HMS Rover (1808)

HMS Rover was a Royal Navy Cruizer-class brig-sloop laid down in 1804 but not launched until 1808. She served in the North Sea, off the north coast of Spain, in the Channel, and on the North American station. She captured two letters-of-marque and numerous merchant vessels before being laid-up in 1815. She then sat unused until she was sold in 1828.

Career
Rover was commissioned at Leith in May 1808 under Commander Francis Nott. On 8 September she recaptured the ship Ceres. Between 16 and 26 April 1809, Rover captured four Danish sloops and their cargoes: Einigkeit, Fier Broders, Die Hoffnung, and Delphinen. During this period, on 19 April, Rover was in company with HMS Nymphen (1807) when they captured the Anna Margaretta. That same day the Rover and Nymphen recaptured the Frau Anna.

At some point in 1809, Rover captured (or recaptured) the Ecce Homo, Eliza, Brothers, Pomona, and Ann. A more interesting event involving the colourful and erratic adventurer Jørgen Jørgensen occurred in June 1809.

After the British attack on Copenhagen in 1807 and the outbreak of the Gunboat War between Britain and the Dano-Norwegian kingdom, he took a small Danish vessel, the Admiral Juul, and in the Action of 2 March 1808 engaged HMS Sappho; the British captured the Admiral Juul and treated Jørgensen as a privateer. In 1809, while in England on parole, he suggested to a merchant that a voyage to Iceland could be profitable as the island was suffering from food shortages at the time, due to the Danish monopoly on Icelandic trade. Jørgensen accompanied the voyage of the Clarence as an interpreter. That voyage failed to trade any goods as the ship was British and Denmark had forbidden trade with Britain. Shortly thereafter, Rover arrived at Reykjavik. The Board of Admiralty had sent it to prepare the way for a second British merchant voyage.

When Rover arrived, Nott found that the Danish Governor, Count of Trampe, who had arrived only shortly berore and had his own cargo to sell, would still not permit trading. Nott threatened to fire on Reykjavik and Trampe agreed to a convention permitting British vessels to trade with Iceland unmolested. However, Trampe did not publish the convention, and as soon as Nott and Rover had left, rescinded it.

Soon after, Jørgensen sailed on a second voyage in the letter of marque Margaret and Anne, accompanied by the brig Flora. On arrival in Iceland they found that Trampe would still not permit trade. With the help of other crew members, Jørgensen arrested Trampe and proclaimed himself 'Protector', promising that he would reinstate the Althing as soon as the Icelandic people were able to govern themselves. His intent was to establish a liberal society in the spirit of those emerging in the Americas and Europe at the time; in practice he "imbibed all the quixotism of a petit Napoleon". On 14 August HMS Talbot (1807) arrived at Reykjavik. Commander the Honourable Alexander Jones, Talbot's captain, restored the Danish government, reinstated the convention that Nott and Trampe had agreed (this time Trampe honoured it), and arrested Jørgensen. When Talbot and Jørgensen arrived back in London, the Transport Board tried him and found him guilty of breaking his parole while a prisoner-of-war. He was released in 1811.

By 7 July Rover was already at Barö Sound, Finland. In September Rover was under the command of Alexander McVicar. Between 1 and 12 September she captured the Fast Haabet, Gode Hensight, Piscosus, Haabet's Anker, galiot Haabet 34, ketch Haabet 33, Anna Catherina, Transport (or sloop) No. 7, and Maria Cecilia.

On 26 July 1810, Rover captured the Marine Margaretta. In November Commander Justice Finley took command of Rover.

In March 1811 Rover accompanied the squadron under Admiral Joseph Sidney Yorke which was sailing to the Tagus carrying reinforcements for Arthur Wellesley's army, fighting in the Peninsular War.

Towards the end of the year, on 30 November, Rover captured the letter-of-marque Comte Regnaud, the former HMS Vincejo, which the French had captured six years earlier. Comte Regnaud was armed with ten 18-pounder carronades and four 9-pounder guns. She was under the command of M. Abraham Giscard and had left Batavia on 7 August 1811 with a cargo of spices, sugar, and coffee, the greater part of which belonged to the French government, and which she was taking to Rochelle. Although Finley described her as "well found in every Respect, and sails remarkably well", the Royal Navy did not take her back into service.

When news of the outbreak of the War of 1812 reached Britain, the Royal Navy seized all American vessels then in British ports. Rover was among the 42 Royal Navy vessels then lying at Spithead or Portsmouth and so entitled to share in the grant for the American ships Belleville, Janus, Aeos, Ganges and Leonidas seized there on 31 July 1812.

Rover's stay at Portsmouth appears to have taken place between two spells on the Spanish north or Basque coast. First, she was at the attack on Santoña on 15 June 1812. Second, she was at the fall of Santander and the attack on Guteria on 18 August. Rover also destroyed shore batteries during this period.

Lord Keith appointed Lieutenant Francis Erskine Loch (acting) commander of Rover in October 1812 and ordered him to patrol between Ushant and Île de Batz. There Loch forced an armed French convoy to seek refuge among the rocks.

Loch and Rover captured the American letter-of-marque schooner Experiment on 21 October off the Cordoban Light after a nine-hour chase. Experiment, of 131 tons (bm), was armed with six 9-pounder guns but had a crew of only 16 men under the command of Captain Philip Rider. Experiment was 31 days out of Charlestown on her way to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton and rice. She had not made any captures on her voyage.

On 30 November, Rover captured the American brig Empress, of 275 tons (bm), and 12 men, which had been sailing from New York to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton, coffee, and sugar. HMS Beagle (1804) was in company with Rover.

In the new year, the Admiralty promoted Lieutenant Loch to commander on 6 January 1813. When he left Rover, though he had only been her captain for a short time, the officers and men presented him with a sword. The following August Loch moved to HMS Sparrow (1805).

On 18 January 1813 Rover was in company with HMS Andromache (1799) and HMS Rota (1807) while Andromache was resupplying Rota, about 150 miles south west of the Cordovan light. The three vessels saw two strange sails in the distance and immediately set off in to investigate. Coming closer, they determined that the two were the British frigate HMS Iris (1807) in pursuit of a merchantman. During the night Iris captured the merchantman, which turned out to be the American letter-of-marque ship Union, M. Olmstead, master, which had been sailing from Philadelphia to Bordeaux with a valuable cargo of cotton. Iris claimed that she was the sole captor; Andromache, Rota, and Rover claimed that they were entitled to share the prize money as joint captors. The case went to court and the High Court of Admiralty ruled against Iris. The case established that "Ships seen to be in chase during the day, and continuing the pursuit in the proper direction after night comes on, are entitled to share as joint captors, although they are prevented from seeing the act of capture by the darkness of the night." The prize money notice appeared in May 1814. Though the report of the court case names Finley as commanding Rover at the time of the incident, the statement of the prize money amounts names Loch as commander.

On 26 January 1813 Rover captured the American schooner Governor M'Kean, of 112 ton (bm), one gun, and 16 men, which had been sailing from Philadelphia to Bordeaux with a cargo of cotton and bees' wax. Earlier, operating as a 5-gun privateer with a crew of 65 men under the command of Captain Lucet, Governor M'Kean had captured two ships and a brig. One of her prey had been the packet ship Prince Adolphus, under the command of Captain Boulderson, of eight guns and 36 men, which had been carrying the Lieutenant Governor of Demerara. Governor M'Kean had captured the Prince Adolphus on 9 August 1812 and sent her into Philadelphia on 24 August.

Rover was in company with HMS Belle Poule (1806) when they captured the American schooner Meteor, of 132 tons and 14 men, R. Bartlett, master, on 13 March 1813. Meteor was sailing from Nantes to New York with a cargo of brandy, wine, and silks. HMS Briton (1812) was apparently also in company. Four days later, Rover captured the American schooner Independence, of 149 tons and 9 men which was sailing from La Rochelle to New York with a cargo of brandy.

On 13 and 15 April HMS Superb (1798) captured the Viper and the Magdalene. By this time Finley was again in command of Rover. Magdalene arrived in Portsmouth two days later. Rover shared the proceeds of the capture with Superb and HMS Pyramus (1801), and the hired armed cutter Fancy, which were in sight. Magdalene was armed with two guns and had a crew of 20 men. She was sailing from the Vilaine to New York with a cargo of brandy and vinegar. Rover then sailed to Bermuda.

HMS Wasp (1812) and Rover were in company on 16 June when they captured the brig Christiana, of 132 tons (bm). She was in the possession of the American privateer Teaser. The two British vessels also captured the schooner Lark.

In 7 June 1814 Commander James Pickard was appointed to replace Finley in command of Rover, but he was too unwell to take up the appointment. Instead Commander Henry Montressor took up the position. Rover skirmished with American forces on the Potomac, and participated in the unsuccessful British attack on Baltimore between 12 and 15 September 1814.

In September Commander William Henry Bruce assumed command. He had been captain of HMS Manly (1812) on the North America station and he sailed Rover back to Britain with dispatches. Thereafter, under his command Rover protected convoys and cruised for a year. In 1815 Rover accompanied Rear-Admiral George Burlton in HMS Cornwallis (1813), escorting the outward-bound East India trade. Rover went south of the equator, touching Maranham, Brazil, before returning to Britain with a convoy of merchant vessels from Barbados.

Rover patrolled off Dieppe in order to prevent Napoleon Bonaparte's escape after the battle of Waterloo. She was carrying dispatches from Admiral Lord Keith to Admiral Henry Hotham when she encountered HMS Bellerophon (1786) with the by then captured Napoleon on board.

Fate
The navy laid Rover up in September 1815 and paid her off the next month. She then sat until 26 March 1828 when the navy sold her at Plymouth to a Mr. Adam Gordon for £980.

Post script
In January 1819, the London Gazette reported that Parliament had voted a grant to all those who had served under the command of Lord Viscount Keith at various times between 1812 and 1814. Rover was listed among the vessels that had served under Keith in 1813 and 1814.