French brig Griffon (1806)

"HMS Griffon (1808)" redirects here. For other ships with the name, see HMS Griffon.

History
French Navy EnsignFrance
NameGriffon
NamesakeGriffon
Ordered30 April 1804
BuilderRochefort (Constructeurs: Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne-Sérigny, then Pierre Rolland)[1]
Laid down5 April 1805
Launched2 June 1806
CompletedAugust 1806
CapturedJune 1808
Royal Navy EnsignUnited Kingdom
NameHMS Griffon
AcquiredJune 1808 by capture
Honours and
awards		Naval General Service Medal with clasp "Griffon 27 March 1812"[2]
FateSold 1819
United Kingdom
NameGriffon, or Griffin
OwnerHills & Co.
Acquired1819 by purchase
FateReturned from whaling in 1850; no further mention
General characteristics [3]
Class and typePalinure-class brig
Tons burthen345,[4] or 349, or 368,[a] (bm)
Length
  • 92 ft 6 in (28.2 m) (overall)
  • 80 ft 10 in (24.6 m) (keel)
Beam29 ft 4 in (8.9 m)
Depth of hold8 ft 2 in (2.5 m)
Sail planBrig
Complement
  • French service:105
  • British service:100
Armament
  • French service: 14 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder guns
  • British service: 14 × 24-pounder carronades + 2 × 6-pounder bow chasers

The French brig Griffon, was a Pallinure-class brig launched in 1806. After HMS Bacchante captured Griffon in 1808, the Royal Navy took her into service. Griffon participated in one action that resulted in her crew being awarded the Naval General Service Medal. Two of her officers were subject to notable courts martial, one for murder and one for smuggling, with the murderer being hanged and the smuggler dismissed the Navy. The Navy sold Griffon in 1819 to Hills & Co., who proceeded to use her as a London-based whaler. She sailed to the South Seas fishery under some under different masters. Hill & Co. then sold her to Wilson & Co. who employed her on one last whaling voyage that ended in 1850.

  1. ^ Winfield & Roberts (2015), p. 215.
  2. ^ "No. 20939". The London Gazette. 26 January 1849. p. 244.
  3. ^ Winfield (2008), pp. 317–8.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference LR1819 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).