Pickle HMS 1827

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

Pickle HMS 1827

Post by john sefton » Fri Oct 22, 2010 4:41 pm

The Royal Navy schooner HMS Pickle, of 4 guns, was the smallest ship present at the Battle of Trafalgar, commanded by Lt. John Richard Lapenotiere. Since a single broadside from any of the ships of the line would have sunk her instantly, she spent most of the time staying out of the way, carrying messages, and later picking up survivors from the French ship Achille, which had caught fire and exploded.
The Pickle was also the first ship to bring the news of Nelson's victory to Great Britain, arriving at Falmouth on November 4, 1805. She had been chosen to carry the dispatches of Vice Admiral Collingwood who had taken over after the death of Nelson. After arriving in Falmouth Lapenotiere took a coach to London to deliver the dispatches to the Admiralty, he was promote dto Commodore for his efforts. To this day the Navy's petty officers[?] have an annual Pickle Night dinner, as do many private clubs in the British Commonwealth.
The ship was built in Bermuda, and was originally a civilian vessel named Sting. She struck a shoal at Cadiz and was lost in 1808.

HMS Pickle shown on this stamp was the third Pickle and was a schooner of 5 guns, launched in 1827. She was involved in the suppression of the slave trade, and achieved fame for capturing the armed slave ship Boladora off the coast of Cuba on 5 June 1829. She was broken up in 1847.
All the web sites refer to the capture of VOLADORA although the stamp refers to BOLODORA.
Various web sites.
Gambia SG?
Attachments
Pickle.jpeg

aukepalmhof
Posts: 7771
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Re: Pickle HMS 1827

Post by aukepalmhof » Wed Oct 14, 2020 7:28 pm

The painting after the stamp was designed:

On the morning of 5 June 1829, while cruising off the north-west coast of Cuba, HM Schooner PICKLE discovered a strange sail. This she stalked until she had interposed herself between the stranger and land. She closed in on her after nightfall. Action then commenced and after 80 minutes the slaver, as she proved, surrendered. She was the Spanish topsail schooner VOLADORA - though English references tend to use BOLODORA - with a crew of 60 of which 10 were killed. The ‘PICKLE’ had only half that number in her crew of which one was killed outright and three died later. The prize was taken to Havana with some difficulty as she had to be jury rigged and the prisoners were in the majority. They and the slaves were delivered to the Spanish governor. The painting shows the night scene with the event being lit by the flash of the guns and slightly by the moon seen low over the BOLODORA’s stern. In the right foreground she is shown broadside-on and flying the American flag. Her mainmast shot away, she is trailing rigging over the stern and her sails are much cut up. She is shown silhouetted against the gunfire and explosions as the fight continues with ‘PICKLE’ beyond her on the left. In the centre foreground is a boat full of people escaping from the action. The painting is based on a print by Edward Duncan after William John Huggins, published in 1831 (see PAG9091). This calls the slaver 'BOLODORA', though this painting was acquired in 1950 with the spelling 'BOLODORA. VOLADORA - the ship's Spanish name- can mean 'flying fish' or refer to a witch who could turn herself into a bird in the mythology of Chiloe (an island on the Chilean coast), either appropriate for a fast and elusive vessel. The artist, usually called John Moore of Ipswich was born in 1820 (and died in 1902), so it may be a considerably later version.

The painting is now in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, U.K.

https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collectio ... 12116.html
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voladora painting.jpg

john sefton
Posts: 1816
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Re: Pickle HMS 1827

Post by john sefton » Mon Jan 04, 2021 9:09 pm

The above is not completely correct as pointed out by Auke Palmhof below. Thanks to Auke for his corrections.

The PICKLE was built after a draught prepared in Jamaica.
16 July 1825 ordered, not a shipyard given.
Launched August 1827 as HMS PICKLE.
Tonnage 118 ton (bm), dim. 62.8 x 14.0ft, 21.2 ft length of keel, draught 9.9ft.
Armament; 2 – 18pdr, carronades and 1 – 18 pdr, gun.
Crew 36 including 6 boys.
01 January 1828 commissioned under command of Lieut. John Bunch Bonnemaison M'Hardy, Jamaica, who had previously served in ICARUS before receiving his commission.
On 6 June 1829 he captured a 16-gun Spanish slaver near Havana after a night action.
Three of PICKLE's crew were killed by the first enemy broadside but at close range the schooner's carronades were able to lay down a murderous fire and the Spaniard surrendered after half an hour.
350 slaves were found on board.
On 6 June 1829 she captured the slaver BOLADORA armed with 2x18pdr & 2x12pdr after a fierce fight lasting eighty minutes.
PICKLE had four killed and seven wounded.
The slaver, with more than twice the crew, lost ten killed and fourteen wounded.
M'Hardy was promoted to commander and Mate William Fowell commended for his conduct in the action.
September 1830 arrived in England and paid off in Plymouth on October 1830, but 16 October again commissioned.
Under command of Lieut. Thomas Taplen, sailed for Jamaica September 1830. (There has been a mix-up of the dates I believe between the sources.)
On 18 June 1831 PICKLE captured the slaver ROTA and received prize money for her in 1833.
Under command of Lieut. Edward Stopford, 12/1831, West Indies.
She stayed thereafter in the West Indies under different commands till broken up.
03 June 1847 paid off in Bermuda.
1847 Broken up.

http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhill ... p?ref=1714 and British Warships in the Age of Sail 1817-1863 by Rif Winfield.

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