A Spanish privateer gunboat captured a Royal Navy hired brig near Ceuta despite being heavily outgunned in carronade firepower, illustrating the vulnerability of lightly crewed dispatch vessels.
Key Facts
- British crew size
- 45 men
- British armament
- Two 6-pounders and fourteen 12-pounder carronades
- Spanish armament
- One long 24-pounder and two 6-pounder guns
- British killed
- 3
- British wounded
- 6 sailors plus commander and master
- Boarding attempts
- 3 before capture succeeded
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The hired armed brig Sir Thomas Pasley departed Plymouth on 20 December 1800 carrying dispatches for Lisbon, Gibraltar, and Malta. After calling at Lisbon, she was off Ceuta when a Spanish privateer gunboat, San Francisco Javier alias Poderoso, approached under sail and sweeps. Calm winds left the British vessel unable to maneuver and unable to bring her bow-chasers to bear.
On 10 December 1800, the Spanish gunboat positioned herself astern of Sir Thomas Pasley and opened fire with her long 24-pounder. Unable to reposition her guns due to the carronades blocking the stern, the British crew could only reply with small arms. Spanish boarding parties seized the brig on their third attempt after shooting away the British halyard, wounding Lieutenant Niven in three places and killing three sailors.
The Spanish took the captured brig as a prize first to Ceuta and then to Algeciras. Lieutenant Niven subsequently faced a court-martial for the loss of his vessel but was honourably acquitted, reflecting the court's recognition that the tactical situation had left him without effective options.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Lieutenant Charles Niven.
Side B
1 belligerent
Don Miguel Villalba.