View source for HMS Peacock (1806)

{{short description|Brig-sloop of the Royal Navy}}
{{other ships|HMS Peacock}}

{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=COLUMBINE 1806 RMG J5090.png
|Ship caption=''Peacock''
}}
{{Infobox ship career
 | Hide header              = 
 | Ship country             = [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]]
 | Ship flag                = {{shipboxflag|United Kingdom|naval}}
 | Ship name                = HMS ''Peacock''
 | Ship ordered             = 27 January 1806
 | Ship builder             = [[Jabez Bayley]], Ipswich
 | Ship laid down           = April 1806
 | Ship launched            = 9 December 1806
 | Ship acquired            = 
 | Ship commissioned        = 
 | Ship decommissioned      = 
 | Ship in service          = 
 | Ship out of service      = 
 | Ship renamed             = 
 | Ship struck              = 
 | Ship reinstated          = 
 | Ship honours             = 
 | Ship captured            = 
 | Ship fate                = Sunk by USS Hornet, 1813

| Ship notes               = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
 | Hide header              = 
 | Header caption           = {{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=207}}
 | Ship class               = {{sclass|Cruizer|brig-sloop}}
 | Ship tons burthen             = 383 {{small|{{frac|64|94}}}} ([[Builder's Old Measurement|bm]])
 | Ship length              = *{{convert|100|ft|3|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (overall)
* {{convert|77|ft|5+7/8|in|m|1|abbr=on}} (keel)
 | Ship beam                = {{convert|30|ft|7|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
 | Ship draught             = 
 | Ship hold depth          = {{convert|12|ft|9|in|m|1|abbr=on}}
 | Ship sail plan           = Brig
 | Ship propulsion          = [[Sails]]
 | Ship complement          = 121{{efn|At the time of her loss, ''Peacock{{'}}''s quarter bill gave her complement as 134 men, of whom four were away in a prize.{{sfnp|Gleaves|1904|pp=127–30}}}}
 | Ship armament            = * 16 × 32-pounder [[carronade]]s{{efn|At the time of her loss, ''Peacock'' carried sixteen 24-pounder carronades.{{sfnp|Gleaves|1904|pp=127–30}}}}
* 2 × 6-pounder bow guns{{efn|At the time of her loss, ''Peacock'' carried two 9-pounder chase guns, one 4 or 6-pounder gun astern, one 12-pounder carronade in her topgallant forecastle, and two [[swivel gun]]s.{{sfnp|Gleaves|1904|pp=127–30}}}}
 | Ship notes               = 
}}
|}
'''HMS ''Peacock''''' was a {{sclass|Cruizer|brig-sloop}} of the [[Royal Navy]]. She was launched in 1806 and had a relatively uneventful career until she had the misfortune to encounter {{USS|Hornet|1805 brig|6}} in February 1813. ''Hornet'' captured ''Peacock'', which then sank.

==Career==
''Peacock'' was commissioned under Commander William Peake in February 1807 for the North Sea.{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=207}} On 5 September ''Peacock'' was in company with the sloop {{HMS|Kite|1805|2}} at the capture of ''Der Fruhllng''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16590|page=666|date=7 April 1812}}</ref> A week later ''Peacock'' was in company with the [[Seventy-four (ship)|74-gun]] {{HMS|Defence|1763|2}} at the capture of the Danish ship ''Anna Karina''.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16517|page=1692|date=27 August 1811}}</ref>

In 1812 ''Peacock'' transferred to the [[Jamaica Station (Royal Navy)|Jamaica station]].{{sfnp|Winfield|2008|p=207}} There, on 1 August, she captured the American ship ''Forester''.{{efn|A first-class share of the prize money was worth [[£sd|£]]84 17[[shilling|s]] 2[[pence|d]]; a sixth-class share, that of an ordinary seaman, was worth 16s 2¼d.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=16997|page=563|date=23 March 1815}}</ref>}}

==Loss==
{{main|Sinking of HMS Peacock}}
On 24 February 1813 ''Peacock'' encountered USS ''Hornet'' off the mouth of the [[Demerara River]]. After she sailed out of the anchorage where she had left her sister ship {{HMS|Espiegle|1812|2}} she encountered the 20-gun ''Hornet'' sailing in. ''Peacock'' and ''Hornet'' sailed opposite each other and exchanged broadsides at 5:25 pm. ''Peacock'' then turned to discharge her other broadside but ''Hornet'' got on ''Peacock''{{'}}s starboard quarter and proceeded to pour fire into her. ''Hornet''{{'}}s fire was accurate, while ''Peacock''{{'}}s was poor. Within 15 minutes Peake was dead, British casualties were heavy, and ''Peacock'' was a wreck. She [[striking the colours|struck]] and both vessels anchored. It became clear that ''Peacock'' was sinking and the Americans rescued her crew. She had suffered five men killed and 33 men wounded.{{sfnp|Hepper|1994|p=145}} Three of her wounded later died aboard ''Hornet''. Four of her men, who escaped in a small boat, may also have been lost. ''Hornet'' had one man killed and four wounded, one of whom died later.{{sfnp|Gleaves|1904|pp=127–30}}

''Peacock'' sank in five and a half [[fathom]]s of water ({{convert|33|ft|m|abbr=on|disp=semicolon}}) of the Caroband Bank. In sinking she took nine of her men with her, and three Americans. The wreck was visible for some time thereafter.{{sfnp|Gosset|1986|p=88}}

''Lloyd's List'' initially reported that Captain Peake of ''Peacock'' and eight of her crew were killed in the action, and 27 were wounded; 19 men, who could not be rescued, went down with her when she sank and ''Hornet'' rescued the rest. ''Hornet'' had lost only one man killed and two wounded. She then arrived at [[Martha's Vineyard]] on 19 March.<ref>[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c2735026?urlappend=%3Bseq=85 ''LL'' 14 May 1813. Accessed 29 July 2019.]</ref>

Three men on ''Peacock''{{'}}s crew were Americans, one of whom was killed in the action. When it became clear that an engagement was imminent, the Americans asked to be permitted to go below so as not to have to fight against their countrymen. Peake refused the request and the men had to serve the guns. One of the two surviving Americans turned out to be a cousin of the wife of Captain [[James Lawrence]], captain of ''Hornet''.{{sfnp|Gleaves|1904|pp=127–30}} ''Peacock''{{'}}s captured ensign was on display at Mahan Hall at the [[United States Naval Academy|U.S. Naval Academy]], but was removed on 27 February 2018 for preservation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/usnamuseum/photos/a.766528580031105.1073741847.137100856307217/2004259799591304/?type=3&theater|title=U.S. Naval Academy Museum|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-28}}</ref>

Eventually, ''Peacock''{{'}}s surviving officers and crew were put on a [[cartel (ship)|cartel]] on which they reached Britain in June.

There was a dispute as to whether ''Espiegle'' was in sight during the action and had failed to come out and join the action. The Americans said she was, while the British said she was not. If the reported position of the wreck of ''Peacock'' is correct, ''Espiegle'' was not in sight.{{sfnp|Hepper|1994|p=145}} In 1814 Commander John Taylor underwent a court martial, the charges including that he had failed to join the engagement. He was acquitted of this charge.{{sfnp|Hepper|1994|p=145}}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite book |last1=Gleaves |first1=Albert |year=1904 |title=James Lawrence, captain, United States Navy: commander of the "Chesapeake" |publisher=G.P. Putnam's Sons}}
* {{cite book|first=William Patrick|last=Gosset|year=1986|title=The lost ships of the Royal Navy, 1793-1900|publisher=Mansell|isbn=0-7201-1816-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Hepper |first=David J. |year=1994 |title=British Warship Losses in the Age of Sail, 1650–1859 |publisher=Jean Boudriot |location=Rotherfield |isbn=0-948864-30-3 }}
* {{Cite book|first=Rif|last=Winfield|title=British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793–1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates|publisher=Seaforth|year=2008|isbn=978-1-86176-246-7}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}

{{Cruizer class brig-sloop}}
{{1813 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Peacock (1806)}}
[[Category:1806 ships]]
[[Category:Brig-sloops of the Royal Navy]]
[[Category:Cruizer-class brig-sloops]]
[[Category:Captured ships]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1813]]