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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Hampshire & Isle of Wight => Topic started by: brisall on Wednesday 16 November 05 08:59 GMT (UK)
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Please can anyone help with this query:H.M.S BRAZEN captured a foriegn vessel off the back of the Isle of Wight on Jan 24 1800 and sent her into Portsmouth harbour with a prize crew does anyone know what this vessel was,its name or nationality etc.
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Brisall:
I did a little "digging around" and came up with this little item.
memorial stands in memory of the Captain, officers and 103members of HMS Brazen’s crew, which was wrecked beneath the cliffs ofNewhaven on the 20th January 1800, with only one survivor.http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:NXG8zuGgpt0J:www.lewes.gov.uk/Files/plan_NewhavenCAA.pdf+HMS+brazen&hl=en
Next, I found this:
James Hanson was born in London. His older brother, John Hanson, was a lawyer, who was known as the solictor and business agent of George, Lord Byron, the poet. While the poet was still a boy, he would stay with the Hanson family in Earls Court, London and he was well-known to James Hanson.
Hanson was promoted to commander on 24 July 1795 and in 1800 he was in command of HMS Brazen. The Brazen had been a French privateer l'Invincible General Bounaparte that had been captured the previous April. Operating in the English Channel, Hanson took a prize off the Isle of Wight and sent it into Portsmouth. The following morning, 26 January 1800, Brazen was driven by a gale on to the Ave Rocks near Newhaven and was destroyed. Only one man survived and Hanson was among the dead. He left no will.
At some time after Vancouver's voyage Hanson had married. His widow, who was in an advanced state of pregnancy, offered a reward for the recovery of the captain's body. Hanson's arm was marked with an anchor picked out in gunpowder.
http://pages.quicksilver.net.nz/jcr/~vancouver2.html
It gets better!!!!!
I then looked a little more and found some of Byron's work on line. Included was a letter to Hanson's brother referring to the Captain and in a footnote I came across what you were looking for.
[Footnote 2: Captain James Hanson, R.N., was the brother of John Hanson
to whom the letter is written. Byron was born with a caul, prized by
sailors as a preservative from drowning. The caul was sold by Mrs.
Mills, the nurse who attended Mrs. Byron in January, 1788, to Captain
Hanson. In January, 1800, Captain Hanson, in command of H.M.S. 'Brazen',
had captured a French vessel, which he sent to Portsmouth with a prize
crew. On the 26th of the month, while shorthanded, he was caught in a
storm off Newhaven. The 'Brazen' foundered, and Captain Hanson with all
his men, except one, were drowned.]
http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext05/8blj110.txt
Hope this helps!
Pat
By the way, I really enjoyed doing this search with the twists and turns.
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I would expect the prize ship was also French. Try contacting the Portsmouth City Museum or Record Office
http://www.portsmouthrecordsoffice.co.uk/
http://www.portsmouthmuseums.co.uk/
Nell
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According to PORTSMOUTH TELEGRAM OR MOTTLEYS NAVAL & MILITARY JOURNAL" Feb 10 1800. she was Danish but no name given. Pete
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Hi ,Thought I should let you know that brisall is me the guy who visited you at the museum and took pics of the Brazen relics etc,My theory is Lieutenant Cook married Miss Norman and possibly honeymooned at Morewellam,they were married only 3 months before the Brazen was lost and since he would have been second in command,he would have stood by the Captains side as in the song No Roses Bloom,what do you think!
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Hi Brian, I did wonder if it was you due to the amount of knowledge. Sorry for telling you what you told me!! Pete
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Hi brisall ! .... you never said whether Pat and Little Nell's research was any good to you ...... ::)
Sounds like you have more information now - I'm sure the others would be interested to know how far along you are !! :) :) :)
Annie :)
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Hi Profound apologies to the people that have offered me advice regarding H,M.S Brazen,I have so many different sources that I sometimes forget what I have posted,I must try not to do this.I have been working on the Brazen story for approx 22 years and enjoy every minute of it,again apologies to anyone I missed .