HMS Shelanagig (1780)

Career (UK)
Name: HMS Shelanagig
Namesake: Sheela na gig
Acquired: 1780 by purchase
Captured: 1781
General characteristics
Type:Sloop
Propulsion:Sails
Armament:16 guns

HMS Shelanagig (or Sheelanagig, or other variants) was a sloop of 16-guns purchased in the West Indies in 1780 for the Royal Navy.[1][Note 1] She was under the command of Lieutenant James (or Kieth) Shepherd, and Admiral Home Popham served aboard her early in his career.[3]

When Admiral Rodney heard that the French were besieging Tobago, he sent Shelanagig, the cutter Fly, and the Munster Lass to reconnoitre Martinique to gather what information they could. The three took different routes.[3] Still on 28 May 1781, Shelanagig encountered the French fleet under Comte de Grasse near St Lucia and was taken.[1] Also, on 4 June the French captured Fly.[1][4] Only Munster Lass managed to rejoin the British fleet.[3] Shelanagig‍ '​s ultimate fate is unknown.[2]

Footnotes

Hotes
  1. ↑ French records after her capture refer to her as a schooner of 20 guns.[2]
Citations
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Hepper (1994), p. 63.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Demerliac (1996), p.148, #1255.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Freitag (2004), pp.53-54.
  4. ↑ Demerliac (1996), p.147, #1231.

References