HMS Astraea (1781) - Napoleonic Wars

Napoleonic Wars

Captain James Carthew commissioned Astraea in April 1805 for the Downs. On 21 October, Astraea was among the British vessels sharing in the capture of the Anna Wilhelmine. Captain James Dunbar replaced Carthew in February 1806.

On 1 December Astraea limped into Elsinore, Denmark, with water in her hold and her masts gone. She had experienced bad weather near the Skaws and then grounded on a shoal some three miles off the island of Anholt in the Kattegat. One of Astraea's passengers, Lord Hutchinson, had gone ashore indisposed. Dunbar had to throw her guns and stores overboard and cut away her masts before she floated free. He then had a mizzen-jury mast erected, which enabled her to sail the 25 miles to Elsinore.

August 1807 was a busy month for Astraea. on the 19th she and Agamemnon captured two Danish merchant vessels, the Two Sisters and the Three Brothers. One week later, Astraea, Comus and Surveillante captured the Danish vessel Fama. That same day Astraeacaptured the Danish merchant vessel Anna Dorothea. Also during the month, Astraea, Agamemnon and Cruizer shared in the capture of the Danish merchant vessels Anne and, Catherine, Anne and Margaret, and Three Brothers.

In November 1807 Captain Edmund Heywood took command of Astraea as she was fitting out at Chatham for the West Indies. On 14 December, Astraea captured the French privateer lugger Providence. At the time of the capture, the sloop Royalist had joined the pursuit and gun-brigs Wrangler and Tickler were in sight. Providence carried 14 guns and a crew of 52 men.