HMS Druid (1783)
| Career (UK) |  |
|---|---|
| Name: | HMS Druid |
| Ordered: | 20 March 1780 |
| Builder: | Sydenham Teast, Tombes & Blaming, Bristol |
| Laid down: | August 1780 |
| Launched: | 16 June 1783 |
| Completed: | By 11 November 1783 |
| Fate: | Broken up in November 1813 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | 32-gun Hermione-class Fifth Rate frigate |
| Tons burthen: | 717 57/94 bm |
| Length: |
129 ft 1.25 in (39.4 m) (overall) 107 ft 9 in (32.8 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 35 ft 8 in (10.9 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) |
| Sail plan: | Full rigged ship |
| Complement: | 220 |
| Armament: |
|
HMS Druid was a 32-gun Hermione-class Fifth Rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched in 1783 at Bristol. She served in the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars, during which service she captured several small prizes. She was broken up in 1813.
Contents
Career
Druid entered service in 1783 under the command of Captain John MacBride. He was succeeded the following year by Captain George Byron, who commanded her off Land's End.[1] Captain Joseph Ellison replaced Brooke in 1785, and remained in command for the next ten years. Druid served as a Royal escort between 1785 and 1788, returning to service in 1791 after a period paid off and under refit.[1]
French Revolutionary wars
She sailed to Jamaica in April 1792, and with the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793, returned to operate in Home waters. She captured the 12-gun privateer Espérance in the English Channel in June 1793, and the following year was part of a frigate squadron that escaped from the 50-gun French Scévola and Brutus.[1]
In 1795, Captain Robert Carthew Reynolds took over, but he was replaced the same year by Captain Richard King. King convoyed merchant ships to and from Portugal until early 1797, when Druid became involved in operations against the French Expédition d'Irlande. On 7 January she helped Doris and Unicorn capture the Ville de Lorient.[1] Ville de Lorient was a frigate, armed en flute, and was carrying 400 hussars to join the rebels in Ireland. King then moved to another ship, with command of the Druid falling to Captain Edward Codrington. Druid was paid off in March 1797.[1]
Druid was fitted out as a 16-gun troopship between February and April 1798 under the command of Commander Edward Abthrorpe. On 14 May she sailed from Margate to take part in Sir Home Popham's failed attack on Ostend.[1] The British troops landed and destroyed some sluices and locks with the aim of preventing gunboats and transports at Flushing from joining an invasion of Britain. However, high surf prevented the retrieval of the troops with the result that the landing party suffered 60 men dead and wounded, and 1134 captured. The captives included John MacKellar of the frigate Minerva and his boat crew. The sluices were fixed within weeks.
Druid sailed to the Mediterranean in 1801 to support operations in Egypt, before sailing to the West Indies the following year.[1] Druid came under the command of Commander Charles Ross in 1802, returning to Britain later that year to be paid off.[1]
Napoleonic Wars
A period of repair and refit began in 1804 which saw her retuning to service as a 32-gun fifth rate in April 1805 under the command of Captain Philip Broke.[1] Druid operated from Ireland and soon afterwards captured the 18-gun privateer Prince Murat on 2 February 1806 after a chase of 90 miles. Prince Murat, under the command of M. Rine Murin, was five days out of Lorient without having made any captures.
On 1 May, Druid chased the French brig corvette Pandour 160 miles into Rear Ad. Charles Stirling's squadron where she was brought to.[1] Pandour was under the command of M. Malingre and had a crew of 114 men. She had been armed with 18 guns but her crew had thrown two of the 6-pounders overboard during the chase. She had been bound for France from Senegal but Broke brought her into Plymouth on 9 May. About the same time he chased a large frigate into the Passage du Raz, near Brest.
Broke then removed to Shannon in June 1806 and his replacement was Captain John R. Bennett. Captain Donald H. Mackay then replaced Bennet. In 1808, Captain Sir William Bolton took command. On 13 November 1809, Druid captured the 16-gun brig Basque.[2]
In August 1810 Captain Sir John Lewis took command, sailing Druid for the Mediterranean on 28 August.[2] In May 1811, Captain John Searle took command, followed the next month by Captain Abel Ferris. She then sailed for the Mediterranean on 12 June. In May 1812 Captain Francis Stanfell took command in the Mediterranean.
Fate
By 1813 Druid had returned to home waters and was under Captain William King.[1] She was broken up at Woolwich in November 1813.[2]
Notes
References
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: the complete record of all fighting ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham. ISBN 9781861762818. OCLC 67375475.
- Winfield, Rif (2007). British Warships of the Age of Sail 1714–1792: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-295-X.
- Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1861762461.
