French ship La Bienvenue (1788)

La Bienvenue was a 20-gun French flûte designed by Pierre-Alexandre-Laurent Forfait and built by the renowned French ship builders Gouet and Deros.^[b] She was constructed in the port of Le Havre on the north coast of France between November 1787 and June 1788, and launched on 7 May 1788.[1][2] She was 699 tons burthen and her French measurements, as built were; 130 ft (length) x 31 ft (beam) x 15 ft 7in (depth).^[c] This equates to the modern metric dimensions of 42.2 m (138 ft) x 10.1 m (33 ft) x 4.9 m (16 ft). Initially La Bienvenue was armed with 20 x 8 pounders (livre de Paris)^[a][2]

After setting sail from Mauritius for France in December 1791, La Bienvenue was seized by her crew, handed over to the British and renamed. She was retaken by the French Royalist forces on 4 October 1792 at St Kitts and was renamed Royaliste; her original name was restored in January 1793. She served as a prison ship at Martinique from July that year until she was recaptured by the British.[2]

On 5 February 1794, a British fleet under Sir John Jervis and escorting 7,000 troops under Sir Charles Grey, arrived at the island of Martinique.[3] In spite of the strong opposition from the occupying forces and difficult terrain, the island was substantially under British control by 28 February, save for two forts covering the town of Fort Royal. A siege was subsequently conducted by both British Army and Royal Navy forces, supported by gunfire from Jervis' fleet which was now occupying the harbour.[3]

On the morning of Thursday 20 March 1794, Bienvenue was moored between Fort St Louis and the town of Fort Royal on Martinique. The fort came under attack from Zebra and the far larger HMS Asia (64 guns) who were ordered to give covering fire for the landing 500 marines (on other smaller ships), who were under the direct command of Captains Edward Riou and Charles Edmund Nugent. Only the smaller HMS Zebra, commanded by Robert Faulknor got through and he led a heroic charge with only 100 men on the fort capturing it in seven minutes.

Admiral Jervis witnessed Faulknor's action from HMS Boyne sitting beyond the range of the cannon fire. As the Zebra passed the stern of the Boyne to go back to its position in the fleet, Jervis's band played See, the Conqu'ring Hero Comes and the whole crew cheered his actions. Jervis then called Faulknor on board, embraced him and promoted him to captain on the spot.[4] Faulknor was given immediate command of his prize[5]

She was subsequently commanded by Captain James Carpenter, then on 4 May she was handed to the newly promoted post-captain, Henry William Bayntun.[2]

The ship was later taken to England, arriving at Sheerness on 24 September. She was registered and renamed HMS Undaunted 30 March 1795 and sold at Deptford on 24 July having served only 16 months as a British ship.[2]

a ^{^} The livre poids de marc or livre de Paris was a French measure of mass equivalent to approximately 489.5 grams. It was used from the 1350s to the late 18th century when it was superseded by the livre métrique.[6]

b ^{^} Not to be confused with Fluyt. The French Flûte was a warship with an unarmed lower deck which could be used for storage and troop carrying. Often the lower deck had sealed gunports so additional armament could be carried if required.

c ^{^} Not to be confused with Imperial measurements

• Demerliac, Alain (1996) La Marine De Louis XVI: Nomenclature Des Navires Français De 1774 À 1792. (Nice: Éditions OMEGA). ISBN 2-906381-23-3
• Heathcote, T.A. (2005). Nelson's Trafalgar Captains and Their Battles. Barnsley, Yorks.: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 1-84415-182-4.
• Winfield, Rif (2005) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84415-717-4.