HMS ''Gorgon'' was a 44-gun
fifth-rate
In the rating system of the Royal Navy used to categorise sailing warships, a fifth rate was the second-smallest class of warships in a hierarchical system of six " ratings" based on size and firepower.
Rating
The rating system in the Royal N ...
two-decker
A two-decker is a sail warship which carried her guns on two fully armed decks. Usually additional guns were carried on the upper works (forecastle and quarterdeck), but this was not a continuous battery and thus not counted as a full gun deck ...
ship of the of 911 tons, launched at
Blackwall Yard
Blackwall Yard is a small body of water that used to be a shipyard on the River Thames in Blackwall, engaged in ship building and later ship repairs for over 350 years. The yard closed in 1987.
History
East India Company
Blackwall was a sh ...
in 1785 and completed as a
troopship
A troopship (also troop ship or troop transport or trooper) is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime. Troopships were often drafted from commercial shipping fleets, and were unable land troops directly on shore, typicall ...
. She was subsequently converted to a storeship. She also served as a guardship and a hospital ship at various times before being broken up in 1817.
Troopship
''Gorgon'' was fitted as a troopship at Portsmouth at a cost of £5,210, the work being completed on 15 December 1787. Lieutenant Charles Craven commissioned her in October 1787. She then was paid off one year later. One year after that, she was fitted for foreign service at an additional cost of £5,200 and recommissioned under Lieutenant William Harvey in October 1789.
New South Wales
Under Commander John Parker (c1749–1794), she went to
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
on 15 March 1791, along with the
Third Fleet
The United States Third Fleet is one of the numbered fleets in the United States Navy. Third Fleet's area of responsibility includes approximately fifty million square miles of the eastern and northern Pacific Ocean areas including the Bering ...
, arriving on 21 September 1791. She carried six months provisions for 900 people in the starving colony. She also carried about 30
convicts
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...
, and
Philip Gidley King
Captain Philip Gidley King (23 April 1758 – 3 September 1808) was a British politician who was the third Governor of New South Wales.
When the First Fleet arrived in January 1788, King was detailed to colonise Norfolk Island for defence an ...
, who was returning to the colony to take up the post of lieutenant-governor of
Norfolk Island
Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...
. This voyage is described in a 1795 book by
Mary Ann Parker, who travelled with her husband, the ship's captain.
On 18 December 1791 ''Gorgon'' left
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...
, taking home the last company of the
New South Wales Marine Corps
The New South Wales Marine Corps (1786–1792) was an ad hoc volunteer unit that the British Royal Navy created to guard the convicts aboard the First Fleet to Australia, and to preserve "subordination and regularity" in the penal colony in New ...
, which had accompanied the
First Fleet
The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...
to guard the
convicts
A convict is "a person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court" or "a person serving a sentence in prison". Convicts are often also known as "prisoners" or "inmates" or by the slang term "con", while a common label for former convict ...
and act as guard force for the new settlement. The marines leaving included
Watkin Tench
Lieutenant General Watkin Tench (6 October 1758 – 7 May 1833) was a British marine officer who is best known for publishing two books describing his experiences in the First Fleet, which established the first European settlement in Australia in ...
,
Robert Ross,
William Dawes
William Dawes Jr. (April 6, 1745 – February 25, 1799) was one of several men who in April 1775 alerted colonial minutemen in Massachusetts of the approach of British army troops prior to the Battles of Lexington and Concord at the outse ...
, and
Ralph Clark
Lieutenant Ralph Clark (30 March 1755 or 1762 – June 1794) was a British officer in the Royal Marines, best known for his diary spanning the early years of British settlement in Australia, including the voyage of the First Fleet.
Born in Ed ...
. Of the departure, Tench said, "we hailed it with rapture and exhilaration".
''Gorgon'' also carried samples of animals, birds, and plants from New South Wales. At the
Cape of Good Hope
The Cape of Good Hope ( af, Kaap die Goeie Hoop ) ;''Kaap'' in isolation: pt, Cabo da Boa Esperança is a rocky headland on the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa.
A common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is t ...
''Gorgon'' took on board William Allen, Samuel Broom,
Mary Bryant
Mary Bryant (1765 – after 1794) was a Cornish convict sent to Australia. She became one of the first successful escapees from the fledgling Australian penal colony.
Early life
Bryant was born Mary Broad (referred to as Mary Braund at the ...
, her daughter Charlotte, Nathaniel Lillie, and
James Martin, the survivors of a party of convicts who absconded from New South Wales in March 1791 and made it all the way to Kupang in West Timor. She also took on board ten of the mutineers from
HMS ''Bounty'' that had seized in
Tahiti
Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...
and who had survived the wreck of that vessel. During the voyage many of the children on board, including Charlotte Bryant, died of heat and illness. ''Gorgon'' arrived at
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 18 June 1792, discharging her mixed passenger list of marines, escaped convicts, and mutineers.
French Revolutionary Wars
Between March and July 1793 ''Gorgon'' was fitted as a 20-gun storeship at Woolwhich, for a cost of £5,709. She then was recommissioned under Commander Charles Patterson, who sailed her for the Mediterranean on 15 October 1793.
In February 1794 ''Gorgon'' was part of the fleet under Vice-Admiral Lord
Samuel Hood at the taking of the Port of San Fiorenzo and
Bastia
Bastia (, , , ; co, Bastìa ) is a commune in the department of Haute-Corse, Corsica, France. It is located in the northeast of the island of Corsica at the base of Cap Corse. It also has the second-highest population of any commune on the is ...
, which eventually led to the capture of the island of
Corsica
Corsica ( , Upper , Southern ; it, Corsica; ; french: Corse ; lij, Còrsega; sc, Còssiga) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 18 regions of France. It is the fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of ...
by forces under
Admiral Lord Nelson. Hood assigned ''Gorgon'' the task of protecting the convoy of transports carrying the troops and horses under the command of Lieutenant-General
David Dundas.
At some point in 1794 Commander James Wallis replaced Patterson in command. However, in March 1795 ''Gorgon'' was paid off.
Commander Edward Tyrell recommissioned her in May 1795 and sailed her to the Mediterranean on 11 November 1795.
On 10 June 1796, ''Gorgon'' was in company with and the
hired armed cutter . They were with the British fleet outside Toulon and were present when captured the French corvette at
Hyères
Hyères (), Provençal Occitan: ''Ieras'' in classical norm, or ''Iero'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
The old town lies from the sea clustered around t ...
Roads. Later that month ''Gorgon'' was at the evacuation of
Leghorn.
In September 1796
Gilbert Elliot, the British viceroy of the
Anglo-Corsican Kingdom
The Anglo-Corsican Kingdom (Italian: ''Regno Anglo-Corso''; Corsican: ''Riame anglo-corsu'', ''Riamu anglu-corsu''), also known as the Kingdom of Corsica (Italian: ''Regno di Corsica''; Corsican: ''Regnu di Corsica''), was a client state of th ...
, decided that it was necessary to clear out
Capraja, which belonged to the Genoese and which served as a base for privateers. He sent
Lord Nelson
Vice-admiral (Royal Navy), Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronte (29 September 1758 – 21 October 1805) was a British people, British flag officer in the Royal Navy. His inspirational leadership, grasp of strate ...
in , together with ''Gorgon'', , the cutter ''Rose'', and troops of the
51st Regiment of Foot to accomplish this task in September. On their way, joined them. The troops landed on 18 September and the island surrendered immediately.
In April 1797 Captain John W.T. Dixon took command. Captain John Williams replaced him in October 1797. ''Gorgon'' sailed for the Leeward Islands in January 1798.
On 13 January 1798 ''Gorgon'' was 70
leagues from
Cape Finisterre
Cape Finisterre (, also ; gl, Cabo Fisterra, italic=no ; es, Cabo Finisterre, italic=no ) is a rock-bound peninsula on the west coast of Galicia, Spain.
In Roman times it was believed to be an end of the known world. The name Finisterre, like ...
when she caught up with and recaptured the brig ''Ann'', of Dartmouth. Fifteen days earlier ''Ann'' had been sailing from
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...
to Lisbon when a French privateer had captured her. While ''Gorgon'' was exchanging people with the brig, another brig, this one exhibiting French colours, arrived. After ''Gorgon'' fired a few shots, the brig
struck.
The newcomer turned out to be the French privateer ''Henri'', from Nantes. She carried 14 guns, five of which she had thrown overboard. She also had a crew of 108 men. She had been cruising for five days but had taken nothing. Captain Richard Williams put a
prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people (such as sporting teams and organizations) to recognize and reward their actions and achievements. crew aboard and took her with him into Lisbon. The prize crew consisted mostly of men from , which had captured a prize and taken her to Lisbon.
[
Between 1799 and 1800 ''Gorgon'' continued to serve as a storeship under Commander ]Henry Hill
Henry Hill Jr. (June 11, 1943 – June 12, 2012) was an American mobster who was associated with the Lucchese crime family of New York City from 1955 until 1980, when he was arrested on narcotics charges and became an FBI informant. Hill testif ...
. Then on 16 June 1801 Commander George Ross and ''Gorgon'', together with , sailed from Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
. They were carrying the 22nd Regiment of Light dragoons to Egypt. Because ''Gorgon'' served in the Egyptian campaign (8 March to 8 September 1801), her officers and crew qualified for the clasp "Egypt" to the Naval General Service Medal that the Admiralty
Admiralty most often refers to:
*Admiralty, Hong Kong
*Admiralty (United Kingdom), military department in command of the Royal Navy from 1707 to 1964
*The rank of admiral
*Admiralty law
Admiralty can also refer to:
Buildings
* Admiralty, Traf ...
issued in 1847 to all surviving claimants.
Napoleonic Wars
Commander William Wilkinson recommissioned ''Gorgon'' in May 1803 on the Irish station. In 1805, she served as a floating battery or guardship on the River Shannon
The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland.
The Shan ...
. In October 1805 she was under Commander Francis Stanfell, with Commander Charles Ryder replacing him in May 1806.
''Lloyd's List'' reported on 14 February 1806 that , M'Kinley, master, had foundered on her return journey to England from Surinam. ''Gorgon'' rescued the crew and took them into Milford.
Between November 1806 and July 1808 ''Gorgon'' was back in Woolwich, where she underwent a large repair and was fitted as a victualler. Commander Robert Brown Tom recommissioned her in May 1808 and sailed her to the Baltic where she again served as a storeship.
Even so, on 12 May 1809, she captured the Danish vessel ''Petrena''. Then on 21 May she was in company with the gun-brig when they captured the Danish boat ''Helden''.
By November 1809 she was a hospital ship under Commander Charles Webb. Still, on 24 October 1810, ''Gorgon'', , , and the gun-brig were present at the capture of the brig ''Hoppet''.
Commander Alexander Milner had replaced Webb by April 1811. He sailed ''Gorgon'' to the Mediterranean on 10 March 1812. She came under the command of Commander Rowland Mainwaring in September. She then served as the flagship for Vice Admiral Francis Pickmore off Toulon. Commander Claude de Crespigny replaced Mainwaring at Port Mahon
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
in 1813, but he died in July. Commander John Cornish replaced de Crespigny and in turn Commander Richard Booth Bowden replaced him in 1814.
War of 1812
Bowden then sailed ''Gorgon'' to America where she was Cochrane's British fleet's hospital ship, moored off the coast while the Battle of New Orleans
The Battle of New Orleans was fought on January 8, 1815 between the British Army under Major General Sir Edward Pakenham and the United States Army under Brevet Major General Andrew Jackson, roughly 5 miles (8 km) southeast of the French ...
was being fought on land. Before that battle her boats participated in the Battle of Lake Borgne
The Battle of Lake Borgne was a coastal engagement between the Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy in the American South theatre of the War of 1812. It occurred on December 14, 1814 on Lake Borgne. The British victory allowed them to disembark their tro ...
on 14 December 1814. ''Gorgon'' had one master's mate slightly wounded. In 1847 the Admiralty authorized the issue of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "14 Dec. Boat Service 1814" to all surviving claimants from the action.
Fate
''Gorgon'' was finally broken up in 1817.
Notes, citations, and references
Notes
Citations
References
*
* Gillen, Mollie, ''The Founders of Australia: a biographical dictionary of the First Fleet'', Sydney, Library of Australian History, 1989, pp. 433.
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gorgon (1785)
Storeships of the Royal Navy
Troop ships of the Royal Navy
1785 ships
Military history of New South Wales
Ships of the Third Fleet
War of 1812 ships of the United Kingdom
Floating batteries of the Royal Navy