The French frigate ''Mignonne'' was a one-off design by Jean-Baptiste Doumet-Revest; she was launched in 1767 at Toulon. Some notable French captains commanded her before the British captured her at
Calvi in 1794 and took her into the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
as HMS ''Mignonne''. She was burnt in 1797 as useless.
French service
On 2 April 1771, Commander
Chabert was given command of ''Mignonne'', and conducted a cruise to test a chronometer made by
Ferdinand Berthoud
Ferdinand Berthoud (born 18 March 1727, in Plancemont-sur-Couvet, Principality of Neuchâtel; died 20 June 1807, in Groslay, Val d'Oise), was a scientist and watchmaker. He became master watchmaker in Paris in 1753. Berthoud, who held the posi ...
. Upon his return, in late November, Chabert was promoted to Captain.
In 1772 ''Mignonne'' came under the command of
Suffren, who had just been promoted to the rank of captain. He commanded her and later ''Alcemene'' in the squadron that the French government had established for the purpose of training its officers.
In 1793 the French Navy had ''Mignonne''
razee
A razee or razée is a sailing ship that has been cut down (''razeed'') to reduce the number of decks. The word is derived from the French ''vaisseau rasé'', meaning a razed (in the sense of shaved down) ship.
Seventeenth century
During the ...
d, converting her to a corvette.
On 22 October 1793 ''Mignonne'' was part of a five-vessel squadron under the command of
Jean-Baptiste Perrée
Jean-Baptiste Perrée (19 December 1761Levot, p.394 in 1866 write 19 April 1761 – 18 February 1800Levot, p.395) was a French Navy officer and Rear-admiral.
Career
Born to a family of sailors in Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, Perrée started sailing in ...
. In addition to ''Mignonne'', the squadron included the frigates ,
''Minerve'', and ''Fortunée'', and the brig
''Hasard''. They encountered the 64-gun
third rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy, a third rate was a ship of the line which from the 1720s mounted between 64 and 80 guns, typically built with two gun decks (thus the related term two-decker). Years of experience proved that the third r ...
, under the command of Captain
Horatio Nelson
Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strategy, and unconventional tactics brought abo ...
. ''Agamemnon'' and ''Fortunée'' engaged in an inconclusive action before the French squadron chose not to pursue the matter and sailed off.
Capture
On 18 June 1794, ''Agamemnon'' anchored south of
Calvi. Once the Royal Navy’s Mediterranean fleet under Vice-Admiral
Hood
Hood may refer to:
Covering
Apparel
* Hood (headgear), type of head covering
** Article of Academic dress#Hood, academic dress
** Bondage hood, sex toy
* Hoodie, hooded sweatshirt
Anatomy
* Clitoral hood, a hood of skin surrounding the clitori ...
arrived, the British commenced a 51-day siege of the town, which surrendered on 10 August.
[ Shortly thereafter the inhabitants of Corsica declared themselves to be subjects of His Majesty ]King George III
George III (George William Frederick; 4 June 173829 January 1820) was King of Great Britain and of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of the two kingdoms on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Br ...
.
The British captured five vessels at Calvi, two frigates – ''Melopmène'' and ''Mignonne'' – and three small armed vessels, the brigs ''Auguste'' and ''Providence'', each of four guns, and the gun-boat ''Ca Ira'', of three guns.
British service
''Mignonne'' was commissioned under Commander Henry Hotham
Vice-Admiral The Honourable Sir Henry Hotham (19 February 1777 – 19 April 1833) was officer of the British Royal Navy who served during the French Revolutionary, Napoleonic Wars, and the War of 1812, was later a member of the Board of Admiralt ...
. Commander Ralph Miller recommissioned her in November 1795. On 13 June 1796 D’Arcy Preston was promoted to post captain
Post-captain is an obsolete alternative form of the rank of Captain (Royal Navy), captain in the Royal Navy.
The term served to distinguish those who were captains by rank from:
* Officers in command of a naval vessel, who were (and still are) ...
in ''Mignonne''. His replacement in September was Captain Charles Stuart. On 19 October John Giffard was similarly promoted into ''Mignonne''. His successor, in December, was Captain Philip Wodehouse.
Fate
Captain Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
wrote to Admiral Jervis on 29 December 1796 that he expected to be able to sell and ''Mignonne''.[Nelson (1846), Vol. 7, p.CXXVI.] Clearly he was unable to as on 31 July 1797 the British burnt ''Mignonne'' as unserviceable when they withdrew from Porto Ferrajo
Portoferraio () is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Livorno, on the edge of the eponymous harbour of the island of Elba. It is the island's largest city. Because of its terrain, many of its buildings are situated on the slopes of a tiny h ...
.
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mignonne (1767)
1767 ships
Ships built in France
Ships of the Royal Navy
Captured ships
Frigates of the French Navy