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Kitty (1800 ship)

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History
NameKitty
In service17 May 1804
Out of service17 January 1805
FateReturned to owners
General characteristics
Tons burthen310 tons bm
PropulsionSails
Complement100
Armament

The Hired armed ship Kitty served the Royal Navy only from 17 May 1804 to 17 January 1805.[1] She was armed with sixteen 18-pounder carronades and was of 310 tons burthen (bm).

On 10 March 1805, while under the command of Thomas Musgrave, she captured the Spanish privateer Felicity (or Felicidad) in the Channel. Felicity was armed with 20 guns and had a crew of 170 men. She was under the command of Jose Vincento de Cinza and had been out 10 days. In the one and a half hour engagement Kitty suffered one man killed and two seriously wounded.[2] Felicidad, of St Andero had four men killed and 14 wounded.[3]

By this time, Kitty's Master described her as a "private ship of war". He had received a letter of marque against the French on 5 February 1805. The letter describes Kitty as having a crew of 100 men, and being armed with 22 carriage guns of 9, 18 and 24 pounds, and six swivels.[4]

In his after-action letter, Musgrave reports that fewer than 20 of her crew had ever seen a gun fired, and fewer than 40 had ever been to sea before she left port on 3 March.[2] Kitty's owner and the Lloyd's Patriotic Fund presented Commander Musgrave with an honour sabre worth 30 pounds for the action.[5]

The "privateer Kitty", Musgrave, master, was reported as being well in River Plate on 5 November 1806.[6] That month she was at Maldonado, Uruguay, where Sir Home Riggs Popham, who was leading a British invasion of the Rio Plate hired her to take Mr. Blennerhassett, purser of Raisonable, to Rio de Janeiro to buy supplies and to convey a message. Kitty was waiting to take hides and tallow to London and her owner agreed to charter her. He asked £1000 for "wear, tear and expenses", but accepted £750. Popham was well pleased because he thought this cheaper than using a naval vessel, had he had one to spare.[7] She returned to Maldonado on 18 December.[8]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Winfield (2008), p.393.
  2. ^ a b Naval Chronicle, Vol. 12, pp.221-2.
  3. ^ Lloyd's Marine List,[1], #4200 - accessed 1 December 2013.
  4. ^ "Letters of marque against France 1793-1815" (PDF). 1812privateers.org. 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  5. ^ "An honour sabre given to Commander Thomas Musgrave". liveauctioneers.com. 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2012.
  6. ^ Lloyd's Marine List,[2] - accessed 1 December 2013.
  7. ^ Grainger (1996), p.99.
  8. ^ Grainger (1996), p.199.

References

  • Grainger, John D., (ed.), (1996) The Royal Navy in the River plate, 1806-1807. (Scholar Press for the Navy Records Society; Vol. 135).
  • Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth. ISBN 1-86176-246-1.
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