HMS Nova Scotia (1812)
Encyclopedia
The American privateer Rapid was captured by and in 1812 and taken into service as the 14-gun gun-brig HMS Nova Scotia. She was renamed HMS Ferret in 1813 and sold in 1820.
The owners of one brig ransomed her and Rapid sent the other, the St. Andrews, of eight guns and sailing in ballast, into Portland. Another report has Rapid capturing a barque
St Andrews, of eight guns, that she sent into Portland. The ransomed vessel may have been the schooner Mary, of St Thomas, which Rapid ransomed as Rapid could not spare the men for a prize crew. Rapid apparently also captured the brig Pursuit, sailing from Poole to St. Andrews and the brig Tay, sailing from Dundee for Pictou, New Brunswick. Rapid sent both into Portland. Lastly, Rapid captured and burnt a British New Providence privateer, the Searcher, of one gun and twenty men.
, were in company when Maidstone captured Rapid on the Saint George's Bank
. Rapid was armed with 14 cannon - twelve carronades of various sizes and two long 6-pounder guns - but her crew had thrown eight of her cannons overboard to lighten her during the nine-hour chase. She had a crew of 84 men and was three days out of Portland. Her backers and provisioned her for a three month's cruise first off the Azores, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands, and then off Cayenne and Bermuda.
in November 1812 under Lieutenant Bartholomew Kent. She was fitted at Plymouth between 7 July and 30 September 1813 and renamed Ferret. She was commissioned again in June or July of that year under Commander William Ramsden.
In May 1814 Ferret was at St Helena under Commander James Stirling. Stirling commissioned Ferret rapidly on Napoleon's return to France from Elba, and received praise for the speed with which he accomplished the task. On 19 July 1815, Ferret was in company with , , , ,and when they captured the French vessels Fortune, Papillon, Marie Graty, Marie Victorine, Cannoniere, and Printemis. The attack took place at Courageux Bay, near Brest
on the coast of Brittany, and during the action Ferret was able to prevent the escape of a French man-of-war brig that she forced ashore. During the action Ferret lost one man. Apparently, this cutting out expedition was the last of the war.
Ferret then sailed to St Helena again on 15 August 1815 as part of the squadron under that was taking Napoleon Bonaparte into exile. On her way home she encountered the Spanish brigantine Dolores. At the time, Ferrets armament only consisted of eight carronades, while Dolores had a long 32-pounder gun on a pivot, four long 9-pounder guns, and two 12-pounder carronades. Ferret was therefore outranged. Doloress initial fire killed two men in Ferret. In the subsequent action, which lasted some three hours, Ferret lost another three men wounded, two of whom died later from their wounds, before she came alongside Dolores, at which point the Spaniard struck. Dolores was carrying 275 slaves, so Ferret took her to Sierra Leone for the vessel and cargo to be condemned for violating the British prohibition on the slave trade. This gave rise to a suit in which the Court found that Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn
was entitled to the flag officer's share of the prize money.
at Plymouth in June 1816. She was fitted for sea again March-April 1817 under Lieutenant William Pitman. At some point in the year she may have come under the command of W. Ramsden, though she was under Pitman's command in 1818.
Ferret was sold at Plymouth on 13 January 1820 to a Mr. Rundle for ₤460.
Privateer Rapid
At different times Rapid, of Boston, had two commanders, Captain W. Crabtree and Captain J. Weeks. Rapid captured one ship, the Experience, and two brigs. The Experiences cargo was valued at US$250,000.Because several vessels shared names, and descriptions were not precise, sources are contradictory or ambiguous. The Experience may actually have been captured by the Rapid of Charleston, as Coggeshall (1856, p.230) reports that she was sent into Savannah.The owners of one brig ransomed her and Rapid sent the other, the St. Andrews, of eight guns and sailing in ballast, into Portland. Another report has Rapid capturing a barque
Barque
A barque, barc, or bark is a type of sailing vessel with three or more masts.- History of the term :The word barque appears to have come from the Greek word baris, a term for an Egyptian boat. This entered Latin as barca, which gave rise to the Italian barca, Spanish barco, and the French barge and...
St Andrews, of eight guns, that she sent into Portland. The ransomed vessel may have been the schooner Mary, of St Thomas, which Rapid ransomed as Rapid could not spare the men for a prize crew. Rapid apparently also captured the brig Pursuit, sailing from Poole to St. Andrews and the brig Tay, sailing from Dundee for Pictou, New Brunswick. Rapid sent both into Portland. Lastly, Rapid captured and burnt a British New Providence privateer, the Searcher, of one gun and twenty men.
Capture
On 17 October 1812 Maidstone and Spartan, part of the squadron under Sir John Borlase WarrenJohn Borlase Warren
Sir John Borlase Warren, 1st Baronet , was an English admiral, politician and diplomat. Born in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, he was the son and heir of John Borlase Warren of Stapleford and Little Marlow...
, were in company when Maidstone captured Rapid on the Saint George's Bank
Georges Bank
Georges Bank is a large elevated area of the sea floor which separates the Gulf of Maine from the Atlantic Ocean and is situated between Cape Cod, Massachusetts and Cape Sable Island, Nova Scotia ....
. Rapid was armed with 14 cannon - twelve carronades of various sizes and two long 6-pounder guns - but her crew had thrown eight of her cannons overboard to lighten her during the nine-hour chase. She had a crew of 84 men and was three days out of Portland. Her backers and provisioned her for a three month's cruise first off the Azores, Madeira and the Cape Verde Islands, and then off Cayenne and Bermuda.
British service
The British commissioned her in HalifaxCity of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
in November 1812 under Lieutenant Bartholomew Kent. She was fitted at Plymouth between 7 July and 30 September 1813 and renamed Ferret. She was commissioned again in June or July of that year under Commander William Ramsden.
In May 1814 Ferret was at St Helena under Commander James Stirling. Stirling commissioned Ferret rapidly on Napoleon's return to France from Elba, and received praise for the speed with which he accomplished the task. On 19 July 1815, Ferret was in company with , , , ,and when they captured the French vessels Fortune, Papillon, Marie Graty, Marie Victorine, Cannoniere, and Printemis. The attack took place at Courageux Bay, near Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on the coast of Brittany, and during the action Ferret was able to prevent the escape of a French man-of-war brig that she forced ashore. During the action Ferret lost one man. Apparently, this cutting out expedition was the last of the war.
Ferret then sailed to St Helena again on 15 August 1815 as part of the squadron under that was taking Napoleon Bonaparte into exile. On her way home she encountered the Spanish brigantine Dolores. At the time, Ferrets armament only consisted of eight carronades, while Dolores had a long 32-pounder gun on a pivot, four long 9-pounder guns, and two 12-pounder carronades. Ferret was therefore outranged. Doloress initial fire killed two men in Ferret. In the subsequent action, which lasted some three hours, Ferret lost another three men wounded, two of whom died later from their wounds, before she came alongside Dolores, at which point the Spaniard struck. Dolores was carrying 275 slaves, so Ferret took her to Sierra Leone for the vessel and cargo to be condemned for violating the British prohibition on the slave trade. This gave rise to a suit in which the Court found that Rear Admiral Sir George Cockburn
George Cockburn
Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet GCB was a British naval commander of the late 18th through the mid-19th centuries. He held important commands during the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 and eventually rose to become Admiral of the Fleet and First Sea Lord.-Naval...
was entitled to the flag officer's share of the prize money.
Fate
The Admiralty placed Ferret in ordinaryReserve fleet
A reserve fleet is a collection of naval vessels of all types that are fully equipped for service but are not currently needed, and thus partially or fully decommissioned. A reserve fleet is informally said to be "in mothballs" or "mothballed"; an equivalent expression in unofficial modern U.S....
at Plymouth in June 1816. She was fitted for sea again March-April 1817 under Lieutenant William Pitman. At some point in the year she may have come under the command of W. Ramsden, though she was under Pitman's command in 1818.
Ferret was sold at Plymouth on 13 January 1820 to a Mr. Rundle for ₤460.