HMS Albemarle (1779)

HMS Albemarle was a 28-gun sixth rate frigate of the Royal Navy. She had been built as the French merchantman Ménagère and was subsequently purchased for service in the French Navy. She was captured shortly afterwards by a British squadron, and was commissioned into service with the Royal Navy, where amongst her commanders in her short career was Captain Horatio Nelson, who would later win several famous victories over the French.

Career
The Ménagère was one of four merchantmen that the French Navy purchased at Bordeaux in May 1779. She was armed en flûte, and despatched to the Caribbean. However, a Royal Navy squadron under William Hotham captured all four off San Domingo in September. Of these four ships, Ménagère was the only that the Royal Navy subsequently took into service.

Ménagère was duly commissioned into the Royal Navy on 22 November 1779 under the command of Captain John Thomas, who brought with him the officers and crew from his previous command, the sloop HMS Barbadoes (1778). An additional 44 men were transferred from Hotham's flagship HMS Grafton (1771) and Albemarle was duly assigned to serve off the Leeward Islands. Thomas was succeeded on 12 June 1780 by Captain Thomas Taylor. Under Taylor, Albemarle was part of Sir George Rodney's fleet during the Battle of Martinique in April 1780, but did not take part in the battle herself. Albemarle remained in the Caribbean and was in Carlisle Bay, Barbados when she was damaged by a hurricane that began on 11 October. Taylor remained in command while repairs were carried out that allowed her to sail for Britain as a convoy escort, and until she was paid off in February 1781.

Under Nelson
Albemarle was then fitted and coppered at Woolwich for the sum of £7,302.4.1d between 3 July and 12 October 1781. Albemarle was then recommissioned on 15 August 1781 under the command of 22-year-old Captain Horatio Nelson, and was assigned to operate in the North Sea and the English Channel. Nelson was initially enthusiastic about his new command, comparing her to HMS Enterprize (1774) which was also refitting and declaring in a letter: "Yesterday I went down to Woolwich with Maurice, and hoisted my Pendant; and I am perfectly satisfied with her, as a twenty-eight gun Frigate. She is in dock, alongside the Enterprize, and in some I think, excels her. She has a bold entrance and a clean run." Nelson's companion and uncle, Maurice Suckling, was more experienced and privately doubted the Albemarle's capabilities. Nelson sailed as a convoy escort to Denmark with the Enterprize and HMS Argo (1781) on 31 October 1781. While returning to Britain, the convoy ran into heavy weather, and was forced to seek shelter in Yarmouth Roads. On 26 January one of the merchants collided with the Albemarle, an accident which nearly caused the loss of both ships. After returning the Albemarle was again refitted, this time at Portsmouth between February and April 1782. Albemarle's next assignment was to sail on 7 April 1782, escorting a convoy to Quebec. They arrived on 27 May 1782, after which Nelson continued to operate off the North American coast. He narrowly escaped being captured when he was chased by a French squadron under Louis-Philippe de Vaudreuil off Boston on 14 August 1782. Nelson did however capture a number of prizes during his cruise, including the French storeship Reine de France. Nelson then requested and received a transfer to the squadron under Admiral Samuel Hood, with whom he sailed to Jamaica. Notable amongst Nelson's services in the West Indies in this period was his unsuccessful attack on the French garrison at Turk's Island on 7 and 8 March 1783.

Fate
Nelson was the Albemarle's third and last commander. She was paid off on 3 July 1783 and subsequently sold at Portsmouth for the sum of £370 on 1 June 1784.