HMS Glenmore (1796)

British sailing frigate 1796–1814

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Glenmore.

History
Great Britain
Name| HMS Glenmore
Ordered| 24 January 1795
Builder| Woolwich Dockyard (M/shipwright John Tovey)
Laid down| March 1795
Launched| 24 March 1796
Fate| Sold November 1814
General characteristics [1]
Class and type| Amazon-class frigate
Tons burthen| 92587⁄94 (bm)
Length|

* Overall:143 ft 0 in (43.6 m)
* Keel:119 ft 6 in (36.4 m)

Beam| 38 ft 2 in (11.6 m)
Depth of hold| 13 ft 6 in (4.1 m)
Crew| 264
Armament|

* Gundeck:26 × 18-pounder guns
* QD:8 × 9-pounder guns + 6 × 32-pounder carronades
* Fc:2 × 12-pounder guns + 2 × 32-pounder carronades

HMS Glenmore was an Amazon-class frigate designed by William Rule for the Royal Navy. A fifth rate, she carried a main battery of twenty-six 18-pounder (8.2-kilogram) long guns on her gun deck, with eight 9 pdr (4.1 kg) on the quarter deck and two on the forecastle and was launched in 1796.

While escorting a large convoy to the West Indies in December 1799, Glenmore and Aimable encountered two French vessels, French frigate Sirène and French corvette Bergère, and the recently captured East Indiaman Calcutta. After a 35-minute engagement, Amiable had driven off the French warships while Glenmore recaptured Calcutta.

Glenmore was sold in 1814.

## Design and construction[edit]

HMS Glenmore was 36-gun sailing frigate built for the Royal Navy. One of four Amazon-class ships designed by William Rule. Rule's original Amazon class were 32-gun, 12-pounder, frigates of 677 tons (bm), built between 1771 and 1782.[2] In need of a larger frigate, in 1794, the Admiralty asked for a 36-gun, 18-pounder version. Originally intended as a series of four, by the time the first one had been launched in 1795, Rule had already drawn up plans for Naiad, an expanded version which was larger at 1,013 tons (bm), had a complement of 284 men and carried 38 guns.[1] A third design was unveiled in 1796, also with 38 guns but larger still at 1,038 tons (bm) and with a crew of 300 men. Two were ordered, one in April 1796 and a second in February 1797.[3][1]

Glenmore was ordered and laid down as HMS Tweed, but was renamed on 30 October 1795, before her launch. She and her sister ship Trent were constructed of fir. The motive for the use of pine – an inferior material for shipbuilding[4] – was speed of construction. It was much quicker to build a ship with this material than one of oak because softwoods are easier to work and do not require as much seasoning;[5] the drawback was that these fir-built ships were less durable than their oak-built counterparts. The two fir-built ships underwent design alterations necessary for fir wood, notably a flat, square tuck stern.

Work began in March at Woolwich Dockyard when Glenmore's keel of 119 ft 6 in (36.42 m) was laid down. As built, her dimensions were 143 ft 0 in (43.59 m) along the gun deck with a beam of 38 ft 2 in (11.63 m) and a depth in hold of 13 ft 6 in (4.11 m), making her 925 87⁄94 tons burthen (bm).[1]

Glenmore was a fifth rate, built to carry a main battery of twenty-six 18-pounder (8.2-kilogram) long guns on her gun deck, eight 9 pdr (4.1 kg) on the quarter deck and two on the forecastle. She additionally carried eight 32 pdr (15 kg) carronades, six on the quarter deck and two on the forecastle.[1]

## Career[edit]

Captain George Duff commissioned Glenmore in April 1796 for the North Sea. She was on the Irish station between 1797 and 1798, and thereafter.[1] In December 1799 Glenmore and Aimable were escorting the West India convoy, comprising 40 to 50 vessels, from Cork. At 09:00, on 17 December, one of the convoy spotted an unidentified sail to the south-west of Porto Santo. Amiable was sent to investigate and at 09:30 was close enough to make out three vessels; two French men-of-war and a larger ship with the uppermost sections of her masts removed.[6]

Amiable returned at 10:00 and after a short discourse, the two British frigates set off in pursuit. Just after 11:00, the chase split when the larger ship suddenly changed direction. Having yet to identify her and thinking she might be a razee, Duff, in the more powerful of the two British ships, followed. At around 12:30, after Glenmore had got within range, her quarry pulled up and showed a British ensign to indicate her surrender.[7] Glenmore took possession of what turned out to be the East Indiaman Calcutta, which had been captured that same morning; René Lemarant de Kerdaniel was captain of the prize crew.[8]

At 14:40, Aimable was close enough to engage the two ships she had been chasing.[9] A 35-minute action ensued before the two French vessels, which were identified as French frigate Sirène and French corvette Bergère, departed. They had been sailing to Cayenne from Rochelle.[a][6][10] Bergère was carrying Victor Hugues as a passenger, to his new appointment as Governor of French Guyana.[10] Sirène Citoyen Reignaud, captain, had as prisoners Captain Haggy, Calcutta's master, her first and second mates, and 50 of her lascars and seamen. Calcutta arrived in Plymouth on 12 January 1800.[11][8] On 18 January 50 lascars were landed from Calcutta and taken to China House, which served as a hospital. The lascars were sick and suffering from the cold.[12]

Glenmore returned to Plymouth from Cork on 6 February.[13] six days later she came into Plymouth again and went up the harbour to undergo a refit.[14] She went into dock on 19 March.[15] She sailed again on 10 June.[16] During her refit at Plymouth the naval architect Robert Seppings introduced, as an experiment, diagonal trusses that reduced hogging.[17]

Glenmore captured the French schooner Esperance and recaptured two British merchant vessels, William and Salem.[18] The French privateer Minerve had captured William, LeQuesne, master, as William was sailing from the West Indies to Guernsey. William arrived at Cork.[19]

Glenmore and Hind escorted to Madeira the fleet for the West Indies from Cork and Portsmouth. They left Madeira on 29 October. Glenmore was to continue with the fleet some distance to the southwest before returning to her station.[20]

In January 1801 Captain Duff transferred to the 74-gun third rate ship of the line HMS Courageaux.[21] Captain John Talbot replaced him on Glenmore.[1] Glenmore continued to serve on the Irish station.

On 15 May 1801 Lloyd's List (LL) reported that Glenmore had recaptured two merchant vessels that had fallen prey to the French privateer Braave. One vessel was Camilla, Preston, master, which had been sailing from Grenada to Liverpool. The other was Guiana Planter, Wedge, master, which had been sailing from St Kitts to Portsmouth. Glenmore sent Guiana Planter into Cork.[22]

Braave later captured six more merchant vessels, Victory, Vine, Ann, Urania, Cecilia, and Urania. Braave put all her prisoners on Ann, Silk, master, and let her go. Glenmore recaptured Urania and set off after Braave.[23] Glenmore then recaptured West Indian, Victory, Vine, and Cecilia. They and Urania all arrived at Cork.[24][25]

In June 1802 Glenmore escorted Engageante, Lieutenant Donocliff, to Plymouth. Engageante had been a hospital and then receiving ship at Cork.[26] Although it was expected that Engageante would be broken up at Plymouth,[26] that did not occur until 1811.

In July 1802 Captain John Maitland replaced Talbot.[1] On 30 July Glenmore sailed in company with Amethyst and Galatea for the Isle of Wight. There they were to pick up Dutch troops to return to Holland.[27]

In December Maitland commissioned HMS Boadicea.[28]

Glenmore was fitted as a receiving ship at Plymouth. She remained there in Ordinary.[1]

## Fate[edit]

The "Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" offered "Glenmore, of 36 guns and 926 tons", lying at Plymouth, for sale on 3 November 1814.[29] She sold there on that date for £1,990.[1]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Volume 3 of the Naval Chronicle has the French travelling in the opposite direction, from Cayenne to France[8]

## Citations[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Winfield (2008), p. 148.
2. ^ Winfield (2008), pp. 193–196.
3. ^ Winfield (2008), pp. 150–151.
4. ^ "The Canadian Sea Scout Manual" (PDF). p. 13.
5. ^ Gardiner 2004
6. ^ a b James p. 535
7. ^ James p. 536
8. ^ a b c Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.79.
9. ^ James p. 537
10. ^ a b Ministère de la marine et des colonies, Vol. 6, p. 690
11. ^ Lloyd's List, №4015.
12. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.150.
13. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.152.
14. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.153.
15. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.237.
16. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 3, p.512.
17. ^ Stephen (1897), pp. 249–250.
18. ^ "No. 15290". The London Gazette. 2 September 1800. p. 1012.
19. ^ Lloyd's List №4067.
20. ^ Lloyd's List №4112.
21. ^ Winfield (2008), p. 64.
22. ^ LL №4151.
23. ^ LL №4165.
24. ^ LL №4166.
25. ^ "No. 15425". The London Gazette. 7 November 1801. p. 1342.
26. ^ a b Naval Chronicle, Vol. 7, p.528.
27. ^ Naval Chronicle, Vol. 7, p.172.
28. ^ Winfield (2008), p. 150.
29. ^ "No. 16949". The London Gazette. 22 October 1814. p. 2105.

## References[edit]

* Gardiner, Robert (2004). Warships of the Napoleonic Era: Design, Development and Deployment. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84832-108-3.
* Jones, Stephen; Stainer Clarke, James; Jones, John (1800). The Naval Chronicle, Volume III. J. Gold. OCLC 967401842.
* James, William (1827). The Naval History of Great Britain, Volume II, 1797–1799. London: Richard Bentley. ISBN 0-85177-906-9.
* Ministère de la marine et des colonies (1862). Revue maritime et coloniale, Volume 6. France: Le Ministère.
* Stephen, Leslie (1897). Dictionary of National Biography. Smith, Elder, & Company.
* Winfield, Rif (2008). British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.