HMS Vautour (1810)
HMS "Vautour" was 16-gun brig-sloop of the British Royal Navy. The navy captured her from the French on the stocks in 1809 and commissioned her in 1810. She foundered in October 1813. Origin and capture. "Vautour" was a of 16 guns, one of 32 built between 1804 and 1814. The French Navy had ordered her construction in 1806 and her keel was laid down in October 1806. "Vautour" was taken on the stocks on 16 August 1809, at Flushing (Vlissingen's dock-yard slip) during the unsuccessful British Walcheren expedition of August 1809 to seal  The River Scheldt and Antwerp. "Vautour" described in 1812 as "the only remaining trophy in our Navy of the expedition to the Scheldt." Career. "Vautour" arrived at Chatham for finishing on 20 November 1809. She was hauled onto Chatham slipway on 4 May 1810, and relaunched on 15 September 1810. Because there was already a in service, the Navy retained her French name. Commander John Parish commissioned "Vautour" in July 1810. Commander Paul Lawless replaced Parish in 1811. Lawless had distinguished himself at the Scheld as captain of the bomb vessel . On 19 December 1810, "Vautour" was cruising off La  Hogue, Northern France, in company of , in strong winds. "Satellite" foundered during the night. In the morning "Vautour" picked up her empty boats and some deck spars, but no other vestige was found. Between 1811 and 1812, "Vautour" was based at Portsmouth. From there she patrolled and escorted convoys in the Channel. At some point in early 1812, the Reverend George Cuthbert sued Lawless for "a gross assault". Once the facts of the case had been established, Cuthbert did not pursue the case further, even though the circumstances of the case would not admit of a proffered apology. On 5  September 1812, "Vautour" sailed from Portsmouth chasing the 16-gun sloop , which had left three days earlier, to request her land her army money cargo at Lisbon, instead of Oporto. "Vautour" arrived Oporto on the 13th, but too late, so turned back, arriving Lisbon on the 17th. "Vautour" had a crew of 105; Captain Lawless (who was a 1st Lieutenant); 2nd Lieutenant Soper, 4 midshipmen; Her armament was fourteen 24-pound guns & 2 long nines; from Journal of army Lieutenant Larpent. Larpent wrote, "Vautour", 'a fast-sailing brig' was also known as 'Vauteur' (her French name) and 'Vulture' (a sloop  called HMS Vuture was already in The Navy). Larpent shared the Captain's windowless 10 by 12 foot cabin; the Admiralty paid him £21 for the transport "of Deputy Judge Advocate Larpent to Lisbon". On 14 November 1812, "Vautour" recaptured the brig "Margaret". The same day, "Vautour" and , Lieutenant Augustus Baldwin, recaptured the brig "Peace". On 22 January 1813 "Vautour" sailed for the Leeward Islands, with the West India convoy. There she joined the Jamaica station. Fate. "Vautour" disappeared in the English Channel in October 1813 with the loss of Lawless and his entire crew. Her loss is possibly  related to the wreck that month of an unknown sloop at Portreath on the coast of Cornwall. The Admiralty did not officially pay her off until August 1814. The Archeological Data Service has a website on the loss that allocates the location to Pentreath. Notes, citations and references. Notes Citations References