HM Hired Brig Telegraph (1798)

HM hired brig ''Telegraph'' was built in 1798 and served on contract to the Royal Navy from 10 November. During the French Revolutionary Wars she took several prizes and was the victor in one notable ship action before she was lost at sea with all hands in 1801.

''Telegraph'' vs ''Hirondelle''

At daylight on 18 March 1799, ''Telegraph'', under Lieutenant James Andrew Worth, was some leagues northwest of the Île de Batz when she encountered the French privateer ''Hirondelle''. ''Hirondelle'' was armed with sixteen mixed 8-pounder and 6-pounder guns, and had a crew of 72, to ''Telegraph''s 60 men. ''Hirondelle'' was three days out of St Malo and had taken two prizes, an American schooner and an English sloop. The need for two prize crews had reduced her crew from the 89 men with which she had started.

''Hirondelle'' tacked to meet ''Telegraph'' and the two vessels started an exchange of fire at 0730 hours. Each tried to board the other, but finally, at 1100 hours, ''Hirondelle'' struck. She had suffered five men killed and 14 wounded and was totally dismasted and unmanageable. ''Telegraph'' had five men wounded. For his part in the action, Worth received promotion to the rank of commander.

shared in the prize money, suggesting that she was in sight. ''Havick'' too claimed a share of the head-money, perhaps on the grounds of being in sight, a claim that ''Telegraph''s officers and crew contested. The matter was not settled until 1818.

In 1847 the Admiralty issued the clasp "Telegraph 18 March 1799" to the Naval General Service Medal for the action with ''Hirondelle''. However, none of ''Telegraph''s crew came forward to claim their medal, presumably in great part because most had been lost when she foundered in 1801.

Prize taking

Lieutenant Caesar Corsellis replaced Worth as captain of ''Telegraph''. On 5 May she captured the galiot ''Vrouw Martha''. One month later she joined the Mediterranean fleet off the Gulf of Fréjus with news of the French fleet. In November she captured the galiot ''Beuns von Koningsberg''. On 28 November ''Telegraph'' brought into Falmouth the ''De Boers'', Captain Skimming. She had been sailing from Bilbao to Altona with a cargo of cotton.

''Telegraph'', which had been with coasting convoys, arrived in Plymouth from Torbay on 1 January 1800. On 2 January there was a report that a French privateer had taken a brig in Whitsand Bay and then landed a boat at Looe Island that had taken a cow and some corn from a poor man living there. A telegraph message dispatched ''Telegraph'' in pursuit. There is no further information, suggesting that ''Telegraph'' was unsuccessful.

On 17 April ''Telegraph'' was in company with the sloop ''Spitfire'' when ''Spitfire'' captured the French privateer ''Heureux Societe''. ''Heureux Societe'', of Pleinpoint, was armed with 14 guns and had a crew of 64 men. She had been out three days and had not made any captures. During the chase ''Telegraph'' exchanged a broadside with ''Heureux Societe'' but then fell behind, leaving the capture to ''Spitfire''.

On 22 May ''Telegraph'' came into Plymouth. A gale a few days earlier had put ''Telegraph'' on her beam ends for several minutes with water up to the combing of her hatchways. It was only when the fore top-mast and the bowsprit went that she righted.

A worse storm on 9 November wrecked many vessels along the coast. ''Telegraph'' survived because her crew cut away her main-mast. She had been in St Aubin's Bay in Jersey together with a number of vessels that also survived. Another vessel in the Bay that was less fortunate was ''Havick'', which sank, though fortunately with no loss of life.

In mid-November or so, the hired brig ''Flora'' drifted ashore in Plymouth and was wrecked. ''Telegraph'' and came to ''Flora''s assistance and rescued her crew. ''Flora'' was subsequently refitted for duty.

By December 1800, ''Telegraph''s commander was Lieutenant John Mundall. Mundall's commission as lieutenant, however, dated from 10 January 1801. Under his command she captured the galliot ''Jussrow Bielke'' in December 1800. On 5 January 1801 she captured the Dutch ship ''Cornelia''.

''Telegraph'' returned from a cruise on 23 January after stopping six vessels. She sent two Swedish and one Danish vessel into Dartmouth, the latter with a valuable cargo of tobacco from Baltimore bound for Stockholm.''Naval Chronicle'', Vol. 5 (1801), p.179. The Dane arrived on 4 January. The ''General Wraigh'' arrived at Portsmouth on 26 January and the ''Catherine Margaretta'', which had been sailing from Seville to Altona, arrived on 4 February. On 3 February, the ''Vrow Jenetta'', of Altona, came into Plymouth. When ''Telegraph'' had captured her she had been sailing from St. Bartolomew's to Hamburgh with a cargo of sugar and coffee.''The Times'', Issue 5023, 6 Feb 1801, p.3. In all, on the one cruise ''Telegraph'' had captured six vessels.

Loss

''Telegraph'' parted from the Mediterranean fleet off Cape Ortegal in a gale on 14 February 1801. She was never heard of thereafter and was declared lost, presumably having foundered in the gale. Mundall may have been temporary or acting captain because at the time of the sinking ''Telegraph''s captain was again Lieutenant Caesar Corsellis.

Post loss developments

On 21 January 1803 prize money resulting from the capture of the galiot ''Beuns von Koningsberg'' and ship ''Cornelia'' was due for payment.

On 31 March 1805 the prize money for the capture of ''Jussrow Bielke'' was made available for claiming.

The head money for the capture of ''Hirondelle'', long in dispute with the officers and company of ''Havick'', was finally deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty on 26 October 1818.

Notes

Citations

References

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* Tancred, George (1891) ''Historical record of medals and honorary distinctions conferred on the British Navy, Army and auxiliary forces from the earliest period: to which is added ... collection of Colonel Murray of Polmaise''. (London).
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Telegraph (1798)
Maritime incidents in 1801
1798 ships
Hired armed vessels of the Royal Navy
Missing ships
Warships lost with all hands
Shipwrecks in the Atlantic Ocean