HMS Tweed (1807)
HMS "Tweed" was launched in 1807. On the Jamaica station she captured two small privateers and several merchant vessels. On the North Sea station she captured one small privateers and several merchant vessels. She was wrecked on 5 November 1813 with the loss of more than half her crew. Career. Commander Thomas Symonds commissioned "Tweed" in March 1807. He sailed for Jamaica on 30 June 1807. "Tweed" arrived at Barbados on 25 August, having come via Madeira with a fleet that she had been convoying. On the way she captured "Fly" on 10 July. "Tweed" arrived at  Jamaica on 6 September. On 30 September "Tweed" captured "Antionette". She sent into Jamaica "Mary", Parsons, master, which had been sailing home to New York from Santo Domingo. On 29 February 1808 "Tweed" captured the Spanish letter of marque schooner "Santissima Trinidad". She had sailed from Puerto Cavallo and was bound for Cadiz. Although she was pierced for 14 guns, she had only four mounted. She had a crew of 20 men. On 16 March "Tweed" captured the French privateer schooner "Aventure". "Aventure" was armed with three guns and had a crew of 52 men. A few days earlier "Tweed  had captured a small schooner that Aventure" had captured and was using as a tender. "Tweed" detained and sent into Jamaica the Swedish ship "Lychars". She had been sailing from Cape François to Philadelphia. "Tweed" had captured "Lyckan" on 15 May 1808. On 17 April 1809, , , and , captured "Hautpoult" off Puerto Rico after a chase over three nights and two days. "Tweed" was in sight and so was able to share in the prize money. In June Captain William Pryce Cumby received command of a squadron consisting of , , "Tweed", , , , , , , and . They sailed from Port Royal on 7 June with troops  under Major-General Hugh Lyle Carmichael to assist the Spanish forces besieging the French in the city of San Domingo. Captain Symonds was in command of the sloops, schooners, and gun-brigs during the blockade. The blockade sped up the city's surrender by cutting off the enemy's accustomed supply by sea. Cumby sent "Tweed" to Port Royal, where she arrived on the evening of 12 July with news of the French surrender on the 6th. On 7 October 1809 "Tweed" seized the American schooner "Success" for a breech of the revenue laws. On 11 December "Tweed" seized the  American schooner "Daniel and Robert" for a breech of the revenue laws. "Tweed" returned to England in 1810. In October she was in the North sea, where on the 17th she captured the Danish privateer "Steinbill", of 10 guns and 30 men. She was out of "Syet" (possibly Sylt), and "Tweed" sent her into Yarmouth. On the same day "Tweed" captured the Danish sloop "Nicklow". On 15 February 1811 "Tweed" captured the Danish vessels "Anna Maria, Dorothea, Elizabeth, Concordia," and "Active". "Tweed" also captured the Danish sloop "Twende Bruders". On 13 June 1813 "Tweed" captured "Conde d'Atmada". Symonds received promotion  to post captain on 29 September 1813. In October Commander William Mather replaced Symonds. He had been promoted to the rank of Commander and into "Tweed" from . Fate. On 5 November 1813 "Tweed" wrecked in Shoal Bay, Newfoundland. Sixty-four men died, including five who died onshore from injuries and exposure. The cause of the wreck was due to the combination of an error in the soundings shown in the Admiralty chart and a strong current that had pushed "Tweed" inshore. Notes, citations, and references. Notes Citations References