French ship La Bienvenue (1788)

For other ships of the same name, see HMS Undaunted.
Career (France)
Name: La Royalist, La Bienvenue
Builder: Gouet and Deros
Launched: 7 May 1788
Renamed: October 1792, January 1793
Captured: 20 March 1794
Career (Great Britain)
Name: HMS Undaunted
Renamed: 30 March 1795
Fate: Sold
General characteristics As built
Class and type:20-gun flûte
Tons burthen:699 tons bm
Length:42.2 m (138 ft)
Beam:10.1 m (33 ft)
Depth:4.9 m (16 ft)
Sail plan:Full-rigged ship
Armament:20 X 8 pounders (livre de Paris)[a]
General characteristics British service
Class and type:28-gun sixth-rate frigate
Complement:195

La Bienvenue was a 20-gun French warship launched at Le Havre in 1788 that made several changes in ownership and name during military conflict with the British. She briefly became La Royalist in October 1792 before reverting to her original name in January the following year. She was serving as a prison ship at Martinique when she was captured by the British in 1794.

Construction

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]

Career (France)

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]

Invasion of Martinique

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 conducted by both British Army and Royal Navy forces, supported by gunfire from Jervis' fleet which was now occupying the harbour. On 20 March, British Grenadiers and Light Infantry took the town while British sailors attacked and occupied the coastal fort. The landward fort surrendered a few days later.[3] It was on 17 March 1794, during the occupation of the harbour and just prior to the landings, that La Bienvenue was taken.[4]

Career (Great Britain)

After her capture, La Bienvenue was appointed a prize crew under Captain Robert Faulkner. 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][4] La Bienvenue 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]

Notes

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.[5]

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

References

  1. ↑ Demerliac (p.106)
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Winfield (p.224)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Heathcote (p.173)
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Heathcote (p.1)
  5. ↑ "Pre-metric French units of mass livre and smaller". Sizes, Inc. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

Bibliography