HMS Ceres (1777)
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 United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Ceres |
| Namesake: | Ceres of Roman mythology |
| Ordered: | 16 July 1774 |
| Builder: | Nicholas Phillips, Woolwich Dockyard |
| Laid down: | 27 May 1776 |
| Launched: | 25 March 1777 |
| Captured: | December 1778 |
| History | |
.svg){kind=small} France
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| Name: | Cérès |
| Operator: | French Navy |
| Acquired: | December 1778 by capture |
| Captured: | April 1782 |
| History | |
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United Kingdom
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| Name: | HMS Raven |
| Namesake: | Birds of the genus Corvus, particularly the common raven |
| Acquired: | April 1782 by capture |
| Captured: | January 1783 |
| History | |
 France
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| Name: | Cérès |
| Operator: | French Navy |
| Acquired: | January 1783 |
| Fate: | Sold 1791 |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 450 tons (French) |
| Tons burthen: | 361 26⁄94(bm) |
| Length: |
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| Beam: | 27 ft 4 in (8.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 5 in (3.8 m) |
| Sail plan: | Sloop |
| Complement: |
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| Armament: |
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HMS Ceres was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1777 for the British Royal Navy that the French captured in December 1778 off Saint Lucia. The French Navy took her into service as Cérès. The British recaptured her in 1782 and renamed her HMS Raven, only to have the French recapture her again early in 1783. The French returned her name to Cérès, and she then served in the French Navy until sold at Brest in 1791.
Ceres was the only ship-sloop of her design. The British Admiralty ordered her in 1774 with the requirement that her design follow that of HMS Pomona, the 18-gun French sloop-of-war Cheveret, which the Royal Navy had captured on 30 January 1761 and that had disappeared, presumed foundered, during a hurricane in 1776.
Commander Samuel Warren commissioned Ceres in March 1777. In September, Commander James Dacres replaced Warren. Dacres sailed to the West Indies, arriving in December.
On 9 March 1778, near Barbados, Ariadne and Ceres encountered two vessels belonging to the Continental Navy, Raleigh and Alfred. When the American ships attempted to flee, Alfred fell behind her faster consort. Shortly after noon the British men-of-war caught up with Alfred and forced her to surrender after a half an hour's battle. Her captors described Alfred as being of 300 tons and 180 men, and under the command of Elisha Hinsman.
On 18 October, 1778, Ceres captured the French privateer Tigre.
A little over a month later, on 17 December 1778, the French captured Ceres off St Lucia. Ceres was escorting a convoy of transport at the time, and Dacres acted to decoy the French 50-gun ship of the line Sagittaire and frigate Iphigénie away from the convoy, which Dacres sent on to Saint Lucia. After a chase of 48 hours, Dacres was forced to strike to Iphigénie as Sagittaire was only three miles astern and closing.
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Wikipedia