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URGENT need help!!!! RAMAAAAA

Rama, there is a huge issue with a certain article and I thought you could help me because your name is Rama so maybe you are indian, which would help in this case. Are you indian? Anyways I need you to help me because only an admin can fix this one problem. Please respond, and by the way I do not really understand how to see your response, so please post something on my talk page. thank you. Obeyel (talk) 05:16, 3 November 2016 (UTC)

Sorry, no. Best of luck! Rama (talk) 18:32, 6 November 2016 (UTC)

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Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I haven't gotten to Hodoul yet; once I do, there will probably be a number of Demerliac requests. But in the meantime, when you get the chance could you please look at Wanstead (1802 ship). There are three privateers of interest Lady Villaret/Dame Villaret, Grande Decidé, and Sorciere. Sorciere is particularly interesting because she is a British privateer lugger that I believe was the highly successful French privateer lugger Sorciere that HMS Rebuff captured in 1806. Unfortunately she (the British privateer) is too small (67 tons burthen) to show up in Lloyd's Register, so I haven't been able to confirm the transition from French to British privateer, nor have any clue about what happened to her later. Still, she might make a good article.

On a completely different matter, will you be in Paris around 23 June 2017, and would you like to meet for coffee? The reason I ask is that my wife and I will be attending a conference there around that date and we may arrive or leave a day or two early. I will not take offense if you wish to retain your anonymity; I am cautious about reducing mine. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 15:34, 10 November 2016 (UTC)

Hello, quicker note than I'd wish to: I'll look up the new ships next week. I would be very keen to meeting up, but I do not have enough visibility to know what I will be in June; I'll keep you informed as events unfold. Cheers! Rama (talk) 22:38, 10 November 2016 (UTC)
No worries. In the meantime I have prepared the article Sorcière (privateer). I am hopeful that Demerliac can provide some good info on the tons. One source suggests that Sorcière was 45 tons (presumably "of load"), making her small enough to be the British Sorciere. I just don't know which of the two captured in 1806 it is. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 02:43, 11 November 2016 (UTC)
We resume our regular broadcasts with:
  • Lady Villaret/Dame Villaret: the closest I have is a Villaret, a privateer with 65 men and 5 guns, captured in the Carribean by HMS Blonde circa August 1807 (unnumbered, p.340)
  • Grand Décidé: a three-masted ship from Bordeaux, built from February to August 1809 by the Courau brothers and commissioned as Décidé in September 1809 under Louis Briolle. 30.05 metres long, 277 tons of load, 12 officers and 128 men, with 2 6-pounders and 12 24-pounder carronades, coppered. Renamed Grand Décidé in 1810. Mutiny on board on 9 December 1809 leading to the arrest of 17 men and the eventual excecution of 2 of them (no 2320, p. 289 of 1800-1815)
  • Sorcière: Lugger from Saint-Malo, commissioned in September 1803. Said to look like a fishing boat, 45 tons of load, with 42 men and 10 4-pounders. She was under Jacques Laurent from September 1803 to November 1803, under Pierre Dupont from November 1803 to November 1804, and under Jacques Debon from November 1804 to April 1806. (no 2022, p. 264 of 1800-1815)
  • Sorcier: Lugger from Saint-Malo, built in 1805 and commissioned in December 1805. She was under Captain Néel when she was captured by HMS Attack. (no 2032, p. 265 of 1800-1815)
This tips the balance of probability a little bit towards Sorcière (2022), but I wouldn't swear anything. Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:54, 16 November 2016 (UTC)

Hi Rama, thanks for this. I have added all the info to the relevant articles. In some cases (e.g., Grande Decide), it's a little excessive for the article where I have included it, but I would rather have the info on line somewhere, and I don't have enough info to make an article just about her. I too think the Sorciere of 1803 became the British Sorciere, and I have said do, but I can only say probably. I just don't have proof. But at least we continue to put your Demerliac grant to good use. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 04:13, 17 November 2016 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I have just uploaded the article Duff (1794 ship), which I am still working on. In 1799 the French privateer Grande Buonaparte captured her. Do we have anything in Demerliac or other French sources on this privateer, or on what finally happened to Duff? Thanks, and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 21:18, 28 November 2016 (UTC)

Hello,
I have nothing on Duff, and very little on Grand Bonaparte, only that she was a privateer from Bordeaux commissioned by Sallanche and Sorbé in 1798.
On an unrelated note, I have just broken the barrier of 100 models in commons:Category:Ship models in the Musée national de la Marine, so this is a little festive moment for me. The 101st ship is Lionne, which is not only in the Trianon model collection, but is also a sister-ship of Dumont d'Urville's Astrolabe. Rather auspicious, or so I like to think.
Best wishes and cheers! Rama (talk) 22:11, 28 November 2016 (UTC)
Hi Rama,
  • 1) Congratulations on the 101th model. They are all beautiful. Is there some way of figuring out what vessels the generic models represent? I would love to add the 14-carronade or 16-gun cutters to the appropriate articles. Also, the Belle Poule appears to be Belle Poule of 1802 (HMS Belle Poule (1806)); am I correct?
  • 2)Grande Buonaparte - what is the Demerliac no. and page? Elsewhere, I have a mention of a Grande Buonaparte of 22 guns and 200 men operating in the Caribbean in 1798. Could this be the same vessel?

Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 01:21, 29 November 2016 (UTC)

Hello,
  • Just realised I had forgotten the page, my bad, I must have been more tired than I realised. No. 2389, p.271 of 1792-1799. Information is very scarce beside that, but she could very well be that ship.
  • The generic models in Trianon model collection are often of no particular ships at all (conflating details of various ships of the same class that would normally tell them apart, or lacking them), or sometimes of fictitious ships (for instance there is no Espérance in the Navy lists, yet File:Espérance-IMG 8703.JPG is both named so on the transom, and very accurately detailed). Truth be told, most of the time I lack the knowledge to tell these details apart myself and I rely on the comments provided by the museum.
  • For Belle Poule, are you referring to commons:Category:Scale model of Belle Poule-MnM 21 MG 16? In this case, this is Joinville's ship Belle Poule (1828), a first-rank frigate of the Commission de Paris, commissioned in 1835. She is much more modern than the eponymous Belle Poule (1802), notably with a complete second battery on the uncovered flush deck and 30-pounders on both batteries. The balcony at the stern is also a mid-19th century feature. The model on display in Paris, MnM 21 MG 16, shows her painted black for the Retour des cendres, so the details are harder to make out, and the display case makes it difficult to photograph; I chose a different model on display at Toulon for the article, in the original bi-colour livery, because the photograph is better, the colour scheme makes the feastures of the ship clearer, and because everybody knows Belle-Poule as "the ship painted black" and I like to do things a bit different from time to time.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 06:39, 29 November 2016 (UTC)
Many thanks for the Demerliac cite. I have added it. (In my view, one of the most important functions of a Wikipedia article is to give a curious reader signposts to related articles and to interesting readings and sources; same logic as with scholarly articles.) Too bad about the models. I have just seen that you had placed the photo of the 14-carronade cutter in the article Cutter (boat); I had forgotten that. I will try to keep an eye out for places to add the photos. They deserve a wider audience. Regards. Acad Ronin (talk) 12:54, 29 November 2016 (UTC)

New Demerliac request

Hi Rama, does Demerliac have anything on a privateer VESSEL named Surcouf that was operating near St Helena in April 1804? She captured the whalers Unicorn and the schooner/whaler Whim but gave up Whim at least to the crews. Lloyd's List reported that Surcouf was armed with 24 36-pounders. I have found nothing suitable on that Corsairs site. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 16:50, 7 December 2016 (UTC)

Hello, I have two Surcouf, but they are from 1809 and 1810, and both are luggers, I doubt they would have fared well in the Southern Atlantic. Cheers! Rama (talk) 21:51, 7 December 2016 (UTC)
Thanks for your efforts. Sometimes we are extraordinarily fortunate. And sometimes we are not. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 01:28, 8 December 2016 (UTC)

Hi Rama, Here's some more, please. I have just completed HMS Tobago (1805). There are three privateers that could do with Demerliacing: Vengeur,Grande Decide, and Grand Napoleon. Thanks. Acad Ronin (talk) 16:21, 9 December 2016 (UTC)

I'll only have access to the Demerliac late next week, I'll make sure to check then. Cheers! Rama (talk) 08:34, 18 December 2016 (UTC)
Hello, so:
  • Vengeur: privateer from Boulogne, commissioned in November 1808, probably a brig. 120 tons of load, 74 men and 17 guns, under Jacques Bourgain (n°1781, p.246 of 1800-1815)
  • Grand Décidé: privateer under Mathieu Goy, commissioned in Guadeloupe in January 1804, 220 men and 22 8-pounder guns. (n°2745, p. 321)
  • Grand Napoléon: Privateer commissioned in Boulogne in March 1806. Was under a captain Huret from January to February 1808, and later under a captain Fourmentin. Might have been captured by the British in 1809. (n°1748, p.243)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 23:09, 21 December 2016 (UTC)


Hi Rama, Many thanks for this. I have added the info to the Tobago article. My best wishes to you and yours for the Holiday Season. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 02:43, 22 December 2016 (UTC)

Page deletion of Nehru college of engineering Thrissur,Kerala, India

Hello Rama, I need your help to delete(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nehru_College_of_Engineering_and_Research_Centre) this Wikipedia page of Nehru college. As you may know that this is not a well reputed college and infamous for violence against students. This page is deliberately created for promotion of their institution. Most people refer Wikipedia page of a particular entity in order to get some genuine information. So, those who refers this page will be lead to misguided information. Please take necessary action against this article.For more information about this college please go through below news article link.Their are a lot of news against this particular institution. http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/nehru-college-thrissur-student-suicide-torture-methods.html — Preceding unsigned comment added by Krishferrare (talk • contribs) 17:41, 11 January 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I have just completed Diamond (1798 ship). Her story includes capture by two French privateers on different occasions. However, what I am most interested in is whether we know anything about what happened to her after her second capture when she became Diamant. Thanks and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 19:31, 17 January 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
We actually have a few details on the later carreer of Diamond: she is the Diamant mentionned in Joseph Potier (I realised after looking her up in Demerliac and finding the name of her captain).
Demerliac says: British prize commissioned at Ile de France in September 1808, probably as an armed merchantman ("en guerre et en marchandises" or en aventurier). 600 tons of load with 18 9-pounders. Decommissioned after her arrival at Bordeaux in January 1809. (n°2829, p.329)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:36, 17 January 2017 (UTC)
Hah. When we combine English and French sources sometimes we can fit together some more pieces of the great puzzle. I also discovered that what I thought would be a relatively uninteresting whaler turned out to have quite a career: THREE times captured by French privateers in just five years, as well as being a slaver. (The second capture was Bellona in late 1803. Do we have anything on her? Anyway, good stuff. Many thanks, Acad Ronin (talk) 01:13, 18 January 2017 (UTC)
Wow, quite an eventful career indeed. I'll look her up tomorrow (away from books for a day). I should start lists for names like Bellona, Grand Désiré or Napoléon, they keep popping up. Cheers! Rama (talk) 09:21, 18 January 2017 (UTC)
Unfortunately, these were popular names, as you know, and trying to keep them straight can be an impossible task.Acad Ronin (talk)

Here's another interesting one where perhaps Demerliac can help. I have just added the disambig page HMS Berbice. The question is whether the first two schooners are the same vessel. The end-date and disposition of the first schooner Berbice is obscure (some inconsistent info depending on the source), and they could be. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 20:10, 20 January 2017 (UTC)

Greetings,
unforseen events have kept me away from my books, but I am back into action.
  • Bellona seems to be Bellone (n°2237, p.282). There are several Bellone and Bellona, but she was the only one in service at that time.
  • Berbice: I'm afraid I am coming empty-handed here, I have no Berbice listed, and the few Serpent I have do not match these dates. sorry.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 22:44, 20 January 2017 (UTC)
Thanks for the Bellone/Bellona info. As for Berbice, once again, the farther one gets from the Channel the thinner the info. Still, perhaps one day we will be lucky and be able to put some pieces together. Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 00:29, 21 January 2017 (UTC)
Quite. I did try to gather information of the French colonies in the Caribbean, but they prioritise social aspects of slave trading and colonial dynamics (if the choice has to be be made, quite rightly so, I daresay) and mentions of ships, personnel and incidents serve to illustrate larger phenomena, and are thus very patchy. Still, even with these limited resources, you are achieving remarkable results, and the recent string of article connecting to one another (Diamond and Bellone) indicates that our coverage is appropriate to make sense of the most significant events. Cheers! Rama (talk) 08:15, 21 January 2017 (UTC)

By-the-way

The Invisible Barnstar
For your tireless work in looking up stuff in Demerliac and for your assistance in things Francophone. Acad Ronin (talk) 23:10, 11 March 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

I have, in the meantime, I have been busy with articles that could do with some input from Demerliac, if possible.

HMS Duguay-Trouin (1780) - I don't think Demerliac has much more on the privateer than I already have, but she captured a number of prizes that I am interested in: Briliant or Brillant; Ville de Trieste, and Comte de Vermomiett. In addition, Winfield has her capturing La Marquise de Pern, but I have not been able to find any other record of any such vessel.
Banastre (1787 ship) - a French frigate of 44 guns Banastre in 1793 as she was sailing from London to Jamaica, and took her into Santo Domingo. Any guess which frigate that might have been?
Most intriguing question: Could the Vengeur/Vautour that HMS Revenge (1805) captured in October 1809 be the Hired armed cutter John Bull captured in 1809? The report re the capture says that the vessel captured in 1810 was the former cutter John Bull, of Plymouth.

Anyway, best of luck and thanks again, Acad Ronin (talk) 22:41, 12 March 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
  • Brillant: I have ships of that name, but none that matches our dates.
  • Ville de Trieste: no ship by that name in my records
  • Comte de Vermomiett: no ship by that name in my records
  • Marquise de Pern: no ship by that name in my records
  • Banastre: I have no mention of a Banastre or Banister; we could narrow it down from the frigates at the Antilles station, but that would be specilative on our part.
It is too bad that Demeriac doesn't come in an ebook version as well. Then we could search under the names of prizes, as well as captors.
  • Vengeur/Vautour: the only Vautour I have matching these dates is a naval ship, and the Vengeur matching these dates was captured by HMS Beagle (n°1781, p.246). So I can provide little to back your theory, sorry.
Not a very fruitful search today, sorry. Better luck next time! Rama (talk) 20:09, 15 March 2017 (UTC)
Long shots, though I did have my fingers crossed for the John Bull connection. That would have been a neat find. I will revert with some other requests later this evening, my time. Thanks. Acad Ronin (talk) 20:28, 15 March 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I finally remembered the article I would like you to check: HMS Pilote (1779). Does the later edition of Demerliac have anything to add either concerning her, or her prize, Justine Adelaide? Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 01:50, 17 March 2017 (UTC)

Hello, here is what I have
  • Pilote: Mutin-class naval cutter, commissioned in Dunkirk in March 1779 under Captain Denys. She was valued at 58,700 livres tournois and had a clinker-style hull, like a drakkar. The rest is already in your article. (N°575, p. 87)
  • Justine Adèle: privateer from home port unknown, commissioned in early 1797, with 20 men and 2 guns. Captured by HMS Pilote in March 1797 (N°3028, p.318 of 1792-1799)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 18:21, 20 March 2017 (UTC)
Good stuff. I will add it later today. Thanks. Acad Ronin (talk) 20:42, 20 March 2017 (UTC)

New Demerliac request

Hi Rama: I was just doing some clean-up on Hired armed schooner Lady Charlotte and noticed that she had captured a number of privateers, and so could benefit from Demerliac's info. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 11:52, 21 March 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
  • Espoir: Interesting case here: there is an Espoir fron Bayonne, privateer lugger of 35 tons of load, commissioned in March 1799 under Pierre Faulat with 4 officers 14 to 15 men, and 6 small guns. Cruised from March to December. Another cruise with 23 men from 1800 to January 1801, when she was captured. Demerliac attributes her capture to one 12-gun HMS Queen Charlotte, which I very much suspect is actually Lady Charlotte. N°2345, p. 291.
  • Préfet de la Manche (meaning "prefect of the Channel". Préfet de la Mouche is adorable but makes no sense): Privateer lugger commissioned in Cherbourg in 1801 with 49 men and 16 to 18 guns. Captured by Lady Charlotte and Sheerness on 21 April 1801. N° 1937, p. 258
  • Petit Pirate: privateer lugger commissioned in Saint-Malo circa 1800 with 24 men and 4 guns. Captured by the 32-gun HMS Greyhound on 18 April 1801 (I am skeptical on the armament Demerliac gives for Greyhound). N° 2001, p. 263
  • Lady Charlotte: Nothing, sorry.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 22:14, 24 March 2017 (UTC)
Hi Rama, Many thanks. I have added all the info to the article.

En passant request

Hi Rama: HMS Trimmer (1782) is an article I worked on some time ago, before you got the Demerliacs. She is an ex-privateer capturedin a notable incident. She also captured a privateer. Anything Demerliac can add would be great. Thanks and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 00:39, 25 March 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
  • Anti-Briton: privateer cutter of 250 tons of load, commissioned in Dunkirk with 14 6-pounders and 10 swivel guns. From 1781 she was under John Kelly, who went under the alias of Jean Grumlé, with 162 men and 22 guns. Captured by HMS Stag. N°1719, p. 177 of 1774-1792.
Good info. I have added this.
  • Sally: I have two Sally captured from the British, but one is credited to the frigate Amazone, and the other to Actif.
As Sally never got back to France, it is not surprising that she isn't in the records.
I have never seen the "Flag of the French Navy Revolution" before. I should start using it. Over what period does it apply, and is it naval in the general sense, or doesit apply only to warships?
Cheers! Rama (talk) 12:17, 25 March 2017 (UTC)
Thanks for the info. Re Sally, can you search over captured ships, not just their French captors? I didn't realize that the index was that thorough. Cool. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 14:32, 25 March 2017 (UTC)
Some captured ships are listed, but by far not all of them, so it's really very much a roll of the dice. But we sometimes get details not found elsewhere, like the late career of Kent. Cheers! Rama (talk) 19:27, 25 March 2017 (UTC)

2 Demerliac requests

Hi Rama,

  • HMS Tapageur (1779) - former privateer. This one is a conventional request.
  • Porcher (1799 ship) - here what I am looking for is anything on Ville de Bordeaux, especially on which British ship recaptured her. Bellone/Bellona we already have, but I have not been able to find anything on Ville de Bordeaux. This one is definitely a dice roll. Thanks, Acad Ronin (talk) 14:51, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
Hello,
the white-with-tricolour canton was a naval ensign, as far as I know, used from 1790 to 15 February 1794. They were phasing it out during the Glorious First of June but a penury of bunting made it difficult to execute the orders and it is possible that at least some ships were still flying this. Compare these two depictions of the sinking of Vengeur du Peuple: File:Vengeur du Peuple-Mayer img 3103.jpg and File:Ozanne-Glorious First of June.jpg.
  • Tapageur: Demerliac lists her as a naval cutter of the Mutin class, although he deems it possible that she was actually a privateer. She might have been built in Dunkirk in 1778 or 1779. Not much more on her. N°576, p.87 of 1774-1792, 1996 edition.
  • Ville de Bordeaux: there was a privateer of that name commissioned at Mauritius in 1805, when she was captured by HMS Concorde, but I doubt she is the one you are looking for, sorry (N°2818, p.328)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 19:56, 27 March 2017 (UTC)
Not surprised that you couldn't find anything on Ville de Bordeaux. Disappointing about Tapaguer. I will have to check my Winfield and Roberts to see if they can confirm the Mutin class possibility. Thanks for looking. Acad Ronin (talk) 20:42, 27 March 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, in updating HMS Alderney (1757), I found that she captured two privateers that might be in Demerliac: Lady Washington in 1780, with an American captain but operating out of Dunkirk, and Puce in 1781. As far as Tapaguer is concerned, I had forgotten that the Brits captured her in 1779, before Winfield and Robert's book. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 17:39, 28 March 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
sorry for the late reply, I have been through some stuff. So:
  • Lady Washington: nothing on her, sorry.
  • Puce: the only Puce I have is a naval cutter. I am beginning to suspect that 1774-1792 might be slightly lacking in privateers.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 10:14, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rama, thanks. I hope all is well with you.Here are some more questions re privateers, but 1793-1815 period, so we can hope for a little more luck:

On another matter, my wife and I will be in Paris from 22 June to 25 June. The conference is the Thu-Fri but we will stay over the weekend. We would be delighted to meet with you for coffee, or even a meal if that is possible. Just let me know as we get closer to the date. Thanks again, and I do hope all is OK. Acad Ronin (talk) 11:43, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
All is well now, thank you very much for you kind words.
  • HMS Unique (ex-Harmonie): no entry for the relevant dates
  • Belliqueuse: Brig built by Michel Colin-Olivier upon plans by Forfait, launched in Dieppe on 30 December 1793, coppered. Sold as a privateer in Saint-Malo in November 1797, captured by the British in January 1798 and recommissioned in the Royal Navy as Belette. Between 220 and 280 tonnes of load and 475 tonne displacement, dimensions 96'9" (89 at the keel) by 25'6" by 12'6". 6 officers and 110 to 140 men. 12 12-pounders, replaced by 6 24-pounder carronades and 2 8-pounders in late 1794. 6-month autonomy with 110 men. (Demerliac, 1792—1799, n°559, p.93). Construction started in May 1793, launched on 30 December 1793, commissioned on 30 March 1794; ordered on 15 April 1793; between May and December 1794, patrols between Le Havre, Ostende, Dunkirk and Cherbourg under Lieutenant Louvel; between March and July 1795, convoy escort between Saint Malo and Brest; sationned at Saint-Malo in January 1797 and sold there as a privateer in November (Roche, vol.1, p.70).
  • Sans Souci: privateer from Saint-Malo, pierced for 14 guns, commissioned in October 1812. Under François Rosse from October to December 1812, with 100 and 120 men, and 4 6-pounders and 4 6-pounder carronades. Captured by HMS Briton and Andromache on 15 December. (n°2116, p. 272)
  • HMS Elizabeth (1805): I have an Élisabeth, 10-gun privateer from Cuba in 1805. Demerliac seems confused as to whether she was French or Spanish, and whether she was a cutter or a schooner. Furthermore, he gives her captured by HMS Bacchante and wrecked with all hands in 1807 (He might be conflating a French privateer with a Spanish naval despatch ship). N°2689, p. 316.
  • No entry for Demerara, and no Hebe or Anna matching the dates of interest.
Nothing is certain yet (beside the great pleasure that it would be meeting you) but I might well arrange things to be in Paris on the week-end of 24 June; I will keep you informed as my plans unfold. Until then, my best wishes for your academic and Wikipedian endeavours! Rama (talk) 19:55, 8 April 2017 (UTC)
Hi Rama, good to hear that all is well now, and thanks for the info. I have added info re Belliqueuse and Sans Souci. I am going to have to untangle Elizabeth. I have sympathy with Demerliac on this one. There were two Elizabeths captured in 1805, one a Spanish cutter and the other a French schooner, and the RN took both into service, without changing any names. This was not a problem as the Spanish Elizabeth was lost before the French Elizabeth was commissioned. There is little info on the Spanish Elizabeth so the Demerliac is welcome.
As for a meet-up, my wife and I are also considering going on to Besançon for a couple of days after Paris (I was a stagaire there in the summer 50 years ago, working on my French), and then going on to Lyons, which we have never seen. I have some distant cousins who own a small "chateau" near Pérouges. The chateau is actually a farm house with a tower - I stayed there 50 years ago in the "Henri IV" bedroom - so called because he may have slept there one night while on a campaign. I would like to see Pérouges again to see how the renovations are going on. If those coordinates are more convenient for you please let me know. In the meantime, many thanks for the info.Acad Ronin (talk) 21:48, 8 April 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I have just finished building out the article on Mary Ann (1772 ship). Could you please check if Demerliac has anything on a 14-gun privateer named Brilliant operating out of Guadeloupe in late 1801. Thanks and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 03:08, 12 April 2017 (UTC)

Nothing on Brillant, sorry. Nicely done identifying Dryade, incidentally! Rama (talk) 12:59, 13 April 2017 (UTC)
Thanks for looking. Can't claim too much credit for Dryade. When I looked up Druid in Winfield and Roberts I found one for the 1840s, but the very next name in the index was Dryade, and that struck me as an obvious confusion in names. CheersAcad Ronin (talk) 15:13, 13 April 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, Does he have anything on French corvette Republicaine (1795)? She was in the Caribbean so it's a long-shot. Thanks. Acad Ronin (talk) 10:35, 24 April 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
She is listed in Roche, p.378, as a requisitioned merchantman launched at Le Havre in 1793. Mentionned in Demerliac at n°507, p. 86, as a corvette of unknown origin commissioned at Granada in 1795, with 18 6-pounders, 240 men and 10 officers. The correct name seems to be Républicaine.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 06:32, 25 April 2017 (UTC)
Thanks. That helps. Acad Ronin (talk) 11:27, 25 April 2017 (UTC)

Image request

Good afternoon Rama, I see you have created images for two French postwar rifle grenades, the APAV 40 and the Luchaire AC 58mm. Would you be able to create something similar for two other French postwar rifle grenades, please? The two grenades in particular are the 34mm Modèle 1952 and the STRIM 65 AC 28 which was replace by the Luchaire design. Amicalement votre Keith H99 (talk) 12:50, 21 April 2017 (UTC)

Hello, I just did something for the 34-52/60, and I'll keep the STRIM 65 for my next slot of free time. Cheers! Rama (talk) 18:45, 21 April 2017 (UTC)
Hi, thanks for looking at this, and working on something for the 34-52/60. Regards Keith H99 (talk) 21:42, 21 April 2017 (UTC)
Many thanks for taking the time to create both images Keith H99 (talk) 11:22, 27 April 2017 (UTC)
You are welcome, good continuation to you! Rama (talk) 11:29, 27 April 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, does Demerliac have anything on a Vautour/Vulture captured in 1798 or 1797? She was a largish vessel of about 340 tons burthen. This is not the Vautour captured in 1796, which was of only 130 tons burthen. The 1798 vessel became a merchantman that is listed as having been captured in 1798, received a letter of marque and sailed for the Cape of Good Hope that year, and then goes off the radar, if I may use that expression, but still was last listed in 1804. Thanks for looking, and cheers, 23:20, 1 May 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
I have sparse information on two Vautour in these dates, the first being a more likely candidate obvioulsy:
  • Vautour, a privateer from Bordeaux commissioned in July 1798 (or 1797), with 64 men and 10 guns under a Captain Bolle, captured by HMS Matilda in August 1798 (or possibly on 29 March 1798?) (N°2399, p. 272)
  • Vautour, a privateer cutter from an unknown harbour, commissioned in early 1797, captured by HMD Impetueux on 8 March 1797. (N°3051, p. 320)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 09:43, 3 May 2017 (UTC)
Hi Rama, thanks for your efforts. Neither of these really matches, but I have added them to a page that I just created: Vautour (ship). There I have corrected some of the info on the Bordeaux Vautour based on English records. Cheers. Acad Ronin (talk) 15:04, 3 May 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama: I have just completed Hired armed cutter Nox. She was involved in the capture of two French privateers, Aimable Therese and General Brune. I hope that Demerliac has some info that I can add to the article. Thanks and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 01:29, 5 May 2017 (UTC)

  • Aimable Thérèse: privateer lugger from an unknown harbour, commissioned in 1799 and captured by HMS Ann on 25 May 1799 (n°3090, p.322 of 1792-1799).
  • Général Brune (ex-Brune): Privateer 25-ton of load from Bordeaux recommissioned at Bayonne in 1798. She was under Lartigue Mongrué with 4 officiers and 10 to 16 men, one gun and 4 swivel guns. Captured by British boats in January or February 1800. (N°2341, p.290 of 1800-1815)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 15:24, 8 May 2017 (UTC)
Thanks. I have implemented the info. Too bad we can't also correct Demerliac when we have additional info. The question below re Bordelois/Artois looks interesting too; I look forward to your researches. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 18:00, 8 May 2017 (UTC)

Sutton de Clonard

Rama, the thread is getting too long. I'll start a new one just for Clonard. The French WP article interestingly does not mention the 13 August 1780 action. That aside, he certainly deserves an article in the English WP. Also, how should we refer to him: Lieutenant le Chevalier Robert de Clonard, seigneur de Lugo? Acad Ronin (talk) 20:17, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

I've just started Robert Sutton de Clonard. I think that it would be "Lieutenant Chevalier Robert Sutton de Clonard, seigneur de Lugo", but that is quite Ancien Régime; "Lieutenant de Clonard" would be the typical military address, at least nowadays. Rama (talk) 20:46, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
Hmmm, or "Lieutenant Robert Sutton, Chevalier de Clonard, seigneur de Lugo". Whatever, that's essentially the reason we have a Republic now ^_^ Rama (talk) 21:00, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
I suspect he'd be Lieutenant de Vaisseau Robert Sutton, chevalier de Clonard, because ancien régime naval officer ranks were so stratified. Thankfully, this source says he was promoted capitaine de vaisseau in 1787. On the other hand, I can't see any indication that he inherited the seignurie of Lugo - he seems to have been the fifth son. AJN (talk) 22:30, 15 May 2017 (UTC)
@AJN: Thanks for this. I have started adding in the info. Acad Ronin (talk) 23:37, 15 May 2017 (UTC)

The Bordelois / HMS Artois

Hi Rama. Back in 2015, you worked up the page on the 56-gun Bordelois of 1763, referencing Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre for detailed evidence regarding the assertion that she was razee'd into a frigate in 1768 and eventually became HMS Artois (a statement also made in Winfield's volume for 1714-1792). However, other sources identify the Bordelois not with the privateer frigate États d'Artois which was captured by HMS Romney in June 1780 and then became HMS Artois, but with a privateer ship-of-the-line named Comte d'Artois, captured by HMS Bienfaisant in August 1780, evidently still in a two-decker configuration, and apparently not taken into service with the Royal Navy. This is stated in a contemporary edition of Le Moniteur,[1] and in a brief biographical notice of the captain of Comte d'Artois, based on a 1999 article on Bordelois which I do not have direct access to.[2]

Obviously, the existence of two privateers called Artois in 1780 has caused confusion. Is there anything in Roche, Demerliac, or other sources you have access to, which would help resolve which ship the Bordelois really became?

Also, do you know about the selection of documents relating to the frigate États d'Artois printed in 1875? They contain a lot of details that were new to me, but (for whatever it's worth) I see no hint of her being a rebuild of an older ship.[3] On the other hand, I have also seen online references to a 64-gun Indiaman Comte d'Artois, launched in 1759, the specifications of which seem very close to the privateer Comte (the Compagnie des Indes museum in Lorient has a modern ship-model of her and also a cutaway model of the hull; I think she must have been a sister-ship of Duc de Duras / Bonhomme Richard, designed by Groignard who also designed the Bordelois).

Thanks, and kind regards, AJN (talk) 12:06, 8 May 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
I'll do a bit of research and come back right to you on this. Cheers! Rama (talk) 15:25, 8 May 2017 (UTC)
Note to self: Kerguelen-Trémarec, Yves-Joseph (1796). Relation des combats et des évènements de la guerre maritime de 1778 entre la France et l'Angleterre (in French). Imprimerie de Patris. p. 156.
Thanks!! I've just noticed that even Gardiner's The Heavy Frigate seems confused by this, identifying HMS Artois (presumably incorrectly) with the 64 captured by Bienfaisant in August rather than the frigate captured by Romney in June. AJN (talk) 12:06, 10 May 2017 (UTC)
I have not had the Demerliac handy in the last few days but I should be able to check them tomorrow, I am hopeful that they should clarify the issue. All clues point to authors seeing a 64-gun and a frigate Artois and incorrectly connecting the dots that they were the same ship, as you suspected. I'll keep you informed. Cheers! Rama (talk) 17:54, 10 May 2017 (UTC)
Hello @AJN:, and sorry for the delay,
Demerliac mentions Artois as États d'Artois a 18-pounder frigate, formerley the 56-gun Bordelais, whose rebuilt was financed by Charles Philippe d'Artois (the future Charles X) adn commissioned by the Estates of Artois (hence her name) under Captain Arnous. She displaced 1100 tons (2000 tons full load), length 152 feet (French) and 144 at the keel, beam 37'10" and draught 18', with 460 to 787 men, four 6 month worth of food and 40 guns (28 18-pounders and 12 8-pounders. Captured by HMS Romney in July 1780, sustaining 20 killed and 40 wounded. Recommissioned in the Royal Navy as a 5th-rate (n°332 p.56). Note that she is listed among naval frigates, not privateers.
As Bordelais, she is listed at N°55, p.21 as a 3rd-rate (French classification) 56-gun ship of the line built in Bordeaux (offered as a Don des Vaisseaux contribution from the Parliament and city of Bordeaux) from July 1762 and July 1763 by Léon-Michel Guignace upon plans by Antoine Groignard. She was sold in May 1779 in Lorient to a mister Delay for 60'000 livres Tournois. 2005 tons (2454 tons full load with 500 to 560 men, 6 month worth of food and 56 guns (24 36-pounders, 26 18-pounders and 6 8-pounders; from 1776 her armament was lightened to 24 24-pounders, 26 12-pounders and 6 6-pounders.
Now, was have several Comte d'Artois as well:
  • a careening hulk in Lorient. Built by Antoine Groignard and Gilles Cambry (son), launched on 20 November 1759 and commissioned between April 1759 and February 1760. She was formerly an East Indiaman and was converted to a hulk in 1767 at station n°7 of the harbour. She is last mentionned in 1780, when she seems to have been sold as a privateer. 1200 tons of load, length 157'10" (139'10" at the keel), beam 40'6" and draught 17'9". (N°219, p.42)
  • a privateer from Saint-Malo. Former merchantman under a Captain Girodroux, 300 to 416 tons (clearly a completely different ship). Mentionned as being at Ile de France (Mauritius) in August 1778 (N°1814, p.185)
  • a privateer from Lorient, formerly the British privateer Peters (Saint-Pierre ?) from Liverpool, 300 tons and 140 men with 33 guns, captured by Vengeur (N°1857, p.188)
  • another privateer from Lorient, probably the former East Indiaman and hulk. 1200 tons, with 644 men and 64 guns. She cruised from May to August 1780 under Captain de Closnard and was captured by two British ships of the line (or naval ships, rather) of Ireland, sustaining 57 killed. Not recommissioned in the Royal Navy. (N°1861, p.188)
  • Lastly, there is an entry for an East Indiaman, a 567-ton merchantman commissioned by the East India Company in Lorient in March 1786 under Arnoud Dessaulsaix, bound for Pondichery, Moka, Pondichery again (December 1787) and returned to Lorient in April 1788. She made another journey from April 1788, bound for Trincomalee and Pondichery (June 1789), returning to Lorient in late 1789. Not mentionned later. (N°2178, p.215)
From Kerguelen's relation, we have further details on the capture of Comte d'Artois (N°1861): she was under Lieutenant Chevalier de Closnard and was captured on 13 August 1780 by HMS Bienfaisant (which Kerguelen describes as a 74-gun, while she carried 64) and Charon (a 44-gun frigate which Kerguelen described as carrying 52); she fought for over two hours, sustaining 21 killed and 31 wounded (for a total of 52 casualties, coming close to the 57 killed mentionned above, perhaps incorrectly conflating the wounded with the killed?), before striking as two frigates, which he discribes as Licorne (32) and Hussard (28), where coming in range (we might want to check whether these are Unicorn and Hussar).
I would be keen to hearing your thoughts on this, as well as those of our distinguished colleague @Acad Ronin:, and if you have any further information on your side. Thank you for a very interesting case (most of our privateers are cutters, sometimes corvettes, but seldom two-deckers) and best wishes for the future. Rama (talk) 21:16, 13 May 2017 (UTC)
PS: on your idea that Bordelais was a sister-ship of Duc de Duras, it does not seem to be the case, as Duc de Duras was designed from the start as an East Indiaman (Bordelais was a warship); the measurements of Duras are listed as 900 tons (1500 tons full load), length 145' (126' at the keel), beam 36'8" and draught 15', noticeably smaller than Bordelais and Comte d'Artois (N°1861/219). On the other hand you quite are right that Duras was built by Gilled Cambry son upon plans by Antoine Groignard. (N°325, p.55) Cheers! Rama (talk) 21:28, 13 May 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rama and AJN: I just checked the London Gazette. It shows Bienfaissant capturing Comte d'Artois on 13 August 1780. The Gazette referred to her as a "private man of war", and stated that the proceeds were to be shared with Charon, Licorne, and Hussar. There was an HMS Licorne, at the time; she was the Licorne launched in 1755 that the RN captured in 1778 and sold in 1783. The only HMS Hussar in service was an American galley. I'd have to know more about where the action took place to see if she qualifies. Bienfaisant also captured captured Comtesse d'Artois on 8 December 1780. See: "No. 12203". The London Gazette. 30 June 1781. Acad Ronin (talk) 21:59, 13 May 2017 (UTC)

OK. Hussar appears to have been HMS Hussar (1763). Hepper has her being lost in 1779, and I have found him to be absolutely reliable, but all the other evidence I can find has her being lost in 1780, late enough that she could be one of the vessels involved in the capture of Comte d'Artois.Acad Ronin (talk) 23:37, 13 May 2017 (UTC)
Splendid additions to our archeo-naval sleuthing! I have not found anything more precise than "off the coasts of Ireland" as to the location of the capture, but I'll keep an eye open for any further information. Thank you again and good continuation! Rama (talk) 09:58, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rama, it turns out that WP already had an article on the Action of 13 August 1780, and it has more information on the location of the action. I have implemented there the info from Demerliac. At some point I need to do a small article on Comte d'Artois. There seems to be more about her on the web. Regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 12:37, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

Many thanks for all that! Okay, the situation seems to be as follows:

  • Demerliac places both the 56-gun ship of the line Bordelois and the ex-Indiaman Comte d'Artois at Lorient in 1780. The Indiaman had been a careening hulk since 1767, while the 56 was on the naval roster until 1779.
  • Demerliac and Roche, followed by Winfield, threedecks and WP, state that Bordelois became the frigate États d'Artois, while the ex-Indiaman Comte d'Artois became the two-decker privateer Comte d'Artois. I had liked this because the idea of the Bordelois as HMS Artois with a full upper gundeck and a few 6-pounders on her upperworks suggested a marvelously radical ship-of-the-line design, fitting with the fact that she was an unusually compact 36-pounder ship. But it is contradicted by contemporary evidence...
  • The contemporary newspaper Moniteur, and the 1999 article by M. Baillard (which I suspect none of us have access to), both claim that the Bordelois became the two-decker privateer Comte d'Artois, while sources relating to the frigate États d'Artois give no hint that she was not a new ship. If this was the case perhaps the ex-Indiaman Comte d'Artois was simply broken up (the Indiaman of 1786-1789 seems too small). This version does not involve any ships under going radical rebuilding.
  • The third option is that the Bordelois simply disappears from the records in 1779, that the ex-Indiaman Comte d'Artois became the privateer ship-of-the-line Comte d'Artois, and the privateer frigate États d'Artois was newly built. This option requires neither name changes nor rebuilds, but it is one which no-one has previously considered - and it requires everyone to be wrong.
  • I suppose the question here is whether Demerliac had grounds for thinking that Bordelois became États d'Artois - is this just a confused echo of the statement in the Moniteur that Bordelois became Comte d'Artois? Or to put it another way - who is confused: Demerliac, the Moniteur, or both of them?

Some additional notes:

  • Bordelois, the Indiaman Comte d'Artois and the frigate États d'Artois all have relatively similar dimensions -
1. The Indiaman Comte d'Artois is 157'10" x 40'6" x 17'9" French in Demerliac - the largest figures.
2. Online sources give the Bordelois class at 156' x 43'4" x 19'8" French citing Demerliac, or metric dimensions, citing Roche, which work out at 156' x 42'6" x 19'5" French - are these design measurements?
3. États d'Artois is given at 152' x 37'10 x 18' French in Demerliac (apparently in frigate form).
4. HMS Artois (ex-États d'Artois) is given English measurements of 158'8 (gundeck) x 40'4 (extreme) x 18'6 (hold), working out at roughly 149'11" x 37'10" x 17'4" French. Are French figures measured on the gundeck or upper deck?
  • This discussion has at least cleared up the details of the capture of both États d'Artois and Comte d'Artois.
  • Duc de Duras / Bonhomme Richard is irrelevant to the discussion (and surprisingly small).
  • Roche's Dictionnaire des bâtiments is quoted for statements that the Bordelois was rebuilt as a frigate as early as 1768 and served as an Indiaman in the 1770s. I take it none of this is in Demerliac?
  • The use of a ship of the line as a privateer was not completely unprecedented: in the 1690s Jean Bart had used a number of small two-deckers loaned by the state as privateers, with the 54-gun Maure as his flagship, while in 1745 a two-decker named Elisabeth was sent out as a privateer from St Malo to support Bonnie Prince Charlie's uprising in Scotland. And there are connections between the three ships: a nephew of Jean Bart served as the second-in-command of Elisabeth, while in turn the armateur of the Elisabeth was a relative of the captain of the Comte d'Artois.

Overall, many thanks to both of you! I am not sure if the puzzle is quite solved yet, but I am enjoying the discussion! AJN (talk) 16:29, 14 May 2017 (UTC)

Gentles, I unfortunately do not have the time right now to worry this bone. Still, I wouldn't really call Comte d'Artois a ship of the line. The RN too purchased East Indiamen on the stocks or in service with the EIC and called them fourth rates, but they were fundamentally merchant vessels and performed poorly in their RN role. The problem with large vessels as private men of war was that they were not cost-effective. They needed too large a crew, and were over-manned and over-gunned for the most profitable prey, vessels half their size or less, returning from the West Indies. I would bet that four 300-ton brigs, each with about 125 men, would do better than one 1200-ton vessel with 500+ crewmen. AJN, I take your qualms about everyone being wrong, but I would be more worried if I thought all the sources were independent. For instance, above I mentioned Hepper getting the year wrong on the capture of Comte d'Artois. I just queried him and it turns out he got the year from Colledge. Net: a perfectly correlated error between two first-rate researchers. It is clear that Demerliac often drew on the letters appearing in the London Gazette. Furthermore, at the time, plagiarism was not a concept, and certainly not a legal issue. So what appears to be everyone being wrong may be only one, or possibly two erroneous reports being perpetuated. Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 17:32, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
For a tiny addition, the Comtesse d'Artois captured in late 1780 might be N° 1815 p.185, a privateer from Saint-Malo under Captain Morin; she might be the same ship as Comte d'Artois (n°1814, above).
Roche is the only one to mention a Comte d'Artois that was both razéed into a frigate and served as an East Indiaman, I strongly suspect that this is an erroneous confusion between the other various ships.
A preview of Les réfugiés jacobites dans la France du XVIIIe siècle [4] reveals a few more information: the full name of the captain, Robert Sutton de Clonard, seigneur de Lugo; he was recently released in a prisonner exchange with England, and was granted permission by Duke de Penthièvre to commission Comte d'Artois (mentionned here as being the former Bordelais). The source of that information is an article by Michel Baillard, "Histoire du Bordelais, vaisseau du Roi" in Bulletin de liaison du centre généalogique sud-ouest, 1st semester of 1999, pp. 27-36. I'll contact the centre in question to see whether they could communicate a scan of the article in question.
Exciting enigma, thank you very much to both of you. Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:02, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
Dang, that Sutton de Clonard, I thougt that the name rang a bell: he went on to captain Boussole in the La Pérouse expedition. I'll get started on his article. Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:07, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
I had seen something that suggested that Comtesse d'Artois was a privateer, so that is consistent. What is the correct spelling of the name of captain for Comte d'Artois? I have seen both Clonard and Closnard. Acad Ronin (talk) 20:17, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
Closnard is probably an archaic spelling, I'd go with Clonard. Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:37, 14 May 2017 (UTC)
Lots to reply to here:
  • Acad Ronin, I agree with you that at least some of our sources are copying each other - the question is, which ones, and which ones are reliable?
  • Regarding East Indiamen, I get the sense that French ones were more ship-shape than their better-known British counterparts - they're often said to have been built specifically to stand in the line of battle, were certainly built strongly enough to carry a full-weight broadside (while British ones were generally limited to long eighteens on the lower battery), had a proper forecastle, quarterdeck, poop (where British ones had a platform and a roundhouse), and I wouldn't be surprised if they had underwater lines shaped less like a cargo crate as well. Many performed without demur as French ships of the line, and two prizes were added the RN as 64s - HMS Duc d'Aquitaine in 1757, and HMS Belleisle (ex-Bertin) in 1761, though admittedly neither had a distinguished career.
  • As to using two-deckers as privateers, I suspect the perceived advantage was that few frigates would dare attack them, and considering how over-manned many French privateers were, the "economy of scale" argument probably applied less than would be expected. They were also fast enough to catch most merchant ships, and able to attack larger and comparatively well-armed targets - not just because they carried heavier metal, but because the longer range of 24-pounders meant they didn't have to close the range and risk damage.
  • The Baillard article might have answers, or at least help us to understand the confusion.
  • The name has always been Clonard in English (the place in question is now a suburb of Wexford) - "Closnard" seems to be an eighteenth century French spelling, perhaps designed to make the name seem less foreign?
Phewh! AJN (talk) 23:57, 15 May 2017 (UTC)
@AJN: Agreed to all, except the scale issue for privateers. If big privateers were a good idea, we would have seen more of them, including among the Americans both in 1777-1783 and 1812-1814. Anyway, unfortunately my paid job is intruding and I need to tidy up some stuff. I will be mostly offline for the next two weeks. Good hunting. Acad Ronin (talk) 00:08, 16 May 2017 (UTC)
Hello @AJN: and @Acad Ronin:,
the Centre généalogique sud-ouest has kindly provided me with scans of the article. It seems to confirm that Michel Baillard got the frigate Etats d'Artois and the Indiaman-privateer Comte d'Artois mixed (he both stsates thats that she was a razéed into a frigate, and gives and unlikely number of guns for a single-decker of this era). There are a number of little details that add colour but little substance, and I am wary of their exactitude given the mixup of the two ships.
But we have a photograph of the letter of Marque, which is interesting. The article also contains a photograph of a ship model of unknown whereabouts, which seems highly detailed, of a two-decker claimed to be Artois; the photograph is credited to the Musée de la Marine, and thus cannot be published here, and it is unclear whether the model represents Bordelois before her transformation, or the East indiaman. I will keep an eye open for this model when I visit museums.
Cheers! Rama (talk) 10:12, 19 May 2017 (UTC)

Demerliac request

Hi Rama, I have just posted the article Houghton (1782 EIC ship). In 1795 she was part of a squadron that captured two French privateers: Vengeur and Resolu. Does Demerliac have anything on them? Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 00:17, 11 July 2017 (UTC)

Hello, glad to see you at sea again!
  • Résolu (possibly Résolue): 205 or 250 tonne of load privateer commissioned at Ile de France circa September 1793 under Captain Jolineaux (or Jallineaux; the joys of hand-written archives...), with 230 men and 26 guns (6 12-pounders and and asortment of 20 8- and 6-pounders). Captured "with heavy casualties" by Britannia and Non-Such on 22 January 1794 (N°2903, p. 309)
  • Vengeur: privateer commissioned at Ile de France circa September 1793 under Captain Corosin (or Carosin) with 250 men and 34 guns (asortment of 8- and 6-pounders, I feel for the gunners handling the ammunition). Captured on 11 January 1794 (?) by Britannia and Non-Such, sustaining 37 killed and wounded. (N°2904, p. 309)
Cheers! Rama (talk) 09:02, 11 July 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rama, anchors are aweigh. That is good info and I will add it to the relevant articles. Your point about the gunners is a good one. I am surprised that captains/owners didn't try to simplify their armament by standardizing on fewer types. It suggests that they bought whatever was cheapest, and didn't really expect to use them much. Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 11:43, 11 July 2017 (UTC)

I suspect that there were guns of various lengths, and when I see "2 8-pounders and 16 6-pounders", I'd envision to long 8-pounders as chase guns and a battery of cheap short 6-pounders, ofter captured from other ships. But in some cases, the list suggests a main battery with larger guns amidships, completed with smaller pieces at the extremities, like a minuscule and unarmoured central battery ironclad. Rama (talk) 08:37, 12 July 2017 (UTC)

Battle of Les Sables-d'Olonne

Hello Rama, remember me? We collaborated on a few things Napoleonic a few years back. I've been on a two year hiatus, but just come back. I had a go at expanding the article for this battle, which you originally created and when I did it I left some of your unsourced things in there, particularly "The French were in fact able to salvage the frigates, but the battering they had taken was too severe for repairs to be effective and Calypso was broken up while Italienne and Cybèle sold to private merchant concerns as unfit for further military service." in the second to last paragraph. Its now up for GA and this sentence has been challenged. None of my available British sources corroborates this (they say all three frigates were destroyed), can you provide a source for this? If not I'll have to go with the (probably wrong) British sources, which is far from ideal. Any help much appreciated,--Jackyd101 (talk) 19:08, 26 October 2017 (UTC)

Hello,
delighted to see you around again! I have suspicions as to where I might have found these details, I'll check. Thank you and a very good continuation to you! Rama (talk) 20:12, 26 October 2017 (UTC)
Thank you! I have started work on project covering the little studied Mediterranean campaigns of 1793-1796 (see my user page for a list) and I've found that English sources are often very vague (unless Nelson was there, in which case they give far too much detail) - I've had to use Troude several times for important details, bashing out translations with a English-French dictionary. Really hope I got it right . . .--Jackyd101 (talk) 21:23, 26 October 2017 (UTC)
@Jackyd101: Gentles, I checked my copy of Winfield and Roberts (see below). Italienne (p145): Not repaired. Struck Nov 1813 and the hulk sold c.1816. Calypso (p.146: "Refloated, taken into Sables D'Olonne but found unuseable. Struck 1.1813 and sold 1814.
  • Winfield, Rif & Stephen S Roberts (2015) French Warships in the Age of Sail 1786 – 1861: Design Construction, Careers and Fates. (Seaforth Publishing). ISBN 9781848322042
Hopes this helps. Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 22:42, 26 October 2017 (UTC)
@Acad Ronin: That is very helpful thank you! Anything in there on Cybele?--Jackyd101 (talk) 10:34, 27 October 2017 (UTC)
I'll give a look in Roche's first volume as soon as I have it handy, probably within two weeks. Cheers! Rama (talk) 11:17, 27 October 2017 (UTC)
@Jackyd101: (p.137 in W&R). All they have is "Wrecked: 24.2.1809 in action off Sables d'Olonne." Acad Ronin (talk) 11:30, 27 October 2017 (UTC)
Thank you both @Rama: and @Acad Ronin: - I've used Winfield and Roberts to update the article, but any further info on this, particularly from Roche, would be very useful. Many thanks.--Jackyd101 (talk) 16:48, 1 November 2017 (UTC)

Hello, I have regained access to my copy of Roche.

  • I have drafted a little article for Italienne and Calypso. We could enrich it from other sources, I'll glance at Demerliac for anything useful.
  • I have refitted the article on Cybèle, which would anyhow benefit from a better flow and more context. I found several apparently mistaken dates. Also, Roche states that Cocault was in command of Cybèle rather than Jacob. He also states that Jacob was in command of Calypso; are we certain of these appointments?

I will try and draft biographies for Cocault and Jacob, too, which will both provide further context and might bring more light to their assignments.

Cheers! Rama (talk) 08:39, 4 November 2017 (UTC)

PS: We did have something about Jacob already (redirect established), and I have an entry for Cocault in Dictionnaire des capitaines de vaisseaux (curiously it does not have an entry for Jacob, even though he is mentioned in the list of captains promoted to Rear-Admiral as having rose to Captain in 1803 and to RA in 1812). I will try and draft something during the week. Cheers! Rama (talk) 15:11, 4 November 2017 (UTC)

PPS: The entry on Cocault confirms that he was in command of Cybèle. Rama (talk) 15:15, 4 November 2017 (UTC)

3 Demerliac requests

Hi Rama, when you get a chance:

Thanks and regards, Acad Ronin (talk) 20:45, 2 November 2017 (UTC)

Ah, I was starting to miss those! :)
I'll give it a look during the week, I have the books right were they are handy now. Cheers! Rama (talk) 15:47, 4 November 2017 (UTC)
PS: By the way, the article about the frigate Cybèle mentions the merchantmen Otway and Plowers, do you have any idea whether they are notable? Thank you and cheers! Rama (talk) 15:50, 4 November 2017 (UTC)
Otway, of 374 tons (bm), was launched in 1800. She made three and possibly four voyages as a slave trader between 1801 and 1805. Plover, of 205 tons (bm), was launched in 1786. She was lengthened and repaired in 1796. She then made four or so slave trading voyages between 1798 and 1805. Both vessels were from Liverpool. I know I have thought of them before, but have never bothered to do anything. I will put them on my "to do" list. As we now can link them to other vessels they won't be orphans like so many of the vessels I look at. Other than being slave ships I don't think there is anything notable about them, but documenting the slave trade is one of my areas of interest. Cheers, Acad Ronin (talk) 19:49, 4 November 2017 (UTC)

Hello,

  • Dauphin: whaler arrived as United States (?) from the Falkland at Dunkirk in July 1787, recommissioned by Francis Rotch in August 1787. Described as a frigate of 695 tons. Known ports of call: Lorient 1792, New Bedford in November 1792, then unto Brazil, Delgoa Bay, Saint-Laurent Bay, Isle de France, and Nantucket in November 1793. She became American again in November 1793, and was in Dunkirk in 1794. Fate unknown. (1792-1799, p. 326, n°3121)
  • Marseillaise (the -ois termination gave way to -ais at this period) 300-ton , 16-gun privateer corvette from Martinique, commissioned in 1793. Captured by Jervis' squadron and became HMS Avenger (p.303, n°2834)
  • A Subtil is mentioned at p. 339 of 1800-1815, but only to say she was a privateer active in March 1802. Nothing more is known about her.

Cheers! Rama (talk) 20:30, 6 November 2017 (UTC)

Hi Rama, Thanks. That was useful info. We have built out HMS Delaware/Dauphin well beyond any previous records, and have linked Harpooner and HMS Avenger, and built both out. Acad Ronin (talk) 01:45, 7 November 2017 (UTC)
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