HMS Galatea (1776)

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History
Royal Navy EnsignGreat Britain
NameHMS Galatea
Ordered15 April and 1 December 1773
BuilderDeptford Dockyard
Laid downOctober 1774
Launched21 March 1776
CompletedBy 26 May 1776
FateBroken up in April 1783
General characteristics
TypeSphinx-class sixth-rate post-ship
Tons burthen429 23/94 bm
Length
  • 108 ft (33 m) (gundeck)
  • 89 ft 8 in (27.33 m) (keel)
Beam30 ft (9.1 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail planFull-rigged ship
Complement140
Armament20 × 9-pounder guns
For other ships with the same name, see HMS Galatea.

HMS Galatea was a 20-gun Sphinx-class sixth-rate post-ship of the Royal Navy. She served during the American War of Independence.

History[]

In 1776, the ship was sent to North America under the command of Captain Thomas Jordan with a crew of 200.[1] She took part in the capture of 30 American ships. On 15 May, 1778 she captured American sloop Black Joke at (

 WikiMiniAtlas
33°36′N 77°35′W / 33.600°N 77.583°W / 33.600; -77.583).[2] An American naval squadron led by Samuel Elbert attacked the ship near St. Simons Island in what became known as the Frederica naval action. Although the Americans captured her other three escort ships, Galatea's crew ran her aground and managed to escape without being captured.

The American privateer Gustavus Conyngham was captured and held aboard the Galatea. By his own report he was kept in irons until he reached prison, and was given no more than a “cold plank as my bed, a stone for a pillow”. Additionally, he was not fed properly, causing him to lose fifty pounds while imprisoned on the ship en route to his English prison.

Fate[]

She was broken up in April 1783.

References[]

  1. ^ Clark, William Bell; Morgan, William James; Crawford, Michael J. (1964). Naval documents of the American Revolution, Volume 7. Naval History Division, Dept. of the Nav.
  2. ^ "NAVAL DOCUMENTS OF The American Revolution" (PDF). history.navy.mil. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
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