page_title: HMS Tyger
section_title: Voyage to Jamaica and court-martial
hierarchical_section_title: HMS Tyger / Voyage to Jamaica and court-martial
caption_attribution_description: English: The Fairfax, Assurance, Tiger and Elizabeth RMG BHC3334 British men-of-war of the late 17th century are shown at sea. Three ships are clearly visible, although the key provided on the left-hand side – painted illusionistically so as to resemble an affixed label – indicates four and does not tie-up in any straight-forward manner to those depicted. This canvas is probably the surviving part of a much larger picture. Based upon the number of guns painted, the ship in the foreground is most likely the 'Fairfax', with the 'Elizabeth' probably close by. This is not consistent with Sailmaker's key, and so the circumstances of the painting remain a mystery. Sailmaker was born in Scheveningen in 1633, and immigrated to England when young. He was an early marine painter working in England prior to 1710, although he had not benefited from the typical marine artist's apprenticeship. He was, however, among the artistic followers of the van de Veldes, who left Holland for England in 1672, and established a flourishing school of marine painting in London. If this painting is by Sailmaker, it seems more likely that it represents the ‘Fairfax’ launched in 1653 than the one accidentally burnt earlier that year at Chatham, as the artist would have been only twenty when the earlier ship was lost – although it is thought that he was employed by Oliver Cromwell in 1657. The inscription on the bottom left of the picture (unclear in parts) is probably as follows: “No. 1. ‘Assurance’(?) 450 tons, 46 guns (?) 4 | 2. ‘Elizabeth’ 420 46 4 | 3. ‘Tiger’ 420 46 4 | 4. ‘Fairfax’ 860 60 3”, with the latter digits providing each ships’ rating. This item's traditional dating (“c.1680”) remains in place but belies the fact that the ‘Elizabeth’ was sunk in 1667. No like-for-like replacement was made – the next ship of that name was a 72-gun second-rate launched 1679. Thus, the period in which all four ships specified in the picture’s label could have in reality have appeared together is restricted to 1653-67. The 'Fairfax', 'Assurance', 'Tiger' and 'Elizabeth'
context_page_description: HMS Tyger, often spelled Tiger, was a 38-gun fourth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, built by Peter Pett II at Woolwich and launched in 1647. The term 'frigate' during the period of this ship referred to a method of construction, rather than a role which did not develop until the following century. Tyger was the third ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name, and by successive rebuildings she served for almost a century until she was wrecked in the Dry Tortugas in 1742. The ship's crew was stranded on Garden Key for 56 days, fighting off Spanish attempts to capture them, and then spent another 56 days sailing in small boats 700 miles to Port Royal, Jamaica. Remarkably, only five crew members died during this period: three killed by the Spanish, and two others of natural causes. Six crewmen were captured and imprisoned by the Spanish. The captain and three of his lieutenants were court-martialed over the wreck and subsequent events.
context_section_description: Preparations were made to leave Garden Key. The salvaged sloop was repaired, and one periagua was lengthened and rigged as a schooner. On 19 March the crew of the Tyger boarded the sloop, the schooner rigged periagua, the yawl, the two other periaguas and the canoe, and set sail for Port Royal. The canoe capsized and sank after only two days, but its crew were rescued by one of the other boats. The little fleet rounded the western end of Cuba and reached the Cayman Islands in two weeks, but was then becalmed for three weeks. Captain Herbert then sent the schooner, which was a slow sailer, along the southern coast of Cuba, while the sloop towed the rest of the boats directly to Jamaica. After six days they reached the western end of Jamaica, where they were able to obtain water and supplies, but it took another three weeks to reach Port Royal.
  In Port Royal Captain Herbert brought charges against Lieutenants Craig and Dennis for "remissness of duty" in the attack on the Spanish sloop, and against Lieutenant Scott for "mutinous behavior". A court-martial was convened to try the lieutenants, as well as Captain Herbert for the loss of his ship. Based on the testimony of crewmen and the ship's surgeon, Lieutenants Craig and Dennis were acquitted of the charges. The court found that Lieutenant Scott had acted out of inexperience and impudence, rather than mutinous intent, and sentenced him to a severe reprimand. Captain Herbert was found guilty of leaving his assigned patrol station, and of not having prepared an anchor to be dropped when the Tyger had entered shallow water, and thus losing his ship. In consideration of Captain Herbert's leadership in saving his crew and bringing them safely to Jamaica, he was sentenced only to loss of all pay for his service on the Tyger, and the court recommended that he be continued in service in the Royal Navy.
caption: The Fairfax (at the forefront), with Elizabeth astern of her, and Assurance or 'Tiger' to their left, a painting attributed to Isaac Sailmaker. A ship is missing as part of the picture has been lost.
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