HMS Plumper (1807)

HMS Plumper was launched in 1807. She captured three small American privateers early in the War of 1812 but was wrecked in December 1812.

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Plumper.

History
UK
Name: HMS Plumper
Ordered: 1 October 1804
Builder: Halifax Dockyard, Nova Scotia (M/Shipwright William Hughes)
Launched: 29 December 1807
Honours and
awards:		 Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe"[1]
Fate: Wrecked 5 December 1812
General characteristics [2]
Type: Archer-class gunbrig
Tonnage: 177 ​26⁄94 (bm)
Length:
  • 80 ft 0 in (24.4 m) (overall)
  • 65 ft 10 in (20.1 m) (keel)
Beam: 22 ft 6 in (6.9 m)
Depth of hold: 9 ft 5 in (2.9 m)
Sail plan: Brig
Complement: 50
Armament: 10 × 18-pounder carronades + 2 x 12-pounder chase guns

Career

Lieutenant William Frissell commissioned Plumper in 1808 and commanded her until 1810.[2] He was in command when Plumper participated in the capture of Guadeloupe in January and February 1810.[Note 1] In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Guadaloupe" to all surviving participants of the campaign.

On 22 January 1811 Lloyd's List (LL) reported incorrectly that Plumper had been lost in the st Lawrence River while sailing from Halifax to Quebec.[4]

From 1812 her commander was Lieutenant James Bray.[2]

HMS Indian and Plumper captured the privateer schooner Fair Trader on 16 July 1812 in the Bay of Fundy. Fair Trader was armed with one gun and had a 20-man crew.[5][Note 2]

Also around the middle of July an American privateer captured William, of Bristol, Hare, master, off Cape Sable. Indian recaptured William and took her into Halifax.[7] Whether William was one of Fair Trader's prizes or not is an open question. A report in LL stated that Indian had captured Fair Trader, Argus, and a third American privateer.[8]

LL reported that Indian and Plumper had captured six American privateers. Separately, it reported that Plumper had recaptured Fanny, from Glasgow, which the American privateer Teazer had captured.[9] Fanny, Colston, master, had been sailing from Clyde to New Brunswick. Plumper sent her into Halifax.[10]

On 6 July Plumper captured Samuel, Stanton, master, which had been sailing from Oporto. Plumper took out $5300 and permitted Samuel to proceed. Samuel arrived at Boston on 11 July.[11]

On 17 July Plumper captured the American privateer schooner Argus. Argus was armed with one gun and had a crew of 23 men.[5][Note 3]

The next day Plumper captured the American privateer Friendship, of one gun and eight men.[11][5][Note 4]

LL reported on 15 September 1812 that Plumper had detained the sloop Margaret, from Liverpool, but that an American privateer had retaken Margaret and taken her into Portland.[14]

Fate

Plumper was wrecked on 5 December 1812 while en route to Halifax with £70,000 in specie for the purchase of arms for the military in St John. She struck on the ledges off Dipper Harbour in the Bay of Fundy and sank immediately with the loss of the specie and 42 of the 60 people on board, consisting both of crew and passengers.[15][16] Bray and all his officers were among the men drowned.[17][Note 5]

LL reported the loss on 8 January 1813.[21]

Notes, citations, and references

Notes
  1. A first-class share of the prize money for Guadaloupe was worth £113 3s 1¼d; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth £1 9s 1¼d.[3]
  2. Fair Trader, of Salem, was under the command of Captain J. Morgan, and normally had a crew of 25 men, some of whom may have been away in a prize at the time of her capture. During her brief career as a privateer she captured one sloop, one brig, and five schooners.[6]
  3. Argus, of Boston, Captain W. Heath, had captured two brigs and two schooners before Plumper had captured her. The estimated value of her captures was $180,000.[12]
  4. Friendship, of Massachusetts, Captain A. Rich, apparently had not captured anything before Plumper captured her.[13]
  5. Other reports have Bray surviving and going on to a long, mediocre career.[18] However, this is the result of a conflation between James Bray and Josias Bray. James Bray's will was proved in 1813,[19] and his widow claimed charity from an organization that helped widows of naval officers.[20] Josias Bray commanded the hired armed cutters Active in 1812-13 and Badger in 1813-14.

Citations
  1. "No. 20393". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 243.
  2. Winfield (2008), p. 343.
  3. "No. 16938". The London Gazette. 24 September 1814. pp. 1923–1924.
  4. LL №4530.
  5. "No. 16647". The London Gazette. 19 September 1812. p. 1907.
  6. Emmons (1853), p. 176.
  7. LL №4695.
  8. LL n°4703.
  9. LL №4701.
  10. LL №4704.
  11. LL №4705.
  12. Emmons (1853), p. 170.
  13. Emmons (1853), p. 178.
  14. LL №4792.
  15. Gosset (1986), p. 87.
  16. Grocott (1797), p. 347.
  17. Hepper (1994), p. 143.
  18. Marshall (1835), Vol. 4, pp.150-151.
  19. Will of James Bray, Naval Officer of Dover, Kent.
  20. Mary Lane Bray, widow of James Bray, Lieutenant Royal Navy who died 05 Dec 1812.
  21. LL №4735.

References
  • Emmons, George Foster (1853). The navy of the United States, from the commencement, 1775 to 1853; with a brief history of each vessel’s service and fate ... Comp. by Lieut. George F. Emmons ... under the authority of the Navy Dept. To which is added a list of private armed vessels, fitted out under the American flag ... also a list of the revenue and coast survey vessels, and principal ocean steamers, belonging to citizens of the United States in 1850. Washington: Gideon & Co.
  • Gosset, William Patrick (1986). The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900. Mansell. ISBN 0-7201-1816-6.
  • Grocott, Terence (1797). Shipwrecks of the Revolutionary & Napoleonic Eras. London: Chatham. ISBN 1861760302.
  • 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. ISBN 978-1-86176-246-7.
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