View source for HMS Hart (1805)

{{other ships|HMS Hart}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2020}}
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|Ship country=France
|Ship flag={{Shipboxflag|France|naval-1790}} {{Shipboxflag|France|naval}}
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| Ship launched = 1789
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| Ship renamed = ''Empereur'' (1804)
| Ship captured = 30 April 1805
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|Ship country=United Kingdom
|Ship flag={{shipboxflag|UKGBI|civil}}
| Ship name = HMS ''Hart''
| Ship namesake = [[Hart (deer)]]
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| Ship acquired = April 1805 by capture
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| Ship fate = Sold 1810
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| Header caption ={{sfnp|Winfield|2008|pp=348–349}}
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| Ship tons burthen=151{{small|{{frac|87|94}}}}, or 160 ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
| Ship length =*Overall:{{cvt|68|ft|0|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
*Keel:{{cvt|63|ft|9|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
| Ship beam = {{cvt|21|ft|2|in|m|1|abbr=on}} 
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| Ship hold depth = {{cvt|10|ft|9|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
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| Ship sail plan = [[Brig]]
| Ship complement = 82 (privateer)
| Ship armament =*Privateer: 14 × 6-pounder guns
*Royal Navy: 16 × 12-pounder [[carronades]]
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'''HMS ''Hart''''' was a French schooner launched in 1789 that in 1804 was renamed ''Empereur'' and that cruised as a privateer out of Guadeloupe. The British [[Royal Navy]] captured ''Empereur'' in 1805 and took her into service. She captured numerous small merchant vessels and participated in the capture of the Danish West Indies in December 1807. The Navy sold her in 1810.

==Capture==
On the evening of 3 April 1805 the 74-gun [[third-rate]] {{HMS|Eagle|1804|2}} was cruising with a squadron when she broke away in chase of a schooner. ''Eagle'' caught up with the schooner at around midnight and captured her. The schooner was the French privateer ''Empereur'', of 14 guns and 82 men. She was 42 days out of Guadeloupe but had captured nothing. Captain David Colby of ''Eagle'' described ''Empereur'' as "a very fine Vessel of her Description, coppered and sails well".<ref>{{London Gazette|date=18 May 1805 |issue=15808 |page=669}}</ref> ''Eagle'' brought her into [[Carlisle Bay, Barbados]]; the Royal Navy took her into service as HMS ''Hart''.

==Royal Navy==
Commander John Ellis Watt commissioned ''Hart'' in March 1806.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|pp=348–349}}

On 4 August ''Hart'' captured the schooner ''Hannah'', Eldridge, master.{{efn|A seaman's share was worth [[£sd|£]]1 8[[shilling|s]] {{frac|0|1|4}}[[pence|d]].<ref>{{London Gazette|date=17 October 1809 |issue=16307 |page=1652}}</ref>}}

On 6 August ''Hart'' was in company with {{HMS|Jason|1804|2}}, {{HMS|Maria|1805|2}}, and {{HMS|Tobago|1805|2}} when they captured ''Hercules''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16395|page=1211|date=11 August 1810}}</ref>

Commander William Coombe was to replace Watt in early 1807. As first lieutenant of {{HMS|Galatea|1794|6}}, Coombe had led the boats that on 21 January 1807 captured {{ship|French corvette|Lynx|1804|6}} in a notable action. The surviving British officers received promotions. Coombe was promoted to commander but received an appointment as captain of ''Hart'', not ''Lynx''. ''Hart'' was a lesser vessel than ''Lynx'' and Coombe complained to the admiral of the station and then to the Admiralty. The Admiralty reversed the appointments, which led to Coombe fighting a duel with the relegated captain.<ref name=United>''The United service magazine'', (1854), p.545.</ref> Coombe commissioned HMS ''Heureux'', the former ''Lynx'', in April 1807.{{efn|Coombe was killed in the early morning of 29 November 1808 while captain of ''Heureux''.}}

It is not clear when Coombe replaced Watt. Prize money notices are ambiguous.

On 21 September ''Hart'', Commander William Coombe, captured the Danish brig ''Adventure'', Colin, master.<ref>{{London Gazette|date=21 July 1812 |issue=16625 |page=1420 }}</ref>

''Galatea'' and ''Hart'', Commander Coombe ("Deceased"), shared in the prize money for the capture on 1 October 1807 of the schooner ''John and Joseph'', Hansen, master.<ref name=LG16428>{{London Gazette|date=27 November 1810 |issue=16428 |page=1888}}</ref>

On 4 October, ''Hart''. Commander Watt, was in company with ''Jason'', ''Maria'', and {{HMS|Pert|1804|2}} when they captured the schooner ''Rebecca''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16292|page=1372|date=26 August 1809}}</ref>{{efn|A seaman's share of the prize money amounted to 17s {{frac|11|3|4}}d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16399|page=1290|date=25 August 1810}}</ref>}}

''Cerberus'', and ''Hart'', William Coombe ("late Commander"), shared the prize money for the [[galiot]] ''Mary'', Durham, master, captured on 10 October.<ref name=LG16428/>

''Hart'', {{HMS|Latona|1781|2}}, {{HMS|Circe|1804|2}}, ''Galatea'', {{HMS|Cerberus|1794|2}}, {{HMS|Cygnet|1804|2}}, and ''Pert'' shared in His Majesty's grant for the Danish schooner ''Danske Patriot'', Outerbridge, master, captured on 20 October. The prize money notice gave the name of ''Hart''{{'}}s commander as William Coombe. {{efn|A seaman's share of the prize money was 1s {{frac|2|3|4}}d.<ref>{{London Gazette|page=232|issue=16451|date=5 February 1811}}</ref>}}

On 15 December 1807 {{HMS|Fawn|1807|6}} arrived at Barbados with the news of war with Denmark. Admiral Cochrane immediately set sail for the Danish West Indies in his flagship, {{HMS|Belleisle|1795|6}}, together with a squadron including {{HMS|Prince George|1772|2}}, {{HMS|Northumberland|1798|2}}, {{HMS|Canada|1765|2}}, {{HMS|Ramillies|1785|2}}, {{HMS|Cerberus|1794|2}}, {{HMS|Ethalion|1797|2}}, and a number of other vessels, including ''Hart''. The expedition included troops from the [[70th (Surrey) Regiment of Foot|70th]] and [[90th Regiment of Foot (Perthshire Volunteers)|90th Regiments of Foot]] under the overall army commander, General Henry Bowyer.<ref name=LG16116/>

St Thomas surrendered on 22 December and St Croix on 25 December.<ref name=LG16116>{{London Gazette|date=9 February 1808|issue=16116|pages=194–200}}</ref> A prize money notice in the ''London Gazette'' in 1816 gives a list of the vessels, and the army units that participated in the campaign.{{efn|The two commanders-in-chief each received [[£sd|£]]1293 3[[shilling|s]] {{frac|5|3|4}}[[pence|d]]. A naval captain or commander received a first-class share, which was worth £398 10s {{frac|3|1|2}}d. A fifth-class share, that of a seaman, was worth £1 18s 10d.<ref>{{London Gazette|date=20 February 1816|issue=17112|page=337}}</ref>|group=Note}}

''Hart'' no longer appeared in prize money or other notices in the ''London Gazette'' for events after December 1807.

==Fate==
The Navy sold ''Hart'' in 1810.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|pp=348–349}}

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==Citations==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |first1=Rif |last1=Winfield |title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates |publisher=Seaforth Publishing|year=2008 |isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hart (1805)}}
[[Category:1789 ships]]
[[Category:Privateer ships of France]]
[[Category:Captured ships]]
[[Category:Schooners of the Royal Navy]]