British hired lugger 'Lark' (1799)

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Lark	11557
Nominal Guns	14	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Hired	3.1.1799	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Unknown	BWAS-1793
Category	Hired Vessel	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Lugger	BWAS-1793
Returned to Owners	6.11.1801	BWAS-1793

Armament

4.1800Broadside Weight = 76 Imperial Pound ( 34.466 kg)W005
Gun Deck12 British 12-Pound Carronade
Gun Deck2 British 4-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.180050Men and BoysW005

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
4.1800 - 1800LieutenantW0057.5.1801 - 24.7.1801Commander Transfered ADM 196/5/1ADM 196

Service History

DateEventSource
21.4.1800chased a French cutter-privateer, which, after the exchange of a few broadsides, ran herself on shore; but which eventually got off and reached in safety the Texel roadW005
25.4.1800Took the Cutter JAMES2
30.3.1801

Used by Horatio Nelson to reconnoitre the defences of Copenhagen .

JAMES3

Notes on Ship

Action against ImprenableW005
On the 25th April 1800, at 2 p.m., the Lark chased and soon came up with a French cutter-privateer, which, after engaging the lugger for some time, ran on shore upon the Vlie island. Here the cutter, which was the Imprenable, Captain Sparrow, of 12 long 3, and two long 8 pounders, and a crew of 60 men, defended herself pretty well for nearly an hour; at the end of which her men began escaping to the shore, under the cover of a party of troops estimated at about 100.

Seeing this, Lieutenant Wilson put off in the Lark's small boat, and directed the master, Mr. Thomas Geltins, to follow in the large boat. With his handful of men, and in the face of a smart fire of musketry from the shore, to which by this time all the French crew had escaped, Lieutenant Wilson boarded the Imprenable. Finding his endeavours to get the cutter afloat greatly impeded by the musketry from the troops, the lieutenant detached the master in the large boat to dislodge them from the sand-banks behind which they had taken shelter. This done, the British succeeded, without the slightest loss, in getting off the privateer, and carried her into Yarmouth roads. To add to the value of this gallant exploit, the Imprenable had been a great pest to British commerce in the North Sea.

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 196 Document

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

JAMES2William James, Digital Book

JAMES3William James, Digital Book

W005William James, Digital Book

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