| Title: | News of the Ships Revenge, Boston & Sturdy Beggar. |
|---|---|
| ID | 3886 |
| Collection | Irish Emigration Database |
| File | 1771-80/76 |
| Year | 1779 |
| Sender | unknown |
| Sender Gender | male |
| Sender Occupation | unknown |
| Sender Religion | unknown |
| Origin | Larne, Co. Antrim, N.Ireland |
| Destination | unknown |
| Recipient | unknown |
| Recipient Gender | unknown |
| Relationship | re ships |
| Source | D 2015/5/7: Transcribed from the Belfast Newsletter. Presented by C.L. Davis, 59 Maryville Park, Malone, Belfast 9. |
| Archive | The Public Record Office, N. Ireland. |
| Doc. No. | 9807985 |
| Date | 30/04/1779 |
| Partial Date | |
| Doc. Type | LET |
| Log | Document added by LT, 04:08:98. |
| Word Count | 438 |
| Genre | |
| Note | |
| Transcript | Last Thursday evening entered the harbour of Larne in distress the Revenge privateer of Brest mounting 26 - 9 & 6 pounders 4 cohorns and several swivels, her burthen about 350 tons, complement of men leaving Brest 229. Upon information thereof the Boston frigate then in this harbour turned out and took her into possession with her reduced crew consisting of about 100. She sailed from Brest about seven week since and cruised from Cork along the South and West Coasts of Ireland. On the 28th March the Sturdy Beggar privateer of Greenock Capt. Taylor burthen 150 tons having 14 6 and 6 short 12 pounders and 68 men sailed form thence on a cruise and on the 18th fell in with the Revenge in company with a prize when as desperate an action ensued as probably any other that has happened in the course of the war. The engagement continued 6 hours, during most of which time they were within one hundred yards distant from each other, so that both ships were almost torn to pieces and the Greenock privateer dismasted. In this condition by the swelling of the sea they came close together when about 30 of the Frenchmen boarded the Scotch vessel from the bowsprit whereupon a bloody conflict ensued with cutlasses, hand to hand, which remained doubtful for half an hour after which the Sturdy Beggar struck, being almost a wreck and having 21 killed and 9 wounded. No information has yet been received of the number which fell on the part of the French vessel. To make the catastrophe the more melancholy the Sturdy Beggar has since been wrecked on the coast of Isla on her passage to Brest with eleven of her former crew and 23 French and all on board perished. Six of them were French gentlemen who went out as volunteers. After the action, the stormy weather and damage received by the Revenge prevented her from making homewards and after being tossed about for eight days the French Captain put her under the care of Capt. Taylor in order that he might take her into a port of safety, in consequence of which they put her into Larne. When the men were landed last Thursday, the press gang surrounded the house where the Greenock seamen (who had acted with such desperate bravery) were lodged and seized six of them, the rest 29 in number, escaped by the back door. Seventy three of the prisoners were yesterday brought up here, the remainder consisting of wounded men and officers being left on board the Revenge under the care of a French surgeon. Letter from Larne May 1st 1779. |
