HMS ''Aeolus'' (1758) was a 32-gun fifth-rate

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

of 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 ...

. In 1800, she renamed as HMS ''Guernsey''. The original name of the ship comes from

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

and means 'quick moving/nimble'. The ship is commemorated with a neo-classical temple in

Kew Gardens Kew Gardens is a botanical garden, botanic garden in southwest London that houses the "largest and most diverse botany, botanical and mycology, mycological collections in the world". Founded in 1840, from the exotic garden at Kew Park, its li ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Aeolus temple was designed by William Chambers, along with two other temples as a memorial to three British ships involved in naval victories in the Seven Years' War.

History

The ship was built at Deptford Dockyard and launched 29 November 1758. On 28 February 1760, the ''Aeolus'' was involved in the

Battle of Bishops Court The Battle of Bishops Court, also known as The Defeat of Thurot, was a naval engagement that took place 28 February 1760, during the Seven Years' War, between three British ships and three French ships. The French force under famed commander Fra ...

(also known as the Defeat of Thurot) during the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. The naval engagement took place in the waters between the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = "O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europe ...

and

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. The ''Aurora'' served as the

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...

of a victorious British squadron commanded by John Elliot, her captain and together with the rest of the squadron they captured three French ships. The name of the ship was given to a monument commemorating the victory at Bishopscourt Glen on the Isle of Man. On 17 May 1760, the ship was involved in a small action with a French

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the ...

laden with naval stores while under the guns of a French shore battery at Belle Île. The ship was badly damaged in the action and returned to port to be repaired. After repairs were completed, the ship spent 1761 cruising in the

Bay of Biscay The Bay of Biscay (), known in Spain as the Gulf of Biscay ( es, Golfo de Vizcaya, eu, Bizkaiko Golkoa), and in France and some border regions as the Gulf of Gascony (french: Golfe de Gascogne, oc, Golf de Gasconha, br, Pleg-mor Gwaskogn), ...

. This involved the seizure of a small French privateer named ''Carnival'' on 23 March 1761. In 1762, the ship was assigned to the fleet of

Rear-Admiral of the Blue The Rear-Admiral of the Blue was a senior rank of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom, immediately outranked by the rank Rear-Admiral of the White. Royal Navy officers currently holding the ranks of commodore, rear admiral, vice admiral and adm ...

Charles Hardy Sir Charles Hardy (c. 1714 – 18 May 1780) was a Royal Navy officer and politician who sat in the House of Commons between 1764 and 1780. He served as colonial governor of New York from 1755 to 1757. Early career Born at Portsmouth, the ...

and is recorded to have seized the French privateer ''Le Formidable'' of Bordeaux on 20 August 1762 and destroyed the 32-gun ship ''San Josef'' at Aviles on 2 September 1762. Sometime in 1777, under command of Chris Atkins, she captured ship "Adventure", sloops "Hornet", Beauford, Sunbry, and "Numbrell", schooners "Dolphin" and "Dispatch". On 12 September, 1777 she captured Rhode Island Letter of Marque sloop "Swallow". In September 1777 while on station in Jamaica she captured the American privateer ''Swallow'' and with also captured the 36-gun ''La Prudente'' (and her commander

Jacques François de Pérusse des Cars Jacques François de Pérusse des Cars (November 1738 – 12 April 1782) was a French Navy officer who was a great-grandson of King James II of England. He served in the War of American Independence. Early life Pérusse des Cars was born at the ...

). Sometime before 18 October, 1777 she captured sloop "Independance" and schooner "Ferrett". She captured sloop "Washington" at an unknown date. Before 22 November she captured an unknown schooner and schooner "Wild Catt". Before 18 December she captured sloop "Matompkin". On 27 December she captured schooner "Dolphin". On 21 January, 1778 she captured an American schooner off

Cape Coriantes A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. The ...

. On 24 January she captured brig "Hiram", also off

. On 11 March, 1778 she captured French brig "Hazard" off the

Mona Passage The Mona Passage ( es, Canal de la Mona) is a strait that separates the islands of Hispaniola and Puerto Rico. The Mona Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean Sea and is an important shipping route between the Atlantic and the Panama ...

. The ship was refitted and coppered in 1780 and saw service off

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

. In 1800, the ship was renamed HMS ''Guernsey'' and broken up a year later. 'Mount Aeolus', Bishopscourt Glen, Isle of Man - geograph

Notable crew

Admiral John Elliot served as Captain of the Aeolus during her first three years, including commanding her during the battle of Bishops Court. Admiral

Henry Curzon Admiral Henry Curzon (24 May 1765 – 2 May 1846) was a Royal Navy officer who held commands during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Curzon was the fifth son of Nathaniel Curzon, 1st Baron Scarsdale, and his wife Caroline. H ...

began his seagoing career on 14 October 1776 on the ship, assigned as an able seaman. Admiral Sir

Charles Cunningham Rear-Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. I ...

also began his seagoing career by first serving on the Aeolus in early 1776.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aeolus 1758 ships Fifth-rate frigates of the Royal Navy