HMS ''Barrosa'' was launched in 1812 for 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 ...

and served during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

during which she captured several prices. After the war she spent a decade or so (1823–1833) on harbour duties. The navy sold ''Barrosa'' in 1841.

Career

Captain

William Henry Shirreff William Henry Shirreff (baptised 4 April 1785 – 1 December 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer, captain of , , , and . He had six children four of whom were daughters. He had two notable daughters, Maria Georgina Grey and Emily Anne Eliza Shi ...

commissioned ''Barrosa'' on 25 October 1812. He sailed her for North America on 31 January 1813. She was serving as an escort to a convoy for the West Indies and the Brazils.

War of 1812

On 22 May 1813 ''Barrosa'' captured the American schooner ''William and Thomas'', of 25 tons (bm). ''Barrosa'' kept her prize as a

ship's tender A ship's tender, usually referred to as a tender, is a boat, or a larger ship, used to service or support other boats or ships. This is generally done by transporting people or supplies to and from shore or another ship. A second and distinctl ...

. ''Barrosa'' was among the British naval vessels that shared in the capture of a number of merchant vessels in mid-January 1813: *11 June: Spanish brig ''St. Iago'' *12 June: American schooner ''Surveyor'', ''Governor Strong'', and ''Emily'' *14 June: ''Star'' *21 June: American ship ''Herman'' ''Surveyor'' was a United States revenue schooner of six 12-pounder carronades, 100 tons (bm), and 25 men. ''Starr'' had been carrying 4388 barrels and 338 half-barrels of flour. Her captors sent ''Starr'' into

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...

. On 20 June 1813 ''Barrosa'' and ''Laurestinus'' sailed to support ''Junon'', then being attacked by US gun boats on the James River. The Americans withdrew with little damage to either side. On 25 July 1813 the whale-ship , a prize to the , with a full cargo of spermaceti oil worth about 100,000 dollars, and armed with 16 guns and with a crew of 41 men, departed Valparaiso for the US. ''Barrosa'' captured ''Georgiana'' in the West Indies on 28 November, brought her into Bermuda prior to 7 December 1813. ''Georgiana'' was carrying close to 3000 barrels as she was carrying the combined cargoes of three captured English whalers as well as its own cargo. ''Georgiana'' was also carrying Captain William Stavers, who had been captain of at the time of her capture. ''Seringapatam'' had been preying on American ships but Stavers did not have a letter of marque authorizing him to engage in

privateering A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

. Consequently, the Americans were sending Stavers to the United States to stand trial for piracy. On 11 November ''Barrosa'' arrived at Halifax as escort to a convoy from Bermuda. She then sailed on to Portsmouth, where she arrived on 27 January 1814. She sailed from Portsmouth on 13 April, escorting a convoy to the West Indies. Shirreff was invalided home in July 1814. In August 1814 Captain John Maxwell replaced Shirreff. Maxwell's replacement, in about a month, was Captain William McCulloch, of . On 29 September McCullough reported the capture of the American letter of marque schooner ''Engineer'', of eight guns and 35 men, and ''Friends'', a schooner of 115 tons and 8 men bound from St. Augustine's to St. Bartholomew's. On 1 October ''Barrosa'' arrived at Barbados with a letter of marque schooner that was carrying 900 barrels of flour and that ''Barrosa'' had recently captured. On 13 November ''Barrosa'' captured the schooner ''Clio'', of six men and 96 tons (bm). The next day ''Barrosa'' captured the 1-gun schooner ''High Flyer'', of 17 men and 135 tons (bm). On 26 December 1814 ''Barrosa'' and captured the schooner ''Gallant Hull'', of 10 men and 79 tons (bm). ''Barrosa'' returned to Portsmouth on 11 September 1815 from the West Indies. She then went into

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Post-war

''Barrosa'' was fitted at as a slop ship between August and September 1823. She then became a receiving ship and ordnance depot until 1833.

Fate

The "Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High Admiral of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland" offered "Barrosa, 38 guns, 947 tons" for sale on 13 May 1841 at Portsmouth. On 25 May 1841 John Beatson purchased her for £1,426.

Citations and references

Citations References * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barrosa (1812), HMS 1812 ships Frigates of the Royal Navy