DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH packet ship

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aukepalmhof
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DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH packet ship

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Apr 27, 2017 7:54 pm

The stamp shows the packet vessel DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH ca 1802, there were two packet ships under that name, both owned and commanded by the famous packet captain John Bull.
The first built in 1801, the second built in 1806.
The stamp has the year 1802 on it, at that time the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH (1) was in service in the Falmouth packet service.
Lloyds Registry of 1803 gives that she was owned by J. Ball (most probably wrongly given by Lloyds and was it J.Bull.), commanded by J. Ball? (Bull). 180 ton and built in Dartmouth.
It is given that she made voyages in the Packet service to the West Indies.
14 November 1803 sailed Falmouth for New York, made a call in the Scilly for bad weather, sailed from there on 27th November and arrived New York 17 January 1804, returned Falmouth 05 March 1804, that voyage under command of Capt. J. Bull.

July 1804 the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH was captured by a French privateer, a musket ball passed during the action through Bull’s mouth knocking out two of his teeth and injuring his jaw. Before leaving his mouth to lodge in the mast. After the battle Bull retrieved the ball as a souvenir.
Lloyds Registry 1804 does not mentioned her more.
27 July 1804 the ARABELLA Packet arrived in the Leeward Islands with the news that the DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH was captured and carried in at Guadeloupe where she was fitted out as a privateer with 20 guns, other source gives 16 long French 6 pounders and a crew of 140.
Renamed in La DAME AMBERT.

After sailing from Guadeloupe she sighted the British warship HMS LILLY of the action is given by Wikipedia:
HMS LILLY was off the coast of Georgia in the afternoon of 14 July 1804 when she sighted two vessels. She sailed towards them but by sunset was only able to determine that one was a ship and the other a smaller vessel, possibly the larger vessel's prize. In the morning the larger vessel could be seen towing the smaller. As LILLY approached, the larger vessel dropped her tow and sailed to engage LILLY.
The enemy vessel proceeded to stay by LILLY's stern and to use her long guns at ranges LILLY's carronades could not match. The fire from the enemy vessel killed Compton and so damaged LILLY's rigging that she lost her ability to manoeuvre. Seeing that the enemy vessel was preparing to board, Lieutenant Samuel Fowler, who was now in command, wanted to surrender, but the warrant officers objected. As the two vessels came alongside LILLY was finally able to fire a broadside, which the French returned, and French fire killed Fowler. The British repelled several French attempts to board but eventually the French prevailed. LILLY's casualties were Compton and Fowler killed, and 16 men wounded.
The French vessel was La DAME AMBERT, a privateer of 16 guns. DAME AMBERT had been the British packet MARLBOROUGH (or MARLBORO, DUKE OF MARLBOROUGH or GENERAL MARLBOROUGH prior to her capture.
The French put their British prisoners onto a prize vessel and sent them into Hampton Roads. Once in America, a number of the British seamen deserted.

Could not find the fate of the La DAME AMBERT.

Belize 1985 25c sg848, scott? (The painting made by Jean_Basptista Henri Durand-Brager shows the action between HMS LILLY and La DAME AMBERT.)
Source: Internet and Lloyds Registry.
Attachments
Dame-Ambert_vs_Lily.jpg
Image (36).jpg

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