HMS Frolic (1806)
HMS ''Frolic'' was an 18-gun of the Royal Navy. She was built by Boole, of Bridport and was launched on 9 February 1806. Although she took part in the capture of Martinique, Guadaloupe, and Saint Martin, she appears to have had an uneventful career until 8 October 1812, when the American sloop-of-war captured her after a fierce fight. Later that day the British recaptured ''Frolic'' and captured ''Wasp''. ''Frolic'' was broken up in 1813. Career On 26 October 1807, Tsar Alexander I of Russia declared war on Great Britain. The official news did not arrive there until 2 December, at which time the British declared an embargo on all Russian vessels in British ports. ''Frolic'' was one of some 70 vessels that shared in the seizure of the 44-gun Russian frigate ''Speshnoy'' (''Speshnyy''), then in Portsmouth harbour. The British seized the Russian storeship ''Wilhelmina'' (''Vilghemina'') at the same time. The Russian vessels were carrying the payroll for Vice-Admiral Dmitry ...
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Thomas Birch (artist)
Thomas Birch (1779 – January 3, 1851), was an English-born American portrait and marine painter. Biography Birch was born in Wawickshire, England. He came to the U. S. in 1794, and assisted his artist father, William Birch, in preparing a 29-plate collection of engravings:''Birch's Views of Philadelphia'' (1800). Subscribers to the series included President John Adams and Vice President Thomas Jefferson. This sold well and went into multiple editions, inspiring similar collected views of New York City, and of suburban estates surrounding Philadelphia and Baltimore. The son's first major painting appears to have been a view of Philadelphia from the Treaty Elm in Kensington, which was also engraved and published in 1804. He painted portraits until about 1807, when he took up marine-painting. Some of his most famous works depict naval battles of the War of 1812. "Birch was the first American ship portraitist, and his paintings were copied by countless artists and craftsmen in ...
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