Thanks to the by T.C. Hansard published The Parliamentary Debates from the year 1803 on, with the discussed papers, it’s possible to get an impression on what’s going in the Spanish navy at that moment an ally of the French empire and an enemy of the British empire.
p. 238: “The squadron of the 15 ships continues nearly in the stame states as in the preceding months. Upon the 16th May, the king’s urca or storeship Santa Appolonia(1), left this port; her destination for the Havanna, conveying stores for that department, recruit,&c. Upon the 31st sailed his maj.’s urca visitation’her destination Ferrol; 2 others are preparing here to follow her, the Santa Justa (2) and Liebre (3); the whole said to be intended to proceed to the Havanna, with stores, and to return from thence with timber for the arsenals. Orders are said to have been received for laying the keels of some ships and frigates, and to begin to build as soon as timber may arrive. Upon the 17th April the frigate Amphitrite (4) sailed from the Havanna; she had gone from this., and with her sailed the frigate Nuestra Senora Deloa (5), of that department; their destination for Vera Cruz, there to join the frigates, Sabina (6) and Vengeanza (7), there to take aboard treasure, to be conveyed to this place, where they may now soon be expectable. They will probably bring with them from 10 to 12 million of dollars. Of the ships which have been fitted out at Ferrol, the San Fulgencio (8), of 66 guns, is under orders, and is getting ready to proceed for Vera Cruz, from whence she will probably return with treasure. She is reputed one of the fastest sailing ships in his maj.’s navy. By letters received lately from Lima, there is advice that 3 king’s frigates were completing their register of money; it will probably run to about 3 millions of dollars upon each; they were expected to sail about the 15th Feb. and were to touch at Montevideo for intelligence, and there to put themselves under the command of the Gifu de Esquadra, or brig. don F. de Bustamente, who has been the naval commander there fore some time, who is to take the command, and to return with them for Spain; they may be expected in August, and will come rich. The ships that have been fitted out at the Carracca have but few men on board, and no steps taking, indicating a desire of soon manning them. Two of them are still in a dock, completing their repairs. The number of additional carpenters and caulkers lately collected there, and which may go to about 1000, are employed upon the different vessels laid up there in ordinary, which are all of them to be overhauled, and to have repairs necessary to prevent many of them
p. 239: from sinking. They are about 10 in number, exclusive of the 6 which have been fitted or are fitting out, and of the Bahama (9) and Argonauta (10), which came around from Carthagena; 4 of them are judged to be incapable, and only fit to be broken up. The l’Aigle (11), corvette Torche (11), and brig Argus, French (13), which have been so long here, are completely manned and victualled for 6 months, and appear to be waiting to proceed to sea.”
Sources
J.J. Colledge. Ships of the Royal Navy. An Historical Index, 2 vols. David&Charles, Newton Abbot, 1969.
T.C. Hansard. The Parliamentary Debates from the year 1803 to the present time. vol III comprising the period from the fifteenth day of January to the twelfth day of March 1805. London, 1812. Parliamentary Debates, February 4, 1805, Second Additional Papers relative to the war with Spain, p. 238-239. Digitized by Google.com.
J.D. Harbron. Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy. London, 1988.
C. de Saint Hubert. “Frigates of the Spanish Navy (1714-1825)”.
J. Vichot. Répertoire des navires de guerre francais. Paris, 1967.
El Buque en la Armada Espanola, p. 415-425.
Notes
1. The Santa Polonia, urca, built at Ferrol, Spain 1773, 40 guns?
2. The Santa Justa, urca, Spain, built in the Netherlands 1772, 26 guns?
3. The Santa Librada, urca, Spain, built at Ferrol, Spain 1777, 40 guns or the Liebre, frigate, Spain, launched by Matthew Mulligan at Cadiz 26 July 1755, broken up 1804, 26-34 guns?
4. The Anfritrite, also called Santa Ursula, frigate, Spain, launched at Havana 1797, captured by British and became 5th rate HMS Amphitrite 1804, dimensions 150e x 40e x ?, 1036e builders measurement tons, 40-42 guns.
5. The Nuestra Senora de la O, frigate, Spain, launched at Havana, Cuba 1778, wrecked 1805, 34 guns.
6. The Santa Sabina, frigate, Spain, launched at Ferrol 1781, broken up 1828, 40 guns.
7. The Venganza, frigate, Spain, launched at Mahon 1793, surrendered to Peru and became Goayas 1822, 34 guns.
8. The San Fulgencio, 3rd rate, Spain, launched at Cartagena 1787, stricken 1814, 64-68 guns.
9. Bahama, also called San Christobal, 3rd rate, Spain, launched at Havana 1784, captured by British and became HMS Bahama captured at Trafalgar 21 October 1805, prison ship 1809, broken up at Chatham December 1814, dimensions 175½e x 48e x ?, 1772e ton builders measurement, 74 guns, 690 men.
10. The Argonauta, 3rd rate, Spain, San Ildefonso-design of Romero y Landa, overseer design/contruction by Retamosa, launched at Ferrol 1798, captured by British and sunk in storm 1805, 80 guns, 778 men.
11. The L’Aigle on stocks at Rochefort 1798, launched 1800 and wrecked off Sainte Marie 22 October 1805?
12. gabare corvette La Torche on stocks at Honfleur 1794, launched 1805, captured by the British HMS Goliath and Camilia and taken into the Royal British navy as the 18-guns sloop HMS Torch. Broken up 1811, with 557 British tons builders measurement.
13. The brig L’Argus mentioned 1799-1808?
