HMS ''Unique'' was the French 12-gun

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

''Harmonie'' that captured from the French in 1804. A French

privateer A privateer is a private person or ship that engages in maritime warfare under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign or deleg ...

recaptured and sank ''Unique'' in 1806.

Capture

On 27 January ''Cyane'' captured ''Harmonie'' at . Captain Joseph Nourse of ''Cyane'' reported that ''Harmonie'' was armed with 12 guns and had a crew of 82 men. She was 34 days out of Guadeloupe and had taken one prize, the Scottish ship ''Mercury'', which was carrying a cargo of lumber and provisions to

Demerara Demerara ( nl, Demerary, ) is a historical region in the Guianas, on the north coast of South America, now part of the country of Guyana. It was a colony of the Dutch West India Company between 1745 and 1792 and a colony of the Dutch state fro ...

via New York. However, had recaptured ''Mercury'' on 26 January.

British service

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 ...

took ''Harmonie'' into service as HMS ''Unique''. Lieutenant James Baird commissioned her at Barbados for the Leeward Islands. Lieutenant George Rowley Brand replaced Baird within the year. ''Unique'' formed part of Commodore Samuel Hood's squadron at the capture of Surinam River in 1804. The squadron consisted of Hood's flagship , ''Pandour'', , , ''Hippomenes'', ''Drake'', and transports carrying 2000 troops under

Brigadier-General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

Sir Charles Green. Lieutenant Brand went on shore, as did a number of other naval personnel, to participate in the attack. British and Dutch casualties were light, but Brand was severely wounded in the attack on the Dutch

shore battery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...

at Fredericki. On 17 November 1805 ''Unique'' captured the United States vessel ''Delaware'' some 10 miles from Guadeloupe. George Pickle, ''Delaware''s master, appealed the capture. Testimony before the

Vice admiralty court Vice Admiralty Courts were juryless courts located in British colonies that were granted jurisdiction over local legal matters related to maritime activities, such as disputes between merchants and seamen. American Colonies American maritime act ...

in Antigua revealed that ''Delaware'' had been the British

slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea coast ...

, which a French privateer had captured circa May 1805 and taken into Guadeloupe. Francis Bruel, of Philadelphia, had purchased ''Ranger'' and renamed her ''Delaware''. On 16 December 1805 the Court rejected the appeal with the respect to the vessel, letting the capture stand. ''Ranger'' was returned to her British owners.

Loss

On 23 January 1806 ''Unique'' encountered a large French privateer. An engagement followed during which Brand was killed. ''Unique'' foundered shortly after she surrendered.Hepper (1994), p.113. One mention of the action reports that the French vessel had twice the armament of ''Unique'', and that the British schooner sank with her colours still flying. Brand was reportedly killed while leading an attempt to board the French vessel. All the other British officers also died in the action.''The United service journal and naval and military magazine'', (1830), p.903. The French buried Brand at Guadeloupe with military honours in "admiration of such bravery".

Lloyd's Patriotic Fund Lloyd's Patriotic Fund was founded on 28 July 1803 at Lloyd's Coffee House, and continues to the present day. Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund now works closely with armed forces charities to identify the individuals and their families who are in urgent ne ...

awarded Mr. Alexander Brand, George Brand's father, with a grant of 300

guineas The guinea (; commonly abbreviated gn., or gns. in plural) was a coin, minted in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Great Britain between 1663 and 1814, that contained approximately one-quarter of an ounce of gold. The name came from t ...

in recognition of the lieutenant's service.O'Byrne (1849), Vol. 1, fn. p.117. In his career in the Royal Navy Brand had sustained more than 30 wounds.

Notes

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References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Unique (1804) Schooners of the Royal Navy Privateer ships of France Captured ships 1800s ships Ships built in France