HMS Savage (1805)

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

HMS Savage was a 16-gun brig-sloop of the Seagull class of the British Royal Navy, launched in July 1805. She served during the Napoleonic Wars and captured a privateer. She grounded in 1814 but was salved. The Navy sold her in 1819.

Savage
History
United Kingdom
Name	HMS Savage
Ordered	12 December 1804
Builder	Robert Adams, Chapel (Southampton)
Laid down	April 1804
Launched	30 July 1805
Fate	Sold 1819
General characteristics [1]
Class and type	16-gun brig-sloop
Tons burthen	28854⁄94 bm
Length	93 ft 6 in (28.5 m) (overall) 76 ft 1+1⁄4 in (23.2 m) (keel)
Beam	26 ft 7+1⁄2 in (8.1 m)
Depth of hold	12 ft 0 in (3.7 m)
Sail plan	Sloop
Complement	95
Armament	14 × 24-pounder carronades 2 × 6-pounder bow guns

Career

Commander James Wilkes Maurice arrived in Liverpool on 3 August 1805 with dispatches after his courageous, though ultimately unsuccessful defence of Diamond Rock.^[2] The Admiralty greeted him warmly and within the month gave him the task of commissioning the newly launched sloop Savage for the Irish Station. While he was fitting her out at Portsmouth and assembling a crew, Admiral Lord Nelson met with Maurice and expressed his regrets that he had not been able to arrive in time to save Diamond Rock. However, Nelson expressed his admiration for Maurice's conduct and informed Maurice that at his, Nelson's, particular request, Maurice and Savage were to serve under Nelson's command. At the time Nelson was preparing to resume command of the Mediterranean fleet. Unfortunately, Maurice was not able to get Savage ready in time and so was not able to be present at the battle of Trafalgar.^[2]

Having missed the battle, Savage instead spent from December 1805 to June 1807 primarily in convoying vessels from various ports in the St George's Channel to The Downs, and back. During this service, Savage never lost a vessel.^[2]

Savage sailed with a convoy from Cork to Jamaica on 30 August 1807. There he served on the Jamaica station under Vice-Admiral Dacres.^[2] On 12 December, Savage captured the Spanish privateer Quixote off Porto Cavallo. Quixote carried eight guns and a crew of 99 men. She was "a Vessel of a large Class, and fitted out for the Annoyance of the Trade bound to [Jamaica]".^[3]

In July 1808, Maurice joined Admiral Alexander Cochrane at Barbados.^[2] Cochrane appointed Maurice governor of Marie-Galante, a post he took up on 1 October.^[2]

Commander William Robilliard then replaced Maurice. In 1810, Commander William Ferrie replaced Robilliard. He sailed for Jamaica on 2 July 1810.^[1]

Savage underwent repairs at Sheerness between September 1811 and March 1812. Commander William Bissel recommissioned her in February. He then sailed with a convoy to Quebec on 18 May 1812.

On 20 January 1814 Bissel stranded Savage on Guernsey. After three days of thick weather she grounded on Rock North on the north most end of the island. Some pilots came aboard and eventually, with their assistance, Savage reached Great Harbour, where she again grounded. The next day she was brought to the Pier Head, and then to a port where she could be repaired. The court martial board dismissed Bissel from the Navy on the grounds that he had sailed southward for too long, had neglected to use the lead and to keep a reckoning, and not insisted that his officers do likewise.^[4]

By February Savage was back at Portsmouth. C. Mitchell replaced Bissel.^[1]

Fate

The Navy offered Savage for sale at Portsmouth on 3 February 1819.^[5] She was sold to a Mr. John Tibbut on that day for £950.

Citations

1. Winfield (2008), p. 307.
2. Marshall (1827), Supplement, Part 1, pp.443-4.
3. "No. 16115". The London Gazette. 2 February 1808. p. 175.
4. Grocott (1997), pp. 365–6.
5. "No. 17441". The London Gazette. 19 January 1819. p. 111.

References

• Grocott, Terence (1997). Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras. London: Chatham. ISBN 1861760302.
• Paget, Sir Arthur; Paget, Sir Augustus Berkeley (1896). The Paget papers:diplomatic and other correspondence of the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Paget, G.C.B., 1794-1807. With two appendices 1808 & 1821-1829. Vol. 2. W. Heinemann.
• Parliament proceedings (1809) Naval papers respecting Copenhagen, Portugal, and the Dardanelles, presented to parliament in 1808.
• 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.