Premier Consul (1800)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Scout.
History
France
Name: Premier Consul
Namesake: Napoleon's title during the French Consulate
Builder: Nantes
Laid down: 1800
Launched: 1800
Captured: March 1801
UK
Name: HMS Scout
Acquired: March 1801 by capture
Fate: Presumed foundered 1801
General characteristics [1]
Type: Ship-sloop
Displacement: 376 tons (French)[2]
Tons burthen: 44773⁄94 (bm)
Length: 113 ft 8 in (34.65 m) (overall), or 34.64 x 9.23 metres;[2] 91 ft 9 in (27.97 m) (keel)
Beam: 30 ft 3 1⁄2 in (9.233 m)
Depth of hold: 11 ft 3 in (3.43 m)
Propulsion: Sails
Sail plan: Sloop
Complement:
  • Privateer: 146-150
  • British service: 121
Armament:
  • Privateer: 14 × 9-pounder guns
  • British service

Premier Consul was a French privateer launched in 1800 at Nantes. The Royal Navy captured her in 1801 and renamed her HMS Scout. She foundered later that year with the loss of her entire crew.

Career

Premier Consul was commissioned in December 1800 in Saint-Malo. She departed around 18 February 1801 under the command of J. Pinson.[2]

She was on her first voyage when HMS Dryad captured her on 5 March west of Ireland after a 3-hour chase. She had a crew of 150 men and was pierced for 24 guns, but only carried 14. She was 21 days out of Saint Malo and had captured a Portuguese schooner sailing from Lisbon to Ireland.[3]

Between June and October 1801 she underwent fitting out at Portsmouth. The Royasl Navy commissioned her in September under Commander Henry Duncan.[1] He had just lost his previous vessel, Scout, so the Navy renamed Premier Consul as Scout.

Duncan sailed Scout for Newfoundland on 20 October 1801. She never arrived and was presumed lost with all hands.[4][5] Duncan received promotion to post captain in April 1802,[1] but obviously did not live to take up the rank.

Citations and references

Citations
  1. 1 2 3 Winfield (2008), p.268.
  2. 1 2 3 Demerliac (2004), no 2003, p. 263.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 15347. p. 322. 21 March 1801.
  4. ↑ Gossett (1986), p. 36.
  5. ↑ Hepper (1994), p.100.
References
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