Pelican HMS

[shipstamps]

Collingwood and H.M.S. Pelican. are featured on the 15 cents stamp. Collingwood and Nelson were very closely linked in career, in public service, and in friendship, although of contrasting personalities and ideas. They served as young officers in Antigua, Collingwood later succeeding his friend in various appointments. After Trafalgar, in which battle Collingwood was second in command, he was made a baron. He died in 1810 and his body rests close by Nelson's in St. Paul's Cathedral. There were a number of ships name Pelican in the Navy during Collingwood's service, and I am not at all sure which of these is the vessel on the stamp. SG277

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a 6th Rate on the yard of H. Adams & Barnard, Buckler’s Yard, Deptford for the Royal Navy.
24 July 1776 ordered.
24 April 1777 launched as the HMS PELICAN one of the Porcupine class.
Tonnage 520 (bm) ton, dim. 114.5 x 32.2 x 10.3ft., draught 7.9ft.
Armament: 22 – 9 pdr. underdeck, 2 – 6 pdr quarter deck.
Crew 160.
May 1777 commissioned.

Commissioned under command of Capt. Henry Lloyd for the North Sea.
1778 Off Finisterre, Spain then off the Portuguese coast in 1779.
From August till September refitted and coppered in Sheerness.
November 1780 under command of Capt. Thomas Haynes.
13 April 1780 she sailed for Jamaica.
09 December 1780 took the privateer La MARQUISE DE SAINT-PERN.
June 1781 under command of Capt. Cuthbert Collingwood at Jamaica.
22 July 1781 took the 16 gun Le CERF.
She recaptured the BLANDFORD a richly loaded merchant ship from Glasgow.
02 August 1781 she wrecked during a hurricane off Morant Keys, Jamaica.
Capt Collingwood, later Admiral in his memoirs is given:
During this hurricane he was still in command of the PELICAN and in a severe hurricane, in which she was wrecked being cast on the rocks of the Morant Cays in the middle of a most tremendous night.
The next day, with great difficulty, the ship’s company got on shore on rafts made of the small and broken yards; and upon those sandy islands with little food we remained ten days, until a boat went to Jamaica, and the frigate HMS DIAMOND came and took us off.

Antigua 1970 15c sg277, scott?

Source: Log Book British Warships in the age of Sail 1714-1792 by Rif Winfield.