Kent 1800

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Kent 1800

Post by john sefton » Fri Sep 25, 2009 1:46 pm

In May 1800, Surcouf took command of Confiance, a fast 18-gun ship from Bordeaux undergoing repairs in Île de France.

Beginning in March, he led a brilliant campaign which resulted in the capture of nine British ships. On 7 October 1800, in the Bay of Bengal, off Sand Heads, Confiance met the 38-gun Kent, a 820-ton East Indiaman, under Captain Robert Rivington, with 400 men and a company of naval riflemen. Despite being outnumbered three to one, the French managed to seize control of the Kent. He became a living legend in France and, in England, a public enemy whose capture was valued at 5 million francs, although he was noted for the discipline of his crew and his humane treatment of prisoners.

wikipedia.org
Mauritius SG470
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SG470

aukepalmhof
Posts: 7794
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Kent 1820

Post by aukepalmhof » Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:35 pm

Built as a wooden East Indiaman by the yard of Thomas Pitcher for account of Henry Bonham.
10 February 1800 launched under the name KENT.
Tonnage 875 ton, dim. 117.11 x 36.3 x 14.9ft.

03 May 1800 chartered for a round voyage by the East India Company to Bengal and Bencoolen under command of Captain Robert Rivington.
On her return voyage did the French privateer LA CONFIANCE under command of Robert Surcouf take her on 07 October 1800 in the mouth of the River Hooghly.
After a two-hour fight in which captain Rivington and twenty-two others including an Army Officer, who was a passenger, were killed, the KENT was captured.
On board were also most of the passengers from the wrecked QUEEN who was destroyed by fire at San Salvador, Brazil.

The KENT was brought to Port Louis, Mauritius, and as given by a web-site sold later to a Danish merchant.
Her fate unknown.

The stamp shows the battle between the KENT and LA CONFIANCE and is designed after a painting made by Louis Garneray and is now in the Historic Museum in St Malo.

Mauritius 1972 2r50 sg 462, the stamp shows Robert Surcouf on board the CONFIANCE http://www.shipstamps.co.uk/forum/viewt ... nce#p10655 in the background the KENT,
Source: Ships of the East India Company by Rowan Hackman.
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KENT and LA CONFIANCE battle.jpg
Image (11).jpg

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