In 1780 the British declared war against the Dutch Republic. The Dutch navy wasn’t the strong maritime power from the 17th century. Despite a large shipbuilding program starting around 1779, she lost quite a lot of major warships in this so-called Fourth Anglo Dutch war.1 The only large sea battle in this war took place at the Doggersbank, on 5 August 1781, was undecided, although both sides claimed the victory. In the meantime the Dutch tried to buy warships in France, at that time her ally. As far as I know without any result.2
A letter dated 17 March 1781 and sent from Rotterdam to the States General(?) mentioned the possible sell of three French frigates to the Dutch navy.
Four days earlier the Dutch rear admiral Graaf van Bijlandt lying off Lisbon, Portugal wrote that besides his warship lies a very beautiful Royal frigate. She had never been to sea. Her length was 140-114 foot, her width a quart of the length and armed with 28 guns (14-12 pdrs on the gundeck, I presume x 2), 10-6pdrs on half deck and bak and another 2-8pdrs. She was built after British design, seems to be of high seaworthiness and built from West Indian timber. Due to shortness of money she was presumably for sell, the total expenses for the crown when she was completely fitted out were 150000 cruzados. It was believed the Dutch warship Dieren3 could be sold for use as a Brazilman and the selling of the bronze guns would affected the purchase price. The rear admiral didn’t write to SDH (unidentified by me, perhaps the Secretary of State), but if the Dutch navy was interested this was an interesting ship to buy. There were two other ships lying in the harbour, both of 40 guns, one with 11 years age, oak-built (although not in good condition) at Oporto. The hull of the latter costs ƒ 134,000, rigging ƒ 33,075 and guns ƒ 12000, totally 179,095.
The offered French ships. mentioned in the letter dated 17 March 1781, were the L’Apollon, the Le Persée and the L’Emilie. Vichot mentioned none L’Apollon in French naval service in 1781, just a frigate with this name in 1785 without giving more details. Same problem with the L’Emilie and Le Persée occurs, so probably these weren’t regular French warships but merchantmen.
At Nantes were lying the Le Persée, dimensions 130 (keel)/155 x 35’8” x 13, height above 5’8”, 28-18pdr, 10-8pdrs, with a crew of 300 men, costs 475,000 livres tournois and the L’Apollon, dimensions 125 (keel)/150 pieds x 34’5” x 12’8”, height above 5’6”, 26-18pdr, 10-6pdr, with a cre of 250 men, costs 450,000 livres tournois.
At Bayonne was lying the L’Emilie, dimensions 98 (keel) x 30 x 12, height above 5’, 20-8pdrs (?), with a crew of 150 men, costs 75,000 livres tournois. The purchase prices included the guns and rigging, but excluded stores for the crews.
Sources
-Archive Admiraltiteitscolleges collection Bisdom XXXI no. 116 (The National Archive at The Hague).
-Archive Admiraliteitscolleges XXXIX no. 115 (the National Archive at The Hague)
-Archive Admiraliteitscolleges XLVII no. 17 (the National Archive at The Hague)
-Collectie Fagel no. 1093 (the National Archive at The Hague)
-Vichot, Jacques, Répertoire des navires de guere français, 1967.
Notes
1. See for instance on this weblog the articles “Dutch naval strength in 1782”, “List of warships belonging to the Admiralty of the Maze in 1780” and the forthcoming article dealing with the ships of the Admiralty of Friesland in the period 1779-1783.
2. In 1785 however the Admiralty of Amsterdam bought at Saint Malo, France from France two gunboats which were in service as La Levrette (sunk and later broken up 1799) and La Mefiante (sold 1795). Vichot mentioned a goelette le Levrette de Saint Malo in 1785-1787, a gun sloop La Levrette in the period 1778-1783 and a gun sloop La Méfiante in 1778-1783.
3. Probably the Dutch 6th charter Dieren of the admiralty of the Noorderkwartier, built 1757, stricken 1782, 36 guns, 230 men.
