HMS Anson (1781)

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HMS Anson was launched in 1781 at Plymouth by Georgina, Duchess of Devonshire, was a small two-decker 64-gun third-rate. Razeed around 1794 to a large frigate of 44 guns by removing forecastle and quarterdeck and altering former upper deck (now weather or spar-deck) to 42-pounder carronades from the 18-pounder long guns previously mounted.

Fought at Battle of Les Saintes on April 9, 1782 under the flag of Admiral Sir George Rodney against Admiral de Grasse. In this engagement, Captain William Blair was one of the two post captains killed.

On October 18, 1798 under the command of Captain Philip Charles Durham along with Kanagaroo, captured the French frigate Loire, this after having earlier lost her mizzen mast, lower main and top sails during the pursuit of a French squadron of Ireland.

Sailed from Plymouth on 26 January 1799 and a few days later on February 2, in company with Ethalion, captured the French privateer cutter Boulonaise,14, from Dunkirk which had been harassing shipping in the North Sea.

On September 9, 1799 Captain Durham Hosted a fete for King George III. During the course of the evening, the King was found on the low deck surrounded by the ship’s company talking to an old sailor.

10 April 1800 when North-West of the Canary Islands, detained the Catherine & Anna bound for Hamburg, Germany from Batavia with a cargo of coffee.

1801 Captain. W.E. Cacraft, assumed command. Channel station, cruising from Portsmouth. 1802 Mediterranean. In November 1802 she sailed from Malta for Egypt. 1803 ditto, Malta. 1805 under repair at Portsmouth.

On the morning of August 23, 1806 Captain Lydiard along with Arethusa made a successful attack near Moro Castle in Cuba.

On September 15, 1806 she encountered the French Foudroyant, 84, under jury rig some 15 miles off Havana. Assuming that she had been damaged in action Captain Charles Lydiard attacked but then after half an hour found that the French ship had only suffered from bad weather and retained all her fire power. He was forced to haul off after 2 men had been killed, 13 wounded, his sails and rigging had been badly damaged and the ships were drifting fast in shore.

She was wrecked in Mount's Bay, Cornwall, on December 29, 1807. The previous day she had been driven onto a lee shore by a gale while attempting to return to Falmouth. Anchored but when the cable parted at about 8 o'clock in the morning, run onto the sand and was soon broken up by the waves. 270 of the 330 on board were saved. Captain Charles Lydiard was among the casualties. His body being recovered on January 1, 1808 and taken to Falmouth for burial.