Built as a wooden 5th Rate frigate at the yard of John Dudman, Deptford for the Royal Navy.
30 April 1795 ordered.
September 1795 keel laid down.
12 April 1797 launched as HMS SIRIUS .
Tonnage 1,033 ton (bm), dim. 45.14 x 12.10 x 4.05m. (draught), length of keel 37.80m.
Armament: Upper deck 26 – 18pdrs., quarter deck 6 – 9 pdrs., forecastle 2 – 9pdrs.
Crew 274.
24 June 1797 completed.
May 1797 commissioned under command of Captain Richard King.
After commissioned joined the North Sea fleet and used for capturing and blockading the ships of the Napoleonic forces in Europe.
24 October 1798 captured the two Dutch vessels WAAKZAAMHEID (24 guns) and FURIE (36 guns) in the North Sea, both vessels were underway with 287 French troops, guns and ammunition to help the revolting Irish people.
The WAAKZAAMHEID under command of Captain Van Nierop struck his flag without firing a single shot, the FURIE under command of Captain Pletsz, after a running battle of about 30 minutes she surrendered with the loss of 14 men killed and 22 wounded.
The SIRIUS had one man wounded. Both seized ships were taken up in the Royal Navy as HMS WAAKSAAMHEIDT and WILHELMINA.
Soon thereafter she captured the FAVORIE (6 guns) from Cayenne to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, indigo and camphor, and a Spanish brig taking iron and bale goods from Corunna to Montevideo.
28 January 1798 took with HMS OISEAU and AMETHYST the 36 gun French frigate La DÉDAIGNEUSE off Ferrol, the French frigate carried despatches from Cayenne to Rochefort, she was taken to Plymouth and taken up by the Royal Navy under her own name.
The same day the SIRIUS and AMETHYST captured the Spanish letter of marquee CHARLOTTA in a position about 20 miles of Cape Belem.
July 1801 under command of Commander John Edwards. August 1802 under command of Captain William Prowse and used for the blockade of Brest.
22 July 1805 took part with Vice Admiral Sir Robert Calder squadron in his action against the combined Franco/Spanish fleet which was fought in thick fog over a period of four hours off Ushant.
21 October 1805 took part in the Battle of Trafalgar. She entered battle to the north of the Weather Column, but was not involved in the battle.
17 April 1806 took the French 18 gun La BERGÉRE off the mouth of the Tiber. SIRIUS lost 9 men in the battle.
Under repair from April 1808 till January 1809 at Chatham.
November 1808 recommissioned under command of Captain Samuel Pym.
24 February 1809 sailed for Cape of Good Hope.
21 September1809 in Rowley’s squadron off Réunion and she captured the French 40 gun La CAROLINE and a few merchantmen.
July 1810 was part of the force which captured the French Island Bourbon (Réunion.)
During the Battle of Gran Port in Mauritius she grounded on a reef on 24 August 1810, and was the next day burnt to avoid capture, the crew were taken to Isle de la Passe.
Mauritius 2010 14Rs sg?, scott?
Source: http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhill ... p?ref=2046
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Sirius_(1797) British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817 by Rif Winfield.