| HMS Blossom (1806) | |
|---|---|
 His Majesty's ship Blossom off the Sandwich Islands | |
| Career (UK) |  |
| Name: | HMS Blossom |
| Ordered: | 19 November 1805 |
| Builder: | Robert Guillaume, Northam |
| Laid down: | February 1806 |
| Launched: | 10 December 1806 |
| Completed: | 21 April 1807 |
| Reclassified: |
Exploration ship in 1825 Survey ship in 1829 Hulked in 1833 |
| Fate: | Broken up in August 1848 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | 18-gun Cormorant-class sloop-of-war |
| Tons burthen: | 422 bm |
| Length: |
108 ft 4 in (33.02 m) (overall) 90 ft 8 in (27.64 m) (keel) |
| Beam: | 29 ft 7 in (9.02 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 9 ft (2.7 m) |
| Propulsion: | Sails |
| Sail plan: | Sloop |
| Complement: | 121 |
| Armament: |
(as built)
Main deck: 16 × 32-pounder carronades |
HMS Blossom was an 18-gun Cormorant-class sloop-of-war. She was built in 1806 and is best known for the 1825–1828 expedition under Captain Beechey to the Pacific Ocean. She explored as far north as Point Barrow, Alaska, the furthest point into the Arctic any non-Inuit had been at the time. She was finally broken up in 1848.
Napoleonic Wars[]
On 26 February 1808 Blossom was in company with Eclipse when they captured the Sally and Hetty, William Fleming, Master.[1] Blossom was in company with Jamaica when they recaptured the American brig Iris.[2]
In the mid-morning of 23 February 1812, Blossom was five leagues off Cabrera when a strange schooner sailed towards her, mistaking her for a merchantman. When the schooner realized her mistake a five-hour chase followed before Blossom was able to capture the schooner Jean Bart. Jean Bart was of 147.5 tons (bm) and had been launched in Marseilles only five weeks earlier. She was armed with five 12 and two 6-pounder guns, and had a crew of 106 men under the command of Jean Francis Coulome. She had made no captures but within the previous five days her excellent sailing had enabled her to evade two British frigates and a brig.[3]
Post-war[]
Blossom was re-rated as a 24-gun sixth rate in February 1817. She was converted to serve as an exploration ship in 1825, and on her return used as a survey ship from 1829.
Fate[]
Blossom was hulked as a lazarette at Sheerness in January 1833, and was broken up at Chatham in August 1848.
See also[]
- European and American voyages of scientific exploration
Sources and references[]
- Sources
- ↑ "No. 16332". 9 January 1810. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16332/page/
- ↑ "No. 16420". 30 October 1810. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16420/page/
- ↑ "No. 16569". 21 April 1812. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/16569/page/
- References
- Beechey, Frederick William (1832). Narrative of A Voyage To The Pacific And Beering's Strait, To Co-Operate With The Polar Expeditions Performed In His Majesty's Ship Blossom, Under The Command Of Captain F. W. Beechey, R. N. In The Years 1825, 26, 27, 28. Philadelphia: Carey & Lea. http://books.google.com/books?id=7YcBAAAAYAAJ. Retrieved 2009-08-15.
- Colledge, J. J.; Warlow, Ben (2006) [1969]. Ships of the Royal Navy: The Complete Record of all Fighting Ships of the Royal Navy (Rev. ed.). London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-281-8. OCLC 67375475.
- Winfield, Rif; Lyon, David (2004). The Sail and Steam Navy List: All the Ships of the Royal Navy 1815–1889. London: Chatham Publishing. ISBN 978-1-86176-032-6. OCLC 52620555.
- Ships of discovery and exploration, by Lincoln P. Paine
- Earliest Records of the Islands Their Discovery by Captain Beechey, H.M.S. "Blossom"
- Mid-Victorian RN vessel HMS Blossom
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The original article can be found at HMS Blossom (1806) and the edit history here.