Cornish Hero first appeared in easily accessible records when Captain John Hartney acquired a letter of marque on 4 March 1797. She had a burthen of 182 tons and a crew of 80 men, indicating that she was a privateer. She carried fourteen 6–pounder guns and eight swivel guns.[1] On 20 March he sailed from Falmouth on a cruise.[2]

The French frigate Justice captured Cornish Hero in the Mediterranean in late 1797 and took her into Corfu (Corcyre in French),.[3] The French Navy took her into service as Corcyre.[a] Corcyre, armed with 10 guns, then escorted convoys departing from Corsica and bound for Egypt to support the French campaign in Egypt and Syria.[6]

On 1 or 2 June 1798 HMS Flora captured the 16-gun Corcyre off Sardinia.[7] Corcyre was the former Cornish Hero.[8] Her commander was Lieutenant de vaisseau Renault. Corcyre was part of the French fleet sailing to take Malta. The French fleet left Genoa and Citavechia Roads 20–21 May. Corcyre was sailing ahead of the fleet towards Marettimo when Flora captured her.[9]

The Royal Navy did not take her into service.[4] Cornish Herobecame a West Indiaman that was wrecked at Martinique early in 1800. She was on a voyage from Liverpool to the West Indies.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ One source states that Cornish Hero was a Malta-based privateer built in Venice,[4] but that appears to be a conflation with another vessel. When the French fleet sailed to Malta, it took with them some Venetian vessels.[5]

Citations

  1. ^ "Letter of Marque, p.57 - accessed 25 July 2017" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  2. ^ Lloyd's List 24 March 1797, №2909, Ship arrival and departure (SAD) data.
  3. ^ Hardman (1909), p. 16.
  4. ^ a b Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 211.
  5. ^ Hardman (1909), pp. 16–17.
  6. ^ Roche (2005), p. 128.
  7. ^ "No. 15311". The London Gazette. 15 November 1800. p. 1298.
  8. ^ Winfield (2008), p. 204.
  9. ^ Broun & Doguereau (2002), pp. 2&9.
  10. ^ "The Marine List". Lloyd's List. No. 4038. 4 April 1800. hdl:2027/mdp.39015036615428.

References

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