to Manilla until October 1762. Captain Robert Jocelyn took command on 1763, after which the "Seahorse" returned to England and was paid off in June 1763. Further repairs were carried out in 1770, before she was recommissioned in January 1771 under Thomas Pasley. She then sailed to the Leeward Islands in August that year. In 1773 Digby Dent took command, before "Seahorse" was paid off to undergo another refit. She was recommissioned in August 1773 under George Farmer. A young Horatio Nelson was assigned to the ship as a midshipman through the influence of his uncle, Maurice Suckling. [Sugden, p. 81.] Also a midshipman aboard the "Seahorse" at this time was Thomas Troubridge, another future admiral. [Sugden, p. 84.]

Farmer sailed to the East Indies in November 1773. On 19 February 1775 "Seahorse" fought a battle with two of Hyder Ali's ketches off Anjengo. Farmer was succeeded by John Panton in June 1777, though by February 1779 "Seahorse" seems to have been under the command of Alexander M’Coy. "Seahorse" was present at an engagement off Pondicherry on 10 August 1780, and on 25 August 1780, she and HMS "Coventry" captured the 32-gun "Le Sartine". Captain Robert Montagu took over command in March 1781, and under him "Seahorse" was present at the Battles of Sadras on 17 February 1782, Providien on 12 April, Negapatam on 6 July, Trincomalee on 3 September and Cuddalore on 20 June 1783. Charles Hughes took command in 1783, followed by John Drew in 1784.

Decommissioning and sale

"Seahorse" was paid off for the final time in March 1784, and was sold on 30 December 1784 for the sum of £1,115, to Richard Buller. "Seahorse" was subsequently rebuilt by John Randall, of Rotherhithe, and entered mercantile service under the name "Ravenscroft".

Notes

References

*Colledge
* Winfield, Rif, "British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates", pub Seaforth, 2007, ISBN 1-86176-295-X
*citebook|author=Sugden, John|title=Nelson — A Dream of Glory|location=London|publisher=Jonathan Cape|year=2004|isbn=0-224-06097-X

External links

* [http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhillips/info.php?ref=5867 Details of HMS Seahorse's career]