HMS Charybdis (1809)
Introduction '''HMS ''Charybdis''''' was a Royal Navy  built by Mark Richards and John Davidson at Hythe, and launched in 1809.She captured two American prizes during the War of 1812 before she was laid up in 1815 and sold in 1819.She apparently then became the whaler ''Greenwich'', which made three voyages for Samuel Enderby & Sons and one for Daniel Bennett & Son. She was wrecked in the Seychelles in 1833 on her fourth whaling voyage.
Service She was commissioned in September 1809 under Commander Robert Merrick Fowler, who sailed her for the Leeward Islands on 22 January 1810.On 20 April 1811 Commander James Clephan took command.On 8 October 1812 ''Charybdis'' recaptured the brig . ''Saucy Jack'', an American privateer out of Charleston, on 28 September had captured ''William Rathbone'', which had been armed with 14 guns and had a crew of 30 men. The Americans put a prize crew aboard. When ''Charybdis'' recaptured ''William Rathbone'' she returned the vessel to her officers and crew. ''William Rathbone'' arrived at St Thomas on 12 October.Then on 31 October ''Charybdis'' captured the American privateer schooner ''Blockade'' and her 66-man crew in the Sombrero Passage near Saba Rock. ''Blockade'', E.Mix., master, was a schooner out of New York. She had captured one British schooner before ''Charybdis'' captured her. Clephan reported that the schooner ''Blockade'' had captured was a small one out of St Lucia and that two days earlier ''Blockade'' had abandoned her prize while a British brig was chasing the privateer. Clephan described ''Blockade'' as a fine schooner of 128 tons burthen that had had her keel laid only three months earlier.American reports stated that the capture took place after an action of one hour and 20 minutes during which ''Blockade'' lost 28 men killed and the British had eight men killed.In September ''Charybdis'' sailed from Portsmouth with a convoy for Cork, and then went on to America via Halifax. In 1814–15 she participated in the British expedition against New Orleans and, on its failure, conveyed the despatches to Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet, situated off Cumberland Island. '''Disposal:''' ''Charybdis'' sailed from Portsmouth on 10 August 1815 and shortly thereafter was paid off at Deptford in 1815.She was laid up at Deptford until 1819.The "Principal Officers and commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" offered "Charybdis brig, of 385 tons" for sale on 3 February 1819.She was sold to Thomas Pittman on that day for £1,100.
Whaler ''Charybdis'' may have become the whaler ''Greenwich'', which made three voyages for Samuel Enderby & Sons, before being lost on her fourth, for Daniel Bennet & Sons. She first appeared in ''Lloyd's Register'' (''LR'') in 1819 with Emmitt, master, Enderby, owners, and trade London-South Seas. ''LR'' gave her launch year as 1809 and her launch location as Southampton. A database of British Southern Whale Fishery whaling voyages gives her launch location as Hythe. '''1st whaling voyage (1820–1822):''' Captain John Gibson sailed from England on 28 January 1820, bound for Timor. She was variously reported at Morotay, Kema, and Amboyna. She was report to have been at Amboyna on 11 September 1821.A Malay she had taken on board had murdered her master and mate and injured four other crew members. ''Mary'' provided some men for her crew. ''Greenwich'', Gibson, master, returned on 14 October 1822 with 500 casks of oil. '''2nd whaling voyage (1823–1826):''' Captain R.P.Thompson sailed from London on 18 January 1823, bound for the seas off Japan and for Timor. ''Greenwich'' returned on 18 January 1826 with 650 casks and one bale of seal skins or 200 tuns of sperm oil. '''3rd whaling voyage (1826–1830):''' Captain Dunn sailed from London on 23 November 1826, bound for the Seychelles. ''Greenwich'' returned on 12 January 1830 with 550 casks (198 tuns) of oil.
Fate For her '''fourth voyage''' ''Greenwich''s ownership changed to Bennett & Son. ''Greenwich'' sailed from London on 13 September 1830, bound for the Indian Ocean. She was reported at Mahé, Seychelles, and Mauritius. She was lost at Danes Island (actually Denis Island about 60 km N of Praslin Island) in the Seychelles on 18 February 1833.Her was crew were rescued and taken to Mauritius. surveyed the wreck on 1 June 1833.
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Citations
References * * * James, William (1817/2004) ''A full and correct account of the chief naval occurrences of the late war between Great Britain and the United States of America''. (Naval Institute Press). * **