HMS Saint Christopher (1806)

HMS Saint Christopher (or St Christopher, or St Christopher's) was the French privateer Mohawk, launched in 1805, that the Royal Navy captured in 1806. The citizens of Saint Kitts (Saint Christopher Island), purchased her and donated her to the Royal Navy. She was broken up at Antigua in 1811.

History
France
NameMohawk
Launched1805[1]
Captured1806
United Kingdom
NameHMS Saint Christopher
Acquired1806 (by capture)
FateBroken up 1811
General characteristics [1]
TypeSloop
Tons burthen279 (bm)
Armament16 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder chase guns

Service

Mohawk was a French privateer launched in 1805 that the British captured on 17 March 1806. The citizens of Saint Christopher Island purchased her and presented her to the Navy,.

On 15 August 1806 Lieutenant John Tancock was promoted to Commander into Saint Christopher.[2] He commissioned her that month in Antigua.[1] He would remain her commander until late in 1808.[2]

At some point, probably in December, Lieutenant Andrew Hodge took temporary command of St Christopher.[lower-alpha 1]

At daylight on 2 January 1807, Saint Christopher was under Hodge's command and about three miles off Saint Bartholomew's when she encountered and gave chase to three French privateers. They separated, with the result that she could only capture one. The prize turned out to be the sloop Entreprenante, of one small gun and seventeen men. The two other privateers escaped into Great Bay, St. Martin's.[4]

Tancock had returned to command of Saint Christopher by 18 July when she captured the schooner Henrietta Adelaide, Lind, master. Then on 12 September St Christopher captured the schooner Julia and Sally, De Gasy, master.[lower-alpha 2] On 6 October St Christopher captured the Danish schooner Speculator.[6]

Next, St Christopher served in the squadron under Rear-Admiral Alexander Cochrane, in Belleisle, that was sent to occupy the Danish West Indies.[2] The actual occupation of the Danish West Indies did not occur until 7 December,[7] after receipt of news of the second battle of Copenhagen.[lower-alpha 3]

Late in 1808, a bad attack of yellow fever forced Tancock to return to Britain. A biography credited him with having captured several small Spanish vessels, detained a Danish ship that was condemned as a droit of admiralty, and recaptured a British vessel that had been carrying bale goods from Glasgow to St Thomas's.[2]

Lieutenant Francis Alexander Halliday received promotion to Commander on 29 August 1808,[9] and took command of St Christopher in September. He was her captain on 27 November when she captured Exchange.[lower-alpha 4]

In September 1809, Commander Smith replaced Halliday.[1] However, Admiral Cochrane appointed Henry Nathaniel Rowe acting commander of St Christopher on 19 December; the appointment was confirmed in May 1810.[11][lower-alpha 5]

In May Rowe transferred to Asp, then under the command of Commander William M'Culloch.[13] Rowe sailed Asp back to Britain with dispatches,[14] and M'Culloch assumed command of St Christopher. On 18 February 1811 St Christopher captured the Spanish slave ship San Josef y Animas.[15][16]{{efn|San Jose y Animas was a schooner owned by Ezequiel Madan, with Juan Villas y Apriera, master. She had left on her slaving voyage on 11 June 1810, gathered slaves at the Gambia, and had sailed from Africa on 9 August. After Saint Christopher captured her, San Jose y Animas arrived at Antigua with 211 slaves. She was condemned there.[17]

Fate

St Christopher was broken up at Antigua in 1811.[1]

Notes
  1. Lieutenant Andrew Hodge received promotion to the rank of Commander on 4 December 1807.[3]
  2. A seaman's share of the prize money for Henrietta Adelaide was 8s 0¼d. A seaman's share of the prize (or possibly salvage) money for Julia was 3s 1¼d.[5]
  3. A first class share of the prize money awarded in 1816, i.e., the share accruing to Tancock and each of the other captains and commanders, was worth £398 10s 3½d; a fifth-class share, that of a seaman in the fleet, was worth £1 18s 10d.[8]
  4. A first-class share was worth £239 10s 8½d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £7 5s 7¼d.[10]
  5. O'Byrne reports that Rowe commanded St Christopher at the invasion of Guadeloupe (28 January 1810 to 6 February).[11] However, she is not among the vessels named in the announcement in 1847 of the Admiralty award of the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" awarded upon application to all British participants still living in 1847.[12]

Citations
  1. Winfield (2008), p. 320.
  2. Marshall (1828), pp. 28–29.
  3. Marshall (1832a), p. 365.
  4. "No. 16014". The London Gazette. 28 March 1807. p. 395.
  5. "No. 16260". The London Gazette. 23 May 1809. p. 744.
  6. "No. 16600". The London Gazette. 5 May 1812. p. 861.
  7. "No. 16116". The London Gazette. 9 February 1808. pp. 193–200.
  8. "No. 17112". The London Gazette. 20 February 1816. p. 337.
  9. Marshall (1832b), p. 369.
  10. "No. 16943". The London Gazette. 8 October 1814. p. 2009.
  11. O'Byrne (1849), Vol. 3, p.1010.
  12. "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 243.
  13. Winfield (2008), p. 318.
  14. Marshall (1832c), p. 399.
  15. "No. 16822". The London Gazette. 7 December 1813. pp. 2460–2461.
  16. "No. 16826". The London Gazette. 18 December 1813. p. 2573.
  17. Trans Atlantic Slave Trade Database – San Jose y Animas voyage #7951.

References
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