HMS Moucheron (1802)

HMS ''Moucheron'' was a French privateer, built in 1799, that the British captured in 1801. The British government purchased her in 1802 for the Royal Navy. She foundered in 1807 in the Mediterranean without leaving a trace.

Privateer

Prior to circa May 1799 ''Moucheron'' was named ''Actif'', but she was not the former French naval brig ''Actif'', built in Bordeaux.

''Moucheron'' was commissioned at Bordeaux in May 1799. She made her first cruise between May 1799 and some time in 1800. She was armed with 18 guns and had a crew of 130 men under Captain Jean Lugeol.

On 18 July 1800, ''Moucheron'' and another privateer, ''Abeille'', captured the American ship ''Josephus'' and brought her into Cadiz. There the French Consul released the vessel and her cargo. The privateers appealed to the prize court in Paris, which upheld the release.

At some point ''Moucheron'' captured the American ship ''Argo'', Thomas Chipman, master, and brought her into port. The Council of Prizes at Paris ordered ''Argo''s release on 3 September.

For her second cruise, ''Moucheron'', of 16 guns and 120 men, was under the command of Captain Pruvost. She started her cruise in January 1801.

Capture

On 16 February 1801, captured ''Moucheron''. ''Moucheron'' was armed with sixteen 6 and 12-pounder guns, and had a crew of 130 men. She was 20 days out of Passages and had captured the British brig ''William'', of London, which had been sailing from St. Michael's with a cargo of fruit.

British service

''Moucheron'' arrived in Plymouth on 7 March 1801. The Government purchased her in 1802 and she was fitting out at Plymouth in June 1803, when Commander James Hawes commissioned her. He had been promoted in 1802 and was given the best sloop available at the time.

On 15 November 1803, ''Moucheron'' was in company with and off Alderney when ''Poulette'' came across a French convoy of some 30 transports plus armed escorts. ''Poulette'' was able to run the vessels ashore and her boats captured three, a brig, a lugger and a sloop. Unfortunately, ''Moucheron'' was unable to come up in time though ''Liberty'' did. The British suffered no casualties.

On 22 January 1804 ''Dorchester'' came into Plymouth. A French lugger privateer had captured her, but ''Moucheron'' had recaptured her. ''Dorchester'', Mobery, master, had been sailing from Bristol to Falmouth. The lugger had also captured five other vessels.

On 2 March 1804 the French privateer lugger ''Sorcier'' captured two merchantmen, ''Rising Sun'' and ''William and Mary'' in the Bristol Channel. ''Rising Sun'', Batchelor, mastre, had been sailing from Youghall to Poole, and ''William and Mary'', Skean, master, had been sailing from Padstow to Bridport, ''Moucheron'' recaptured them on 5 March and sent them into Guernsey on 8 March.

On 3 February 1805 ''Moucheron'' recaptured the ship , Lewes, master, and her cargo. The French privateer ''Braave'', of 18 guns and 160 men, had captured ''Cambridge'' while she was on her way from Jamaica to Liverpool. After her recapture by ''Moucheron'', ''Cambridge'' reached Cork on 14 February. At around the same time ''Moucheron'' recaptured the brig ''Speedwell'' and her cargo.

On 8 February ''Moucheron'' was under the command of a Captain Reed when she sailed with sealed orders that had arrived by special King's Messenger. They were of such importance that the Admiral sent the messenger on board with them, and she sailed directly.

In April 1805 ''Moucheron'' was in the Mediterranean. Lord Nelson had her patrol the Straits of Gibraltar and provide the garrison of Gibraltar such assistance as they might require.

On 3 August 1805, , left St Helena as escort of a motley convoy to England. On 26 September 1805 the convoy was in the Channel south of the Isles of Scilly when it encountered a French squadron. It turned out this was Allemand's squadron. ''Calcutta'' was forced to strike, but not before she had bought time for the convoy to escape. ''Moucheron'' was in the vicinity and sailed to the sound of the guns. She then proceeded to cruise with Allemand’s squadron, which paid her no attention as she was flying an American flag. ''Moucheron'' counted the French ships and then, having completed her reconnaissance, sailed to notify Admiral Lord Cornwallis at Brest. However, by the time Cornwallis arrived at the spot where ''Moucheron'' had left Allemand, he had left.

On 7 and 9 April 1806 ''Moucheron'', by this time, and perhaps earlier, again under Hawse's command, captured the Prussian galliot ''Jonge Cornelius'' and the ship ''Mercurius'', which carrying eight cases of coffee. In between, on 8 April, she shared with the gun-brigs and in the capture of ''Minerva''.

On 15 and 16 April ''Goede Zaak'', Bomman, master, from Morlaix, and ''Ora & Labora'' from Amsterdam, came into Plymouth, prizes to ''Moucheron''.

In May ''Moucheron'' detained and sent into Plymouth ''Ariadne'', of Hamburg, Parmas, master. She was sailing from Bordeaux.

Between 18 and 21 June, Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren and a squadron were off Madeira. ''Moucheron'', , and the hired armed cutter ''John Bull'' arrived at Madeira on 18 June and they sailed from Madeira to join the squadron on 21 June.''LLt'' 5 August 1806, №4070.
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Fate

''Moucheron'' disappeared in the eastern Mediterranean in early 1807, with some accounts specifying the Dardanelles. As no trace of her or her crew was ever found, this is pure conjecture. The Royal Navy officially paid her off effective 7 June 1807.

See also

*List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea

Notes

Citations

References

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Moucheron (1802)
1799 ships
1800s missing person cases
Captured ships
Maritime incidents in 1807
Missing ships
People lost at sea
Privateer ships of France
Shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea
Sloops of the Royal Navy
Warships lost with all hands