HMS Shelanagig (1780)
| History | |
|---|---|
 UK | |
| Name: | HMS Shelanagig |
| Namesake: | Sheela na gig |
| Acquired: | 1780 by purchase |
| Captured: | 1781 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Sloop |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Complement: | 40[1] |
| Armament: | 16 guns[Note 1] |
HMS Shelanagig (or Sheelanagig, or other variants) was a sloop of 16-guns purchased in the West Indies in 1780 for the Royal Navy.[3][Note 2] She was under the command of Lieutenant James Shepherd,[4] or Keith Shepherd, and her Second Lieutenant was Home Popham.[1]
When Admiral Rodney heard that the French were besieging Tobago, he sent Shelanagig, the cutter Fly, and Munster Lass to reconnoitre Martinique to gather what information they could. The three took different routes.[1][Note 3] Still, on 28 May 1781, Shelanagig encountered the French fleet under Comte de Grasse near St Lucia and was taken.[3] Also, on 4 June the French captured Fly.[3][6] Only Munster Lass managed to rejoin the British fleet.[1] Shelanagig's ultimate fate is unknown.[2]
Shelanagig's officers were paroled after the capture of their vessel, with Popham returning to Demerara and Shepherd and ship's master Edward Park(e) travelling direct to England. Shepherd and Park were court martialed on 23 January 1782. Their evidence was that Shelanigig had been outnumbered six to one; that the French vessels had sailed faster than their own, and that heavy winds had so heeled the British ship towards the French that she had been unable to aim or fire her guns. Shepherd and Park were acquitted of any misconduct. Popham was not called, as he had not yet returned to England, and his fellow officer's acquittal indicated there was no case to answer. All three returned to active service, with Popham being promoted to First Lieutenant aboard HMS Alarm.[7]
Footnotes
- Notes
- ↑ French records after her capture refer to her as a schooner of 20 guns.[2]
- ↑ The National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, in its database of Royal Navy vessels mistakenly lists her name as Shelanagio.[4]
- ↑ In describing his instructions, although Rodney gave the names of the captains of all three vessels, and the names of Fly and Munster Lass, he neglected to name Shelanagig.[5]
- Citations
- 1 2 3 4 Freitag (2004), pp.53-54.
- 1 2 Demerliac (1996), p.148, #1255.
- 1 2 3 Hepper (1994), p. 63.
- 1 2 "NMM, vessel ID 375733" (PDF). Warship Histories, vol iii. National Maritime Museum. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ↑ The London Gazette: no. 12212. p. 3. 31 July 1781.
- ↑ Demerliac (1996), p.147, #1231.
- ↑ Popham (1991), pp. 12-13.
References
- Demerliac, Alain (1996) La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792. (Nice: Éditions OMEGA). ISBN 2-906381-23-3
- Freitag, Barbara (2004) Sheela-Na-Gigs: Unravelling An Enigma. (Psychology Press).
- Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650-1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
- Popham, H. (1991). A damned cunning fellow : the eventful life of Rear-Admiral Sir Home Popham KCB, KCH, KM, FRS 1762-1820. Tywardreath: Old Ferry Press. ISBN 0-9516758-0-X.
This article includes data released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported UK: England & Wales License, by the National Maritime Museum, as part of the Warship Histories project