CLIO HMS 1807

The full index of our ship stamp archive
Post Reply
aukepalmhof
Posts: 7796
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

CLIO HMS 1807

Post by aukepalmhof » Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:44 pm

In 2008 the Falkland Islands used 1 MS and two stamps for the landing of Capt Onslow on board the HMS CLIO in 1833 at Port Louis and claim the Falklands Islands for the British Crown.
Below is given what the Falkland Islands Post web-site gives on this issues.

The history of the discovery of the Falkland Islands is somewhat complicated as there are claims that a number of different explorers first sighted one or other of the many Islands which make up the group. It is generally agreed that two of the earliest sightings were those made by the British sea captain John Davis in his ship DESIRE in 1592 and by the Dutch navigator Sebald De Weert in 1600. In 1690 the English sailor John Strong, in the vessel WELFARE made the first recorded landing on the Falklands. He then sailed between the two main islands of East and West Falkland and named the channel Falkland Sound after the fifth Viscount Falkland, Treasurer of the Navy.

The first settlement on the Falkland Islands was made by the French navigator Louis de Bougainville in 1764, at a site on East Falkland he named Fort St. Louis, in later years to become known as Port Louis. In 1765, unaware of Bougainville's settlement Captain John Byron, on a British naval expedition, surveyed the area around Port Egmont on Saunders Island and took possession of the Falklands in the name of King George III. The following year Captain John MacBride established a British settlement at Port Egmont. At the same time, the Spanish government forced the French to withdraw from the Falklands and took over Bougainville's settlement at Port Louis. In 1770 the Spanish attacked Port Egmont and expelled the British. Under the terms of a Peace Treaty in 1771 the British returned, but both sides continued to claim sovereignty of the Islands. Due to the costs of the American War of Independence, Britain withdrew from the Falklands in 1774, leaving behind a plaque asserting her claims. The Spanish maintained their settlement until 1811, when they too left the Islands.

During the following years, Argentina declared independence from Spain and also laid claim to the Falklands. In 1820 an American privateer, David Jewett, raised the flag of the United Provinces of the River Plate at Port Louis, but his occupation lasted little over six months. In 1826 Louis Vernet, a merchant of French origin, established a new settlement at Port Louis under license from the Buenos Aires government, but in 1831 he arrested three American sealing ships and in revenge the American war ship LEXINGTON destroyed the defences of the settlement and declared the Falklands free of all government.

In 1832 Buenos Aires sent a small military detachment to Port Louis, mainly deportees serving a term of punishment, but they had only been there a month when there was a mutiny and Mestivier, the garrison commander, was murdered. The murderers were being pursued by the Argentine armed schooner SARANDI, commanded by Don Jose Maria Pinedo, when the Royal Navy ships HMS CLIO and HMS TYNE arrived at Port Louis, having been dispatched to re-enforce the British claim to the Falklands. On 2nd January 1833 Captain Onslow of the CLIO informed Pinedo that he intended to raise the British flag, and made the request to Pinedo to "haul down your flag on shore, and withdraw your forces, taking with you all stores etc. belonging to your Government".

On the morning of 3rd January, despite Pinedo's protests, the British flag was raised and the Argentine flag returned to Pinedo, who departed in the SARANDI two days later, with seven men later executed for the murder of Mestivier, and the remainder of the militia.

This marks the beginning of permanent British settlement in the Falkland Islands and the new issue shows Onslow and the British contingent raising the Union flag with the CLIO in the background.

The £2 souvenir sheet shows an image of the ceremony with Captain Onslow picked out in the actual stamp. The 27p shows one of the sailors raising the flag, whilst the 65p shows three Royal Marines. The images on the stamps are taken from the surround of the souvenir sheet.

http://www.falklandstamps.com/index.php ... Itemid=122

Built on the yard of James Betts, Mistleythorn for the Royal Navy.
29 January 1806 ordered.
May 1806 keel laid down.
10 January 1807 launched as the HMS CLIO one of the Cruizer class of which over 100 were built.
Tonnage 389 ton (bm), dim. 30.48 x 9.41 x 3.99m., length of keel 23.62m.
Armament: 18 - 32pdr carronades.
Crew. ?
21 January 1807 completed, where after she moved to Chatham for fitting out.
12 June 1807 fitting out completed.

February 1807 commissioned under command of Cmdr. Thomas Folliott Baugh. After completed based at Leith for service in the North Sea.
21 September 1808 took a Danish privateer armed with 6 guns and 11 men crew off Fleckoro.
October 1810 under command of Cmdr. William Farington, service in the North Sea and Baltib.
14 October 1810 took with HMS HAMADRYAD the 4 gun privateer Le POLOTIN in the Baltic.
Thereafter in ordinary in Chatham till 1822.
Between February and May 1823 fitted out for sea.
February 1823 commissioned again under command of command of C.Strangways and after fitting out completed based at the Nore.
April 1826 under command of Cmdr. Robert Aitchinson, April 1827 under command of Cmdt Robert Deans first at the Nore and from 1828 at Cork till 1829.
December 1829 till July 1830 fitted out as a ship-sloop at Plymouth
April 1830 recommissioned and after fitting out completed sailed for the South America Station.
December 1832 re-occupation of the Falklands.
June 1833 paid off.
Altered to a 16 gun brig from June 1833 till June 1835 at Portsmouth.
April 1835 re-commissioned for the Mediterranean.
May 1839 again to the South America Station.
1841 Based in the East Indies.
July 1842 took part in the Yangtse operations.
March 1845 broken up in Portsmouth.

Falkland Islands 1933 2d sg130, scott68. 2008 27p and 65p MS£2 sg?, scott?

Source: http://www.ageofnelson.org/MichaelPhill ... p?ref=0536.
British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817 by Rif Winfield
Attachments
tmp1F4.jpg
tmp1F5.jpg
tmp1F6.jpg

Post Reply