HMS Marquis de Seignelay (1780)

HMS Marquis de Seignelay, was the French privateer Marquis de Seignelay from Le Havre, active in 1779–1800. The British Royal Navy captured her in 1780 and recommissioned her as the 14-gun sloop HMS Marquis de Seignelay. She was eventually sold in March 1786.

Marquis de Seignaly
History
France
Name:	Marquis de Seignelay
Namesake:	Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Marquis de Seignelay
Launched:	1779
Captured:	On 8 January 1780, by the Royal Navy
Great Britain
Name:	HMS Marquis de Seignelay
Acquired:	10 December 1780 by capture
Fate:	Sold 1786
General characteristics [1][2]
Class and type:	16-gun ship-sloop
Tons burthen:	Privateer:280 (French; "of load") HMS:281​^74⁄94 (bm)
Length:	97 ft 2 in (29.6 m) (overall) 76 ft 10 ^3⁄4 in (23.4 m) (keel)
Beam:	26 ft 3 in (8.0 m)
Draught:	14 ft 1 in (4.3 m)
Propulsion:	Sails
Complement:	Privateer:150–160 HMS:110
Armament:	Privateer:20 × 8-pounder guns + 8 swivel guns HMS:14 × 6-pounder guns

Privateer

Between 1779 and December 1780, Marquis de Seignelay, under the command of François Cottin, captured 40 ships totaling 117 guns and 418 prisoners.[1]

Lloyd's List reported on 28 January 1780 that the French privateer Marquis of Seignety, of Dunkirk, with 160 men, had captured Harpooner, Hill, master, of 56 men and boys. The action had lasted two hours and Marquis had taken Harpooner into Havre de Grace.[3]

Capture

On 9 December 1780 HMS Solebay and Portland captured two French privateers behind the Isle of Wight after a short action. The two were Comptesse of Buzanisis, Lux, master, and Marques de Seiguley. Each had a crew of 150 men. Comptesse was armed with twenty 12-pounder guns and Marques was armed with twenty 9-pounder guns. In the action Solebay had one man wounded, and Portland had nine, two of whom died later. Comptesse of Buzanisis was believed to have been the English privateer Harpooner.[4][Note 1]

British Royal Navy

The Royal Navy commissioned Marquis de Seignelay (or Marquise de Seignelly) in November 1782. John Hunter was appointed to Commander in her on 12 November 1782. She was paid off in February 1786. The Navy sold her on 23 March.[1] Hunter was promoted to post captain on 15 December 1786.

Notes, citations, and references

Notes

1. Comtesse de Buzençois was a privateer active in November and December 1780 under André Lux. After the British captured her in December 1780 she was taken to Southampton. French records do not mention whether or not she was a former British privateer.[5]

Citations

1. Demerliac (2004), p. 181, n°1770.
2. Lyon (1993), p. 221.
3. LL №1132.
4. LL №1224.
5. Demerliac (2004), p. 182, n°1775.

References

• Demerliac, Alain (2004). La Marine de Louis XVI: Nomenclature des Navires Français de 1774 À 1792 (in French). Éditions Ancre. ISBN 2-906381-23-3.
• Lyon, David (1993). The sailing navy list: all the ships of the Royal Navy: built, purchased and captured 1688-1860. London: Conway Maritime.