Dragon

Posted by Thierry Spahi on Thursday 10th of November 2022 13:44

The fate of the Guernsey Privateer Dragon is the main subject of a historical research work, published in October 6, 2022:
Dr. Florence Prudhomme & Dr. Thierry Moné
"Un Dragon au service du Roi, les destinées maritimes du chevalier de L'Espine from 1778 to 1793", CNRS Editions, 2022.

Posted by Annie Pomeroy on Thursday 25th of August 2022 08:10

There is another record in Teignmouth & Shaldon Heritage Center presumed to relate to The Dragon
1779 the French ship L'Emulation together with her cargo of sugar, coffee and cotton  was offered for sale at "Rendle's Great Sale Room" in the town.  

Posted by Annie Pomeroy on Thursday 25th of August 2022 08:04

could this be the same ship?
Teignmouth Newspaper Advertisement 1779
A new advantageous Plan of Privateering For a Six Months Cruise
All Gentlemen Seamen and Able Landmen who delight in the Music of Great Guns & distressing the Enemies of Great Britain 
have now a fine opportunity of making their Fortunes by entering on Board The Dragon Privateer ...

ow ready to be launch'd in the Harbour of Teignmouth...
 
Any persons capable of beating a Drum or blowing a French horn shall have great encouragement.

Posted by Alfred Van Daele on Tuesday 15th of February 2022 19:50

Important update:an important confusion exists between the fates of three different privateers named "Dragon": the first one , a 200 ton Guernsey privateer built Teignmouth 1779, was taken on 15.9.1781 by the French Frigate Friponne and brought to Le Croisic, France where she became the French Sloop-of-War Dragon of chevalier de l'Espine, scuttled off Monte Christi, Haïti in January 1783. The second one, a small 70 ton Dragon Liverpool privateer was taken by the French frigate Amphitrite on 15.8.1781 and sold in Brest. The third one is the American Beverly built Dragon, ex-Washington brigantine, another Liverpool privateer whose fate is not known. She has long been believed to be the one taken by the Friponne !!

Posted by Alfred Van Daele on Wednesday 17th of November 2021 20:42

I have to bring an important correction to my last comments posted here on Friday 2nd of April 2021 20:34
The correct text is to be read as follows:

The "Dragon" Liverpool privateer acquired in 1778 and built in Beverly, Mass. under the name of "Washington brigantine" was taken by the French frigate "Amphitrite" on 12.08.1781, and the Guernsey "Dragon" cutter privateer built at Teignmouth in 1779 was taken by the Friponne on 12.09.1781 and became the french corvette The Dragon !

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Friday 2nd of April 2021 20:34

It was NOT The "Dragon" Liverpool privateer acquired in 1778 and built in Beverly, Mass. under the name of "Washington brigantine" that was taken by the French frigate "Amphitrite" on 12.08.1781, but a 70-ton 3 masted "Dragon Liverpool privateer, master Thomas Gardner, 6 guns, 25 men, letter-of-marque 5.01.1781.

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Friday 2nd of April 2021 20:27

The French corvette Le Dragon was the last vessel lost by France during the American Revolutionary War. She was first believed to have been the former Liverpool privateer brig Dragon acquired by the British off the Canadian coast on 31 May 1778 by capture. (She was at that time the American privateer brigantine Washington, built at Beverly, Massachusetts on 17 September 1776). But, according to various documents kept in the French archives, it appears now that she was in fact the Guernsey privateer The Dragon built as a cutter in Teignmouth, Great-Britain in 1779 and transformed into a brig the following year in Torquay. She was under command of captain Joseph Row when she was taken off the north-west coast of France by the French frigate The Friponne on 15.09.1781 and brought to Le Croisic, then sold to the French Royal Navy and transformed into a corvette for captain de L'Espine.

Posted by Thierry Spahi on Friday 26th of March 2021 17:21

Home port of this Privateer Dragon was Gernsey.

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Wednesday 11th of December 2019 21:25

Correction to my Saturday 30th of April 2016 18:53 comment: it seems to be now confirmed that GB Dragon brig was not taken by The Friponne but well by another French frigate called the Amphitrite on 12/8/1781 in the Channel.

Posted by Van Daele Freddy on Tuesday 20th of August 2019 20:11

Editing my post of Sat 30th of April 2016 18:53,
last sentence to be read as follows:
8/1781 captain Gardner, captured by a French frigate 12/8/1781, becomes French Royal Corvette Le Dragon 1781-1783

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Friday 19th of October 2018 16:36

Extract from "Lloyd Register of British and Foreign Shipping 1780" :Nr8=DRAGON brig/capt:M.Reed/110 tons/American built 1776/Owner Woodville/11 feet draft/Class A1/April/captured 1778/single deck/new upperworks1778/14x 6 pnds guns/ Liverpool privateer.

Posted by Thierry Spahi on Thursday 12th of January 2017 03:21

1781/02 Took "a large Dutch ship from Curacao for Amsterdam, carried into Waterford [Ireland], valued at 15.000 l".

The Scots Magazine 1781, volume 43, page 109.

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Thursday 13th of October 2016 19:35

According to a study I made of a ship's model dated 1783, the Dragon was most probably the former U.S.Washington brick built in Beverly, Mass. on the 17th of September 1776, captured by three British frigates off the Canadian coasts on the 31st of May 1778 and brought to Halifax.

Posted by Freddy Van Daele on Saturday 30th of April 2016 18:53

1778-1779 captain James Briggs
1780-1781 captain Reed
8/1781 captain Gardner, captured by French frigate La Friponne 12/8/1781, becomes French Royal Corvette Le Dragon 1781-1783