HMS ''Venerable'' was a 74-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 ...
ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed during the Age of Sail from the 17th century to the mid-19th century. The ship of the line was designed for the naval tactic known as the line of battle, which depended on the two colu ...
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 ...
, launched on 12 April 1808 at
Northfleet
Northfleet is a town in the borough of Gravesham in Kent, England. It is located immediately west of Gravesend, and on the border with the Borough of Dartford. Northfleet has its own railway station on the North Kent Line, just east of Ebbsfl ...
.
Career
On 13 December 1810 ''Venerable'' was in company with the
hired armed cutter and several other vessels at the capture of ''Goede Trouw''.
On 12 March 1812, as the merchant ship was returning from Lima and Cadiz, the French privateer ''Amelia'' captured her. However, recaptured ''Ramoncita''. The salvage money notice stated that ''Virago'' had been in company with ''Venerable'', , , and .
On 31 December 1813, she captured the French
letter of marque brig ''Jason'' which became . ''Jason'', of 264 tons (bm), was pierced for 22 guns but carried 14, 12 of which she had thrown overboard when ''Venerable'' chased her. She had left Bordeaux five days earlier and was sailing for New York with a cargo of silks, wines, and other articles of merchandise. There were 64 people on board, ten of whom were passengers. She was on her maiden voyage,
copper-bottomed, and sailed so well, Captain Worth took her under protection, intending to go to Barbados.
[''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 31, p.254-5.]
''Venerable'' was Admiral
Durham's 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 ...
when on 16 January 1814, ''Venerable'' and her prize ''Jason'', were in company with . ''Cyane'' spotted two 44-gun French frigates, and and signaled to ''Venerable''. ''Venerable'' joined her and after a chase that left ''Cyane'' far behind, captured ''Alcmène'', though not without a fight. ''Venerable'' lost two men dead and four wounded, while the French lost 32 dead and 50 wounded. ''Alcmène'' had a complement of 319 men under the command of Captain Ducrest de Villeneuve, who was wounded when he brought her alongside ''Venerable'' and attempted a boarding.
[
''Jason'' and ''Cyane'' tracked ''Iphigénie'' and initially fired on her but broke off the engagement because they were outgunned. ''Cyane'' continued the chase for over three days until ''Venerable'' was able to rejoin the fight after having sailed 153 miles in the direction she believed that ''Iphigénie'' had taken. On 20 January 1814, after a 19-hour chase, or what amounted in all to a four-day chase ''Iphigénie'', ''Venerable'' captured the quarry, having again left ''Cyane'' behind. In the chase, ''Iphigénie'' cast off her anchors and threw her boats overboard in order to try to gain speed. She had a complement of 325 men, under the command of Captain Émeric. She apparently did not resist after ''Venerable'' came up.][ Before meeting up with the British ships, the two French vessels had taken some eight prizes. The action resulted in the award in 1847, to any surviving claimants, of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Venerable 16 Jany. 1814".
''Venerable'' was able to locate ''Iphigénie'' because Commander Ducrest de Villeneuve of ''Alcmène'' was so angry at Captain Émeric, who was the senior French commander, for not having come alongside ''Venerable'' on the other side also to board, that he essentially revealed the rendezvous instructions to Durham. When some prisoners from ''Iphigénie''s crew were brought on ''Venerable'', crew from ''Alcmène'' too were enraged. Durham had to station ]Royal Marines
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
between them, with fixed bayonets, to prevent fighting from breaking out.[Long (1895), p. 199.]
Fate
''Venerable'' was placed on harbour service in 1825, and was broken up in 1838.
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
* James, William & Frederick Chamier (1837) ''The naval history of Great Britain : from the declaration of war by France in 1793 to the accession of George IV''. (London: R. Bentley).
* Lavery, Brian (2003) ''The Ship of the Line - Volume 1: The development of the battlefleet 1650-1850.'' Conway Maritime Press. .
* Long, William H. (1895) ''Medals of the British navy and how they were won: with a list of those officers, who for their gallant conduct were granted honorary swords and plate by the Committee of the Patriotic Fund''. (London: Norie & Wilson).
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venerable (1808)
Ships of the line of the Royal Navy
Repulse-class ships of the line
1808 ships