HMS Lively (1804)
HMS "Lively" was a 38-gun fifth rate frigate of the Royal Navy, launched on 23 July 1804 at Woolwich Dockyard, and commissioned later that month. She was the prototype of the "Lively" class of 18-pounder frigates, designed by the Surveyor of the Navy, Sir William Rule. It was probably the most successful British frigate design of the Napoleonic Wars, to which fifteen more sister ships would be ordered between 1803 and 1812. Action of 5 October 1804. In October 1804, "Lively" was under the command of Captain (later Vice-Admiral Sir) Graham Eden Hammond. On  5 October, a British squadron of four frigates, "Lively", "Medusa", and "Amphion" and, with Graham Moore as Commodore, "Indefatigable", intercepted four Spanish frigates under the command of Rear-Admiral Don Joseph Bustamente, Knight of the Order of St. James, off Cadiz. As it transpired later, they were carrying bullion from Montevideo, South America to Spain. Spain was at the time a neutral country, but was showing strong signs of declaring war in alliance with Napoleonic France. Acting on Admiralty orders Moore required the Spaniards to change their course and sail for England. Admiral Bustamente refused and a short engagement ensued . First, "Mercedes" blew up. Then "Indefatigable" captured "Medée" and "Lively" captured "Clara". After a further chase, "Lively" and "Medusa" captured "Fama". "Indefatigable" had no casualties. "Amphion" had five men wounded, one badly. "Lively" had two killed and four wounded. "Indefatigable" and "Amphion" escorted "Medée" and "Fama" to Plymouth. "Medusa" and "Lively" brought in "Clara". The Royal Navy took "Medea" into service as and "Clara" as . The value of the treasure was very large, and if it had been treated as Prize of War then Moore and his brother captains would have become extremely wealthy. As it was the money (and  ships) were declared to be "Droits of Admiralty" on the grounds that war had not been declared, and the captains and crew shared a relatively small "ex gratia" payment of £160,000 for the bullion, plus the proceeds of the sale of the hull and cargo. On 7 December "Lively" and captured the Spanish frigate off Cape St Mary. The Royal Navy took her into service as "Santa Gertruda", but did not commission the 40-year-old ship. Instead it used her as a receiving ship at Plymouth. In March 1805, "Lively" was attached to Sir James Craig's military  expedition to Italy. Along with , Craig's flagship, and HMS "Ambuscade", "Lively" escorted the fleet of transports to Malta. Fate. On 20 August 1810, while escorting another convoy to Malta, HMS "Lively" ran aground on rocks near Point Coura, Malta, and was wrecked; no lives were lost. Workmen from the dockyard at Valletta attempted unsuccessfully to get her off. Work continued until late September when she was abandoned as a wreck after having been stripped of anything of use or value. The court martial dis-rated the master for having sailed too close to shore, and reprimanded the officer of  the watch.