HMS Pluto (1782)
HMS "Pluto" was a 14-gun fire ship of the Royal Navy launched in 1782. "Pluto" was converted to a sloop in 1793. She spent the period of the French Revolutionary Wars on the Newfoundland station where she captured a French naval vessel. During the Napoleonic Wars "Pluto" was stationed in the Channel. There she detained numerous merchant vessels trading with France or elsewhere. "Pluto" was laid up in 1809 and sold in 1817 into mercantile service. The mercantile "Pluto" ran aground near Margate on 31 August 1817 and filled with water. Career. "Pluto" conducted some convoying  cruises in 1782 but apparently was laid up after hostilities with France ended. Between 1788 and 1791 she underwent re-coppering and refitting. In March 1791, Commander Robert Faulknor commissioned "Pluto". She was paid off in September. She then underwent refitting between November 1792 and February 1793. She was fitted as a sloop, but not rated as such. Commander James N. Morris commissioned "Pluto" in November 1792. He sailed for Newfoundland on 16 May 1793, after the commencement of war with France. "Pluto" captured the French 16-gun brig-aviso off Newfoundland on 25 July 1793. "Lloyd's List" reported  that "Pluto" had captured a French packet ship bound for France from Martinique. It further reported that the packet had a crew of 100 men and had suffered one man killed and seven wounded. Morris's biography stated that the action took some 15 minutes, that "Lutin" had a crew of 70 men, and that she had suffered three killed and four wounded. The Royal Navy took "Lutin" into service as HMS "Lutin" and registered her at Newfoundland on 19 December. Circa October 1793, Commander Richard Raggett replaced Morris on the Newfoundland station. Between 1796 and 1798, Commander Ambrose Crofton  commanded "Pluto". Crofton had transferred from "Lutin". On 2 March 1798 "Lloyd's List" reported that "Ennemer", a prize to "Pluto", had come into Deal from Lisbon. In March 1798, "Pluto"s captain was Commander Henry Folkes Edgell. He sailed her for the Newfoundland station on 30 July. In December "Lloyd's List" reported that the "Pluto Frigate" had captured and sent into St John's, Newfoundland a large Spanish ship with a cargo of sugar and cotton worth £40,000. A report a week later gave the name of the vessel as "American Star", Macklin, master. She had been sailing  from Havana to Cadiz. On 20 January 1800 "American Star", a prize to "Pluto", arrived at Gravesend from Newfoundland. On 24 May 1800, "Pluto" captured "Nordiska Wanskapen". On 14 October 1800, "Pluto" captured "Pearl". In 1801, "Pluto" was engaged in surveying. On 20 May "Pluto" and captured "Aurora". On 11 June "Pluto" captured "Orlando". Commander Edgell remained captain of "Pluto" until 29 April 1802 when he received promotion to the rank of post captain. Commander Robert Forbes replaced Edgell. She underwent refitting between July and September 1803; by one report Commander Edward Kittoe recommissioned "Pluto" in August, for the Channel . However, his biography does not mention this and one may infer from the biography that he did not actually command her. In late December 1803 "Pluto" and detained "Traveller", Hall, master, which was sailing from Alexandria to Havre. They sent "Traveller" into Portsmouth. "Pluto" was part of a squadron that on 25 May 1804 captured "Matilda". On 23 July a squadron of Royal Navy bomb (mortar) vessels, shelled Havre. "Pluto" was among the vessels protecting the bombs from French luggers seeking to come out of the harbour to engage the bombs. The day before, the squadron captured "Shepherdess"; "Pluto" shared  in the proceeds. After the bombardment, on 31 July the bomb captured "Postilion". The rest of the squadron including "Pluto", shared in the prize money. On 17 September 1804 "Pluto", Richard Janverin, commander, captured the Prussian barque "Industria". On 6 December "Amphion", Blanchard, master, came into Cowes. She had been sailing from Dort to Cadiz when"Pluto" detained her. In May 1805 Commander Richard Janverin assumed command of "Pluto", for the Downs station. In July "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth the galiot "Jonge Gerrett", which had been carrying a cargo of hides. On 15 July "Pluto" captured "Freundschaft". In November  Pluto detained and sent into Plymouth "William", Haster, master. "William" had been sailing from New Orleans to Cherbourg. "Diane", Tibbetts, master, had been sailing from New York when "Pluto" detained her. "Diana" ran onshore at Portsmouth. Next "Pluto" detained and sent into Plymouth "Copenhagen", which had been sailing from Île de France to Copenhagen. Then "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth "Wilhlmina", Hillier, master, which had been sailing from St Thomas to Tonningen. "Wilhelmina" arrived at Portsmouth on 27 November. In March 1806 "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth "Enpracht", Hanny, master, which had been sailing from Antwerp. The next  month, "Pluto" detained and sent into London "Ann and Sally", which had been sailing from the River Plate. "Pluto" also sent into Portsmouth "Minerva", Love, master, from the River Plate and Plymouth. In late May "Pluto" sent into Portsmouth "Rettenberg", from Trieste to Tonningen. In August, "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth "Neptunus", Roos, master, from Luban to Lisbon. In November "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth "Zevey Fruenden", Balden, master, which had been sailing from Bordeaux to Tonningen. In the middle of November "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth two vessels sailing from Bordeaux to Tonnngen: "Mercury", an American  vessel, and "Andromache". In January 1807 "Pluto" and the revenue cutter "Beagle" sent into Dartmouth "Lisette", Petersen, master, a Danish vessel sailing from Batavia to Copenhagen. A week later "Pluto" sent into Dartmouth the American vessel "Adventure", Ropes, master, which had been sailing from st Lucar's to Altona. In April "Pluto" sent into Portsmouth the Danish vessel "Naarstegeit", which had been sailing from Bordeaux to Tonningen. Later that month "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth the American vessel "Melpomene". On 21 April 1807 "Pluto" was in company with and when they detained the American brig "Virginia", Frederick Coffin, master . In August "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth the American vessel "Ulysses", which had been sailing from Bordeaux to Tonningen. The next month "Pluto" detained and sent into Cowes "Suffolk", Thompson, master, which had come from Leghorn. In October "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth the American vessel "Yorrick", which had been sailing from Boston to Amsterdam. "Pluto" detained and sent into Portsmouth in July 1808 "Intercourse", Cutts, master, which had been sailing from the coast of Spain. The salvage money notice for the recapture of "Intercourse" gave the date of capture as 9 July. It also gave the name  of her master as Sylvester Strong. "Pluto" was laid up in ordinary at Portsmouth in February 1809. At some point she was re-rated as a receiving ship. In March 1809 prize or salvage money was paid for: Disposal: The "Principal Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy" first offered the "Pluto sloop, of 426 tons", lying at Portsmouth, for sale on 18 September 1816. She finally sold at Portsmouth to Mr. Warwick on 19 July 1817 for £950. She became the mercantile "Pluto" but was lost before she even appeared in "Lloyd's Register". Fate. "Pluto" was  driven ashore and wrecked on the Foreness Rock, off Margate, Kent on 31 August 1817. She was on a voyage from Portsmouth to London. Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References