Babiole (1811 Ship)
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''Babiole'' was a French privateer launched at La Ciotat in 1811. She made four cruises between 1811 and 1813 in the Mediterranean as a privateer, capturing a number of prizes. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1815. She might have been a balaou, a type of schooner.


Career

On her first cruise, from 1811 to early 1812, ''Babiole'', of Marseille, on 25 January 1811 captured ''Admiral Saumarez'', of 120 tons. ''Admiral Saumarez'' had been sailing from Newfoundland with a cargo of fish when ''Babiole'' captured her off
Alicante Alicante ( ca-valencia, Alacant) is a city and municipality in the Valencian Community, Spain. It is the capital of the province of Alicante and a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city was 337,482 , the second-largest in th ...
. ''Admiral Saumarez'' arrived at
Agde Agde (; ) is a commune in the Hérault department in Southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi. Location Agde is located on the Hérault river, from the Mediterranean Sea, and from Paris. The Canal du Midi con ...
on 2 February. ''Babiole''s second cruise took place from about March 1812 to later in the year. ''Babiole'' sailed from Frioul on 18 February 1812 and proceeded to take a number of prizes. On 24 February she captured a Spanish brig carrying salt fish from Alicante to Majorca. Then on 9 March, ''Babiole'' captured the English brig ''Malta'', which was coming from Palma. ''Babiole'' took her cargo of three bales of silk and let ''Malta'' proceed. On 16 March, ''Babiole'' captured the Spanish vessel ''Nuestra Senora de Carmes'', which had been carrying paper and brandy from Vila Nova to Cadiz. ''Babiola'' sent her to Barcelona. That same day ''Babiole'' captured the English bombard ''Gibraltar'', which had been sailing from Gibraltar to Majorca, but could not take possession as a British warship appeared in sight. Lastly ''Babiole'' captured the English brig ''Commerce'', which was carrying coffee, soldiers' clothing, and merchandise. ''Commerce'' had come from London and was in a convoy sailing to Malta and Messina when ''Babiole'' captured her. ''Babiole'' sent ''Commerce'' into Toulon. ''Babiole''s third cruise, which was under the command of
Jean-Joseph Roux Jean-Joseph Roux (Marseille, 1769 — Odessa, 1817) was a French privateer. Career Roux became captain in 1809. He captained ships in six commerce raiding cruises: three on ''Jean Bart'', one on ''Payan-Latour'', and two on ''Babiole'', totall ...
and commissioned by Balguerie the Elder from Marseille, took place between December 1812 and March 1813. On 1 December ''Babiole'' captured ''Sisters'', which was sailing from London to Malta. ''Sisters'' arrived at
Ajaccio Ajaccio (, , ; French: ; it, Aiaccio or ; co, Aiacciu , locally: ; la, Adiacium) is a French commune, prefecture of the department of Corse-du-Sud, and head office of the ''Collectivité territoriale de Corse'' (capital city of Corsica). ...
on 13 December. ''Sisters'' was a 12-gun three-masted ship, under William Young, with 20 (or 30), crew members and 3 passengers that ferried sugar, coffee, and various other goods. On 21 January 1813, ''Babiole'' captured the 2-gun British brig ''St Jean Baptiste'', Francesco Nadeslech, master, which was sailing from Majorca to Alicante without a cargo, and released her as a cartel. Captain Roux again commanded ''Babiole'' on her fourth cruise, which took place between October 1813 to January 1814. On 1 October, ''Babiole'', after a brief exchange of gunfire, captured the British merchant corvette , Clement Worts, master, which had been sailing from Smyrna. She had been loading silk, "Near eastern antiques", gaiac wood, and sponges. ''Babiole'' brought her into Corsica on 11 November.''Lloyd's List'' №4831.
/ref> On 5 November ''Babiole'' captured the British brig ''Vigilant'', Guillaume (William?) Fowler, master, of 14 men, which was sailing from Smyrna to Liverpool loaded with alizarin and wood. ''Babiole'' took ''Vigilant'' into Genoa. Next, ''Babiole'' captured the British schooner ''London Packet'', Richard Holman, master, which had been sailing from Palermo to London with a load of oil, macaron, and anchovies described as low in value in French logs. ''Babiole'' plundered ''London Packet'' and then released her. She carried two guns and a 10-man crew. Roux transferred the prisoners of ''Gallant Schemer'' and ''Vigilant'' to ''London Packet'' and released her as a cartel; she arrived at Milford in December 1814. ''Babiole'' captured the British merchant corvette , Benjamin Francis, master, on 26 November 1813 as ''Otter'' was sailing back to London from Smyrna with a load of dried fruits. ''Otter'' arrived at Toulon on 5 December. She had a 14-man crew and 6 guns.


Fate

On 1 May 1815, during the
Hundred Days The Hundred Days (french: les Cent-Jours ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition, marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration ...
, ''Babiole'' was returning to Bordeaux from Martinique when detained her. ''Babiole'' arrived at Portsmouth on 21 May 1815. The capture took place in the Bay of Biscay and her cargo reportedly was worth £30,000. ''Babiole'' was released.


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* * {{italic title 1811 ships Ships built in France Privateer ships of France Captured ships