HMS Lynx (1794)

HMS ''Lynx'' was a 16-gun ship-rigged sloop of the in the Royal Navy, launched in 1794 at Gravesend. In 1795 she was the cause of an international incident when she fired on . She was at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, and during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars took numerous prizes, mostly merchant vessels but also including some privateers. She was also at the second Battle of Copenhagen in 1807. She was sold in April 1813. She then became the whaler ''Recovery''. She made 12 whaling voyages in the southern whale fishery, the last one ending in 1843, at which time her owner had her broken up.

French Revolutionary War

''Lynx'' was commissioned in April 1794 under Commander Charles Vinicombe Penrose on the Halifax Station. Penrose was promoted to Post-captain on 7 October 1794 and Commander Charles Rowley replaced Penrose in November.

On 17 November 1794, ''Lynx'' recaptured . shared in the reward. By agreement, these vessels also shared the prize money with and . ''Lloyd's List'' reported that the recapture took place off the Virginia Capes and that ''Amphitrite'' had been "much plundered". ''Lloyd's List'' later reported that ''Amphitrite'', Tardiff, master, had arrived at Antigua. The report credited the capture to ''Cleopatra''.

On 31 January 1795, Rear-Admiral George Murray, the commander-in-chief on the North America station, sent ''Lynx'', under the command of John Poo Beresford, and the newly-captured former French warship on a cruise out of Halifax. On 1 March the two vessels captured ''Cocarde Nationale'' (or ''National Cockade''), a privateer from Charleston, South Carolina, of 14 guns, six swivels and 80 men. ''Esperance'' and ''Lynx'' recaptured the ship ''Norfolk'', of Belfast, and the brig ''George'', of Workington.

''Lynx'' and ''Eagle''

The United States Coast Guard records that in 1795, ''Lynx'', under the command of Beresford, fired a shot across the bow of the United States revenue cutter . Hendrick Fischer, ''Eagle''s acting captain, attempted to heave-to, but he had on board Senator Pierce Butler, from South Carolina, who ordered him to sail on. ''Lynx'' then began to fire continuously as ''Eagle'' sailed towards the shoal waters on the north point of Jekyll Island. As ''Lynx'' drew too much water to continue the chase, Beresford sent his pinnace and cutter in pursuit, under the command of Lieutenant Alexander Skene, who four years later would command ''Lynx''. Skene's men quickly overtook the schooner and came on board, demanding to know why it had not come about in response to the shots. After learning the schooner was in fact a revenue vessel of the U.S. government, Skene and his men returned to ''Lynx''.

In the ensuing international political furor, Beresford stated that ''Lynx'' had been beyond the limit and noted that the schooner was not flying any flag. ''Eagle'' had not in fact flown the national ensign; for unexplained reasons it was instead stored in the captain's cabin. ''Eagle'' did apparently display some sort of small pennant that was not visible to ''Lynx''. Unfortunately, the United States Coast Guard history of ''Eagle'' represents the only record of the incident.

Prize taking

On 9 June 1795 ''Lynx'' captured ''Bedford'', which had some bullion amongst her cargo. Rowley was apparently again her captain. On 3 July Commander Robert Hall was appointed to command ''Lynx'', but apparently the Admiralty did not confirm the appointment until January 1796.

In August 1795 Commander Thomas Tireman took command of ''Lynx''.

On 24 February 1796, ''Lynx'' captured the ''Hannah''. Commander John Rennie replaced Tireman in February 1797. Then in October Hall replaced Rennie and finally took command.

On 13 June 1798, ''Lynx'' captured the French privateer ''Isabelle'', of two guns and 30 men. Two weeks later, she captured ''Mentor'', also a French privateer, of 14 six pounders and 79 men. During the chase, ''Mentor'' threw six of her guns overboard to lighten her and thus, albeit insufficiently, improve her speed. Both privateers had set out from Puerto Rico to cruise the coast of the United States. Around this time ''Lynx'' captured the privateer ''Solide''. The merchants of St. Johns sent Hall a letter of appreciation for the protection this capture gave to the colony.

On 6 July ''Lynx'' captured the American ship ''Pegasus''. Four days later ''Lynx'' recaptured the American ship ''Liberty'', from Philadelphia and bound for Liverpool, which a French privateer had captured on 4 July, a few hours after ''Liberty'' had left the Delaware River. On 8 August ''Lynx'' recaptured ''Friendship''.

On 17 September 1799 ''Lynx'' captured the brigantine ''Columbia''. In October, Commander Alexander Skene took over command of ''Lynx''.

On 31 August 1800 ''Lynx'' captured ''Vernang''. Then on 8 September she captured ''Vrow Neltje''. The gun-vessel shared in the capture of ''Vrow Neltje''.

In June 1801 ''Lynx'' returned to Britain from Copenhagen carrying Captain John F. Devonshire and dispatches. She does not appear to have participated in the Battle of Copenhagen in April as her name does not appear in the list of vessels whose crews qualified to share in the prize money stemming from the battle, nor in the list of vessels whose crew qualified for the Naval General Service Medal for the battle.

Shortly thereafter, on 15 April, ''Lynx'' captured the Dutch vessels ''Charlottenburg'' and ''Lucchesine''. Then on 31 July ''Lynx'' and captured ''Brockmerlust'', with the capture of ''Neptunus'' following on 1 August. The next day ''Jalouse'' and ''Lynx'' captured the ''Vrow Caterine''. On 8 August ''Lynx'' and captured ''Vryheid''. Eight days later, ''Lynx'' and captured ''Prosperitas''. On 6 September ''Lynx'', ''Jalouse'', ''Squirrel'' and ''Driver'' shared in the capture of three vessels, ''Snelle'', ''Jager'', and ''Engestede''. Six days later, ''Lynx'', ''Driver'' and shared in the capture of ''Cygnet''. The next day ''Lynx'' and ''Driver'' captured ''Jussrow Harmyna''. On 17 September ''Lynx'', , and recaptured ''Pursuit''. On 11 November ''Lynx'' and ''Driver'' captured ''Norden''.

Commander John Willoughby Marshall took command of ''Lynx'' in June 1802.

Napoleonic Wars

In the months before the resumption of war with France, the Navy started preparations that included impressing seamen. The crews of outbound Indiamen were an attractive target. and were sitting in the Thames in March 1803, taking their crews on board just prior to sailing. At sunset, a press gang from HMS ''Immortalite'' rowed up to ''Woodford'', while boats from and ''Lynx'' approached ''Ganges''. As the press gangs approached they were noticed, and the crews of both Indiamen were piped to quarters. That is, they assembled on the decks armed with pikes and cutlasses, and anything they could throw. The officers in charge of the press gangs thought this mere bravado and pulled alongside the Indiamen, only to meet a severe resistance from the crewmen, who had absolutely no desire to serve in the Royal Navy. The men from ''Immortalite'' suffered several injuries from shot and pike that were thrown at them, and eventually the marines opened fire with muskets, killing two sailors on ''Woodford''. Even so, the press gangs were not able to get on board either Indiaman, and eventually withdrew some distance. When ''Woodford''s officers finally permitted the press gang from ''Immortalite'' to board, all they found on board were a few sickly sailors.

On 23 May 1803, ''Lynx'' and ''Immortalite'' captured the French ship ''Paix''. A year later, on 10 May 1804, ''Lynx'' and captured ''Union''.

In July 1804 ''Lynx'' took numerous prizes. She took ''Four Brothers'' and ''Nike'' (or ''Nilea'') on 10 July, ''Jonge Pieter Casper Piersberg'' on 12 July, and the brigs ''Jonge Jan'' and ''Jacobus Zeeper'' on 30 July. ''Lloyd's List'' reported that ''Lynx'' was in company with the sloop and the gun-brig , and that together they captured 10 vessels that were sailing from Riga to Embden carrying masts. By this account the vessels they captured were: ''Vrow Hermina'', Bowman, master; ''Juno'', Gulzeet, master; ''Frau Margaretta'', Roloff, master; ''General Van Bloucher'', Ruyle, master; ''Jonge Oune & Brower'', Ruyle, master; ''Four Brothers'', Stemmings, master; ''Jonge Peter Caspar'', Jobs, master; ''Gute Foffnung''; and ''Piepersburg''. The British sent their captives into Yarmouth.

In April 1806 ''Lynx'' captured several Prussian vessels. These were ''Electrum'', ''Romulus'', ''Goode Intentie'', and ''Vrow Mazka'', on the 15th, 21st, and 26th. Earlier, in company with and , ''Lynx'' captured the Prussian ship ''Einigkeit'' on 6 April. They also captured ''Jonge Ebeling'', ''Freundschaft'', and ''Morgenstern'' off Lieth. Then on 20 April ''Lynx'' captured another Prussian vessel, ''Fortuna''.

On 21 April 1807, ''Lynx'' recaptured the brig ''Providence'', Edward Fox, Master. ''Lynx'', the hired armed cutter , and shared in the proceeds of the capture of the Danish merchant-vessel ''Adjutor'', on 6 August. Eight days later ''Lynx'', ''Resolution'' and shared in the capture of ''Aurora''.

''Lynx'' shared with in the capture of ''Catharina Frederika'' on 3 June. That same day the two British ships also captured the ''Philip''. On 13 July they captured ''Jussrouw Antje''. The gun-brig shared with ''Lynx'' the capture, on 7 May, of ''Rebecca'' and ''Jonge Tobias''. ''Lynx'' also shared in the prize money for captures at Heligoland on 5 September in connection with the surrender of the Danish fleet at the Battle of Copenhagen.

On 22 March 1808, ''Lynx'', , and were present at the Battle of Zealand Point, though they did not actually take part in the battle. In the battle the ships of the line and ''Nassau'' succeeded in destroying the Danish ship of the line .

In May, ''Lynx'' shared with in the capture of a schuyt. While sailing in company with the gun-brig , ''Lynx'' captured ''Jagten Sophia Cecilia'' on 12 July. On 16 November ''Lynx'' captured three vessels: ''Neptune'', ''Resolution'', and ''Elizabeth''. In December, ''Lynx'' captured ''Achir'', ''Kairn'', ''Elizabeth'', ''Haabert'', ''Spimgeren'', ''Venus'', ''St. Andreas'', ''Nicholay'', and ''Ann'', on the 11th, 13th, 14th, and 15 December.

On 30 April 1809 , in company with ''Lynx'' and , captured ''Charlotte''.

On 12 August, Commander John Willoughby Marshall and ''Lynx'', in the company of the gun-brig under the command of Lieutenant Thomas Fitzgerald, discovered three Danish luggers off the Danish coast. The water was too shallow for ''Lynx'', so Marshall sent ''Monkey'' and boats from ''Lynx'' in to cut them out. The largest of the luggers, which had four guns and four howitzers, opened fire on ''Monkey'' before all three luggers ran ashore once ''Monkey'' and the launch's 18-pounder carronade returned fire. The British refloated the luggers and brought them out the next day, having taken no casualties. In their haste to quit the vessel, the Danes failed to fire the fuse on a cask of gunpowder they had left by the fireplace on the largest lugger. Marshall thought the Danes' behaviour in leaving the explosive device disgraceful. The largest lugger was ''Captain Japen'' (or ''Captain Jassen''). She had had a crew of 45 men, who had fled, and during the engagement she had thrown two of her howitzers overboard. The second lugger, name unknown, had four guns and a crew of 20. The third lugger was ''Speculation'', of three guns and 19 men. Her crew too had thrown two guns overboard. At the end of the month, on 27 August, ''Lynx'' captured a Danish sloop that also bore the name ''Speculation''.

On 28 October 1809 captured ''Destrigheiden'', ''Rinaldine'' and a sloop, name unknown, while in the company of ''Tartar'' and ''Lynx''. By agreement, Marshall and Commander Joseph Baker of ''Tartar'' pooled their share of the prize money with that due Lieutenant Daniel Carpenter, the commander of ''Cheerful''.

''Vanguard'' and were in company with ''Lynx'' on 2 November when they captured ''Ornen'' and another vessel. ''Lynx'' was again in company with ''Vanguard'' on 4 November when they captured ''Frende Broder''. Five days later ''Lynx'' captured the Danish sloops ''St. Ole'' and ''Sterkadder''.

On 29 and 30 April 1810 ''Lynx'', the gun-brig and the frigate captured three privateers. On the 29th they captured ''Juliana'' off Wismar. ''Juliana'' had six guns but a crew of only 23 men. The next day they captured ''Ziska'' off Trindelen. She was armed with six guns and had a crew of 40 men. At the same time they captured ''Omen'', of one gun.

On 30 May, ''Lynx'' and ''Flamer'' captured the Danish vessel ''Hercules''. By agreement, the British vessels shared the proceeds with ''Fisgard''. The three vessels also shared in ''Fisgard''s capture of the French privateer ''Furet'', of two guns, off Warnemünde. ''Lynx'' again shared by agreement with ''Fisgard'' in the proceeds of the recapture of ''Margaretha Catarina'' and ''James Cook'' on 10 June. ''Fisgard'' also shared by agreement her portion with ''Flamer'', as well as the proceeds of the capture of ''Gopa'' on 22 June.

On 9 July 1810, ''Lynx'' captured the Danish sloop ''Wanderingsmannen''. ''Flamer'' shared in the prize.

In October Commander Thomas Percival took command. On 10 November the American ship ''Hercules'' arrived at Leith. She was carrying a cargo of salt and was a prize to ''Lynx''.

Then on 20 December ''Lynx'' captured ''Fortuna''. Two days later, ''Lynx'' came across the derelict ''Providence'' at sea. ''Lynx'' took possession and in 1811 received salvage money for the vessel. ''Lloyd's List'' reported ion 8 January 1811 that ''Providence'', of Harwich, which had been taken and which ''Lynx'' had retaken, had been driven ashore at Yarmouth.

Disposal

''Lynx'' was laid up at Deptford in May 1811. The "Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" first offered "Lynx, of 425 tons", lying at Deptford, for sale on 28 April 1813. She was sold there for £1330 on 24 April 1813.

Whaler

Daniel Bennett purchased ''Lynx'' in 1813 and renamed her ''Recovery''. She replaced a ''Recovery'' that Bennett had just had broken up. Over the course of his career as a shipowner, Bennett owned more than 50 vessels, all or almost all whalers that worked in the southern whale fishery. ''Recovery'' entered ''Lloyd's Register'' in 1814 with Bacon, master, Bennett, owner, and trade London–South Seas.

1st whaling voyage (1813–1814): Captain William Beacon, who had been master of the previous ''Recovery'', sailed ''Recovery'' from England on 9 August 1813. He returned on 9 August 1814.British Southern Whale Fishery database: Voyages – ''Recovery''.
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2nd whaling voyage (1814–1815): Captain Beacon sailed from England in October 1814, bound for South Georgia. He returned on 2 June 1815.

3rd whaling voyage (1815–1816): Captain Beacon sailed in August 1815. He returned on 23 March 1816 with some 700 barrels of oil.

4th whaling voyage (1816–1817): Captain Beacon sailed on 30 April 1816.

5th whaling voyage (1817–1819): Captain Beacon sailed on 1 August 1817, bound for the Isle of Desolation. He returned with 650 casks of oil and 130 skins on 4 May 1819.

6th whaling voyage (1819–1821): Captain Beacon sailed from England on 11 June 1819, bound for Peru. He returned on 6 September 1821 with 700 casks of oil and 50 skins.

7th whaling voyage (1821–1824): Captain Edwards, Darnley, or Darney, sailed from England on 8 October 1821. He returned on 10 March 1824 with 550 barrels of oil.

8th whaling voyage (1824–1827): Captain William Tolley Brookes sailed from England on 18 August 1824, bound for Peru. He returned on 13 September 1827 with 700 casks of oil, fins ( baleen), and 230 skins.

9th whaling voyage (1828–1831): Captain Brookes sailed from England on 11 March 1828, bound for the Sandwich Islands. He returned on 11 March 1831 with 950 casks of oil.

10th whaling voyage (1831–1835): Captain Robert Clark Morgan sailed from England on 14 December 1831, bound for the Sandwich Islands. He returned on 26 June 1835 with 560 casks of oil.

11th whaling voyage (1835–1839): Captain William Green sailed from England on 4 October 1835, bound for the Pacific Ocean. He returned on 3 July 1839 with 2120 barrels of oil, a full cargo.

12th whaling voyage (1839–1843): Captain Thomas Heriot sailed from England on 8 November 1839, bound for Timor. He returned on 17 May 1843 with 440 casks (183 tons) of oil.

Fate

''Lloyd's Register'' for 1843 has the notation "Broken up" by ''Recovery''s name.''Lloyd's Register'' (1843), Seq. No. 117.
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Notes

Citations

References

* Colledge, J.J. ''Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of All Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy From the Fifteenth Century to the Present.'' Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1987. .
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* Stanbury, Myra, Kandy-Jane Henderson, Bernard Derrien, Nicolas Bigourdan, & Evelyne Le Touze (2015) "Chapter 18: Epilogue" nline In: Stanbury, Myra. ''The Mermaid Atoll Shipwreck: A Mysterious Early 19th-century Loss''. (Fremantle, WA: Australian National Centre of Excellence for Maritime Archaeology and the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology): 235–290

ited 20 Aug 18
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External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynx (1794)
1794 ships
Ships built in Gravesend
Cormorant-class ship-sloops
Age of Sail merchant ships of England
Whaling ships
Sealing ships
Maritime incidents in 1795