French brig Inconstant (1811)
Retour de l'Île d'Elbe, showing Zéphir and Inconstant, by Jean-François Garneray
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 France
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| Name: | Inconstant |
| Ordered: | 6 April 1809 |
| Builder: | Jean-Baptiste Merestier, Leghorn |
| Laid down: | 11 July 1809 |
| Launched: | 28 November 1811 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Sylphe-class brig |
| Displacement: | 190/374 tons (French) |
| Length: | 29.23 m (95.9 ft) (overall); 26.31 m (86.3 ft) |
| Beam: | 8.45 m (27.7 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Brig |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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Inconstant was a Sylphe-class brig, one of 32, launched in 1811 for the French Navy. In 1815, Napoleon used her to escape from exile on Elba. In the 1820s she took part in the war with Spain and later served on the Brazil station. She also served on the French Guiana station. She was broken up at Brest in December 1843.
Inconstant was built to plans by Jacques-Noël Sané, with Jean-Baptiste Marestier supervising construction. The contract for her construction was signed with St André in April 1809, but was cancelled on 28 January 1810 when she was only 9⁄24ths complete. The Navy then completed Inconstant's construction.
Between 11 November and 29 December 1811 Inconstant was at Livorno, under the command of lieutenant de vaisseau Cornette de Venancourt. then between 27 August and 11 September 1812 she was at Porto Ercole and Portoferraio. She was at Portoferraio on 26 September 1813. On 18 January 1814 she was again at Livorno.
Following the Treaty of Fontainebleau, the victorious allies exiled Emperor Napoleon I to Elba after his forced abdication in 1814. He arrived at Portoferraio on 30 May 1814. He was allowed to keep a personal guard of six hundred men and a small navy.
Inconstant left Toulon on 24 April 1814 to carry Napoleon from St Tropez to Elba, but at Napoleon's insistence, that task fell to the frigate HMS Undaunted. Still, Inconstant sailed to Elba on 25 May 1814 and three days later she was enrolled in his navy. Her role was to maintain his communications with Leghorn.
For most of her time with Napoleon, Inconstant was under the command of Lieutenant François-Louis Taillade. She transported Napoleon and 40 troops for the re-occupation and fortification of the islands of Pianosa and Palmaiola. In addition to transporting passengers and mail between Elba and Italy, with her crew augmented by 50 soldiers, she cruised against Barbery pirates. On 6 January 1815 a gale drove Inconstant on shore. She was gotten off, with much difficulty five days later, only to have another storm again drive her ashore, this time causing even more damage. Napoleon temporarily relieved Taillade of command, replacing him with a man named Jean François Chautard. Taillade returned to (shared) command in time for Napoleon's departure from Elba.
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Wikipedia