HMS Esperance (1795)

For other ships with the same name, see HMS Esperance and Ellis (ship).

History
America
BuilderAmerican
Launched1781
FateSold 1784
Great Britain
NameClementina
Owner
  • Moss & Co.
  • Brent & co.
Acquired1784
RenamedEllis
CapturedJuly 1793
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameElize
AcquiredJuly 1793 by capture
CapturedSummer 1793
Spain
AcquiredSummer 1793 by capture
CapturedNovember 1793
French Navy EnsignFrance
AcquiredNovember 1793 by capture
RenamedEsperance
Captured8 January 1795
Great Britain
NameHMS Esperance
Acquired8 January 1795 by capture
FateSold 7 June 1798
General characteristics [1]
TypeShip-sloop
Displacement400 tons (French)[2]
Tons burthen280, or 300, or 3259⁄94,[1] or 333, or 345[3](bm)
PropulsionSails
Complement
  • Ellis:100 men[3]
  • Elize: 150 men[2]>
  • HMS Esperance: 121 men[1]
Armament
  • Clementina: 4 × 4-pounder guns
  • Ellis: 22 × 6-pounder guns[3]
  • Elize: 22 × 6-pounder guns[2]
  • HMS Esperance: 16 cannon[1]

HMS Esperance was launched in America in 1781, and is first listed in Lloyd's Register in 1784 under the name Clementina. She then served as a slave ship, sailing out of Liverpool on two slave trading voyages. In 1786 Brent and Co. purchased her, renamed her Ellis, and sailed her for three more voyages as a slaver. In 1793 she became the privateer Ellis. The French captured her, then the Spanish, and then the French recaptured her. After returning to French ownership, she became the French corvette Esperance. The Royal Navy captured her in 1795 and took her into service as HMS Esperance. Thus, in her career, Esperance had changed hands six times.[1] She was sold in 1798.

  1. ^ a b c d e Winfield (2008), p. 257.
  2. ^ a b c Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 175.
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference LoM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).