HMS Wild Boar (1808)

HMS Wild Boar was a brig-sloop launched in 1808. She was wrecked in 1810.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Wild Boar.

History
United Kingdom
Name: HMS Wild Boar
Ordered: 31 December 1807
Builder: John Pelham, Finsbury
Laid down: March 1808
Launched: 12 December 1808
Commissioned: April 1808
Fate: Wrecked 15 February 1810
General characteristics [1]
Class and type: Cherokee-class brig-sloop
Tons burthen: 238 bm
Length:
  • 90 feet 0 inches (27.4 m) (gundeck)
  • 73 feet 6 1⁄2 inches (22.4 m) (keel)
Beam: 24 ft 8 in (7.5 m)
Depth of hold: 11 ft 0 in (3.4 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Complement: 75
Armament: 8 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder bow chasers

Career

Captain Thomas Burton commissioned Wild Boar in October 1808.

On 12 April 1809, Wild Boar captured Verite.[2]

On 13 May Burton sailed Wild Boar for Portugal.

Lloyd's List reported on 23 May that Wildboar had detained and sent into Falmouth Gustaff, Trent, master, which had been sailing from Bordeaux.[3]

While Wild Boar was on the Lisbon station she captured a French schooner carrying some staff officers from Ferrol to Bayonne. She returned from the Tagus to land at Falmouth an army officer with dispatches.[4]

Fate

Commander Villiers Francis Hatton was appointed to Wild Boar at the beginning of 1810 but before he could take command she was wrecked on 15 February on the Runnel Stone, Isles of Scilly. Lloyd's List reported on 20 February that Wildboar had left Falmouth on the 15th with dispatches for Lisbon.[5]

The courtmartial of Burton and his crew took place on 23 March. It found that Wild Boar had been sailing from Falmouth to Cork and was passing between Scilly and the mainland when she struck in fine weather on the Runnelstone. She took on water so quickly most of the crew had to jump into the sea.[6]

Earl of Uxbridge fortuitously and fortunately was in sight and came to Wild Boar's rescue.[Note 1] Even so, 12 men drowned.[6]

The court martial exonerated Burton and blamed the loss on the incompetence of the master. It also described the master's behaviour as reprehensible; when she struck he had jumped into the jolly boat and made off. The court martial ordered him dis-rated, to serve only as a seaman.[6]

Captain Burton went on to commission the new sloop HMS Primrose.[4]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

  1. Earl of Uxbridge, of 120 tons (bm), B. Jenkins, master, had been launched in Wales in 1783.[7]

Citations

  1. Winfield (2008), p. 312.
  2. "No. 16347". The London Gazette. 3 March 1810. p. 322.
  3. Lloyd's List №4355.
  4. Marshall (1828) Supple. Part 2, pp.296–297.
  5. Lloyd's List №4434.
  6. Hepper (1994), p. 131.
  7. Register of Shipping (1811), Seq.№E39.

References

  • Hepper, David J. (1994). British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859. Rotherfield: Jean Boudriot. ISBN 0-948864-30-3.
  • Marshall, John (1823–1835). Royal naval biography, or, Memoirs of the services of all the flag-officers, superannuated rear-admirals, retired-captains, post-captains, and commanders, whose names appeared on the Admiralty list of sea officers at the commencement of the present year 1823, or who have since been promoted ... London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme and Brown.
  • 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.
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