HMS Surinam (1805)
 HMS Surinam struck by lightning, 11 December 1806, by Nicholas Matthews Condy, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
|
|
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom
|
|
| Name: | HMS Surinam |
| Ordered: | 7 November 1803 |
| Builder: | Ayles of Topsham |
| Laid down: | Feb 1804 |
| Launched: | January 1805 |
| Honours and awards: |
|
| Fate: | Sold for breaking on 20 July 1825 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruizer-class brig-sloop |
| Tonnage: | 384 (bm) |
| Length: |
|
| Beam: | 30 ft 6 1⁄2 in (9.3 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 12 ft 9 in (3.9 m) |
| Sail plan: | Brig rigged |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: | 16 x 32-pounder carronades + 2 x 6-pounder bow guns |
HMS Surinam was a Cruizer-class brig-sloop built by Obadiah Ayles at Topsham, Exeter and launched in 1805. She captured one privateer during her twenty-year career and took part in two campaigns before she was broken up in 1825.
In March 1805 Commander Alexander Shippard commissioned Surinam for the Channel and then the Mediterranean. In September Srinam captured the Merchant , master, which was sailing from New York, and sent her into Portsmouth.
Shippard was promoted to post-captain on 22 January 1806. However, he was still aboard Surinam when she captured the Juliana on 28 February. A few days earlier Surinam had captured the Venus, Robhen, master, which had been sailing from St Bartholomews, and sent her into Plymouth.
Surinam's next captain was briefly Commander H. Higman, and he was soon replaced by Commander John Lake in February 1806.
On 11 May 1806. Surinam captured three vessels: Pacifico, Tomasa and Alexandro. Then six days later she captured the San Domingo.San Domingo was a schooner from Bilbao. Surinam also captured two luggers from Bilbao that may or may not be among the three vessels that she capture in May. Next, Surinam captured the Anne Marie, Claasson, master, from St Thomas, and the Spanish lugger Alexander, and sent them into Plymouth. Lastly, Surinam detained the Danish vessel Constantia, Hankow, master, which had been sailing from St Croix to Copenhagen, and sent her into Plymouth too.
On 28 July Surinam was present or in sight at the capture of the French frigate Rhin.
On 11 December, while Surinam west of Belle Île watching for the French fleet under Admiral Willaumez, lightning struck her. The strike killed two men, wounded four, destroyed a mast and damaged her badly.
In 1807 Surinam was attached to Admiral Lord Gardner’s fleet off southern Ireland.
Surinam left the fleet for Plymouth on 15 November. On 17 November, some 17 leagues north of Ushant, she fell in with a French privateer. After a ten-hour chase Surinam captured the French vessel, which turned out to be the Amiral Dacrés (or Amiral Decrés). The privateer was armed with fourteen 6-pounder guns and carried a crew of 76 men under the command of Jean G. Michel. She had sailed from St Malo the day before on her first cruise and had made no captures. At the time of the capture, Pomone was in sight.
...
Wikipedia