Falmouth HMS (1814)

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Falmouth HMS (1814)

Post by shipstamps » Mon Sep 22, 2008 12:12 pm

One of the largest and certainly well-designed commemorative stamps to appear from the British Commonwealth was issued on August 4th 1966 for the 150th anniversary of the establishment of a garrison on Tristan da Cunha. After Napoleon had been exiled on St. Helena it was feared in London that an attempt might be made by French sympathisers to set the Emperor free. As a preparatory measure against this the authorities decided to garrison the lonely islands of Ascension and Tristan da Cunha.
One can appreciate Ascension being garrisoned owing to its adjacency to St. Helena. It is less understandable that Tristan da Cunha, 1,200 miles away, should be suddenly given a military force, unless it was considered Napoleon might be taken there if he was rescued. Whatever the reason H.M.S. Falmouth, an 18-gun sloop-of-war under the command of Capt. R. W. G. Festing R.N., sailed from the Cape of Good Hope for Tristan in August 1816 with an advance party of 18 naval ratings, stores and equipment
The vessel arrived at Tristan da Cunha on August 13, setting up the first base on the island. H.M.S. Falmouth returned to the Cape to pick up the Army garrison, sailing from there again on November 1 with five officers, three N.C.O.s, 35 rank and file, eight women and nine children. The garrison was under the command of Capt. A. J. Cloete, 21st Light Dragoons. Disembarkation took place on November 28 and Somerset Camp was established where the present township, now called Edinburgh Settlement, is situated. Subsequently it was decided that the cost of maintaining this garrison outweighed its advantages and it was finally withdrawn on November 17, 1817.
The soldier on the stamp, although holding a musket, is correctly depicted in the tunic colours and facings of the Royal Artillery of the Napoleonic Wars period. There were two 6-pounder guns defending Tristan, under the care of Lieut. R. S. Aitchison, R.A.. who was the deputy commandant. Behind the gunner is a distant view of the hump-backed island, with H.M.S. Falmouth in the middle distance.
This vessel was one of the smaller class of 3-masted ships, the sloop-of-war, carrying 18 small 6-pounder guns and a crew of about 130 men. This use of the term "sloop" had no connection with the older "sloop-rig" which had one mast and was not unlike a cutter.
SG96 Sea Breezes March 1967
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SG96.jpg
Falmouth.jpg

aukepalmhof
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Re: Falmouth HMS

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu May 21, 2009 8:53 pm

Built as sixth rate by Richard Chapman, Bideford for the Royal Navy.
18 November 1812 ordered.
April 1813 keel laid down.
08 January 1814 launched under the name HMS FALMOUTH one of the Cyrus class. The class was designed by Sir William Rule, altogether 16 ships of this class were built
Tonnage 454 ton, dim. 115.6 x 29.8 ft.
Armament: upper deck 20 – 32pdrs. Carronades and 2 - -6pdr. chase guns.
Crew 135 men.
03 March 1814 completed at Portsmouth, put in ordinary.

From December 1814 till July 1815 fitted out for sea.
May 1815 commissioned under command of Capt. George Knight.
July 1815 she accompanied HMS PACTOLUS and HEBRUS in an expedition up the River Gironde, to furnish the French royalists with arms, and to open communications with Bordeaux.
After she brought the senior officers dispatches to Plymouth, she returned to the river Gironde, and remained there in attendance on the Duke and Duchess of Anouleme.
September 1815 under command of Capt. Robert Festing and fitting out for foreign service from November 1815 till January 1816 before she sailed for St Helena.

14 August 1816 on orders of Rear Admiral Sir Pultney Malcolm she arrived at Tristan da Cunha.
Capt. Festing lands on the beach of Reception Bay which soon was called Falmouth Bay in honour of the above mentioned ship and they found only two men living on the island at that time, Thomas Currié and his comrade or servant the Spaniard Bastian Ponce Camilla, who hoisted a Union flag.

Capt Festing, following orders takes possession of the entire group of islands in the name of H.M. King George III as dependencies of the Cape of Good Hope Colony.

17 August 1816 HMS FALMOUTH sailed from Tristan da Cunha, leaving behind a small garrison under command of Lieut. R.N. Rich, the small garrison composed of a lieutenant of marine’s four midshipmen and thirteen men.
The intention was that the FALMOUTH soon would return with a larger garrison.

28 November 1816 the FALMOUTH arrived from the Table Bay at Falmouth Bay. There she lands a British garrison relieving Lieut. Rich.
The new garrison is under command of Capt. Abraham Josias Cloete of the 21st Light Dragoons Royal.
In all the new garrison have thirty-eight men, also arrived on the island a civilian party of seven man, ten women and twelve children.

2 December a sailor on board of the HMS FALMOUTH drinks himself to death, after having secretly stolen some spirits being unloaded for the use of the shore party sent to survey the neighbouring places.

07 December 1817 HMS FALMOUTH sailed from Tristan da Cunha.

January 1817 under command of Cmdr. George Rich at St Helena.
March 1819 under command of Cmdr. Henry Collier sailed for the Leeward Station. 21 March 1822 he was send home as an invalid from the Leeward Islands, and relieved already in September 1820 by Cmdr. Edward Purcell, she was still stationed in the Leeward Islands.
1823 Paid off July 1823.
1824 Was she at Portsmouth.
27 January 1825 sold for £2.260 for mercantile use to Timothy Hutchinson and renamed PROTECTOR.

Till so far not found her history as a merchant ship.

The vessel depict on the stamps is after a ship of that period, not any painting of drawing of the FALMOUTH exist.

Tristan da Cunha 1966 3d/2.6d scott 95/98. 1971 7½p sg156, scott160. 1982 10p sg353. 1985 25p sg397, scott?

Source: The Early History of Tristan da Cunha. http://www.cronab.demon.co.uk/F.HTM
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817 by Rif Winfield.
Attachments
tmp171.jpg
tmp172.jpg

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