Scout, lost at sea

[DBCoup]

Henry Duncan RN was captain of the Scout which was "lost off Newfoundland" in November 1801. I cannot find anything more about this event. Was there a report in the local newspapers? Did the local newspaper report naval arrivals and departures?
Any assistance welcomed
thanks
daryl

[Geoffers]

Paul Benyon's site has the Scout (http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/S/04164.html) commanded by Henry DUNCAN as being lost on the Shingles - off the Isle of Wight - she was a captured French ship (La Venus) which had been renamed.

Obtaining a copy of the Ship's Log (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATID=-1985499&CATLN=7&Highlight=%2CSCOUT&accessmethod=0)for the day in question would confirm its location - as would thewrecksite.com (http://www.wrecksite.eu/charttiled.aspx?34) zoom in and click on the ship name.

Another captured French ship was renamed Scout and lost off Newfoundland in 1802. (http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/18-1900/S/04165.html)

In what are you specifically interested:

a) One of these ships
b) Captain Henry DUNCAN
c) Someone from one of the crews
d) You have recently acquired ownership of the rocks on which the ship foundered and wish to sue the Admiralty for damage caused

[DBCoup]

Thanks Geoffers - some new links for me to follow
My interest is in Captain Henry Duncan.
The issue of the Scout is quite confusing :- I have noted the following (some I have lost the reference to the source and will have to relocate)

SCOUT,18. (French sloop VENUS captured by FISGUARD in the Atlantic on the 22 October 18OO. Lost 18O1) 18OO George ORMSBY, Channel. He died in February 18O1. 18O1 Henry DUNCAN. On the 25 March 18O1, while SCOUT was tacking through the Needles, the strong tide drove her on to the Shingles before she made headway through the water after been put in stays. The crew were saved by BEAVER . Since the proper mark, the light on Hurst Castle, was in sight, all on board were acquitted of blame.

http://www.pbenyon.plus.com/Naval_History/Reports/British_Lost/RN_Vessels_Lost_19th_Century.html
Mar 25, 1801 Ship sloop Scout, 18 Henry Duncan Wrecked on the Shingles, west end of the Isle of Wight: crew saved.
exact date unknown, 1802 Ship sloop Scout, 18 Henry Duncan Foundered off coast of Newfoundland : crews perished.
exact date unknown, 1802 Ship sloop Fly, 14 Thomas Duval Foundered off coast of Newfoundland : crews perished.

I believe that the Scout which foundered off the coast of Newfoundland did so in November 1801, but perhaps this was not known until 1802, hence the two dates. I suspect that the Fly and the Scout may have been together in the same (?) storm (?)
daryl

[Geoffers]

To follow the career of Henry DUNCAN, you might try:

The London Gazette - this is the result of an exact match search on the name Henry DUNCAN from 1780-1820 (http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/1780-01-01;1820-12-31/exact=henry+duncan/start=1) several of the entries appear to relate to your chap, there may be other entries by varying the search.

TNA's research guide on RN Officers (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=287)provides some suggestions for following his career.

The Ships' logs mentioned may be ordered from TNA via digital express.

What looks like his will may be helpful - Sir Henry DUNCAN Captain RN (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline/details-result.asp?Edoc_Id=292963&queryType=1&resultcount=5)

The RN museum at Portsmouth (http://www.royalnavalmuseum.org/)may have information.

Is this the same ol'bor who was the son of Adam DUNCAN? (Battle of Camperdown 1797).

There may be some report of the loss of the Scout in Captains Letters or reports of proceedings - see this research guide (http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/RdLeaflet.asp?sLeafletID=42)

[DBCoup]

Thanks again Geoffers
Captain Sir Henry Duncan was the son of Admiral Adam Duncan and a third cousin of Captain Henry Duncan who was on the Scout in 1801.
Captain Henry Duncan (of the Scout) was a son of Captain Henry Duncan who was at one time commissioner of the Dockyard in Halifax. I have managed to accumulate quite a bit on this elder Henry Duncan including his 1814 will and part of his diaries published in the Naval Miscellanies. Since the younger Henry Duncan was deceased at the time of the deaths of both his parents he does not feature in their wills. I know who his children were, and who his wife was - thanks to the will of his uncle, Alexander Duncan, WS.

Henry Duncan, younger, married Mary Luscombe - marriage entry yet to be located.



Thanks Finbar - there are a couple of entries of interest there but mostly, I'm afraid, the rest can be summed up by "all roads lead to Rome" ;)
The entry Henry Duncan 1739 - 1814 is my website
The entry Captain Henry Duncan RN 1735 - 1814, Clan Duncan Society, Scotland is based on The Naval Miscellanies with extra information provided by me
The entry Henry Duncan (1735–1814) - Wikipedia is based on the item in The Naval Miscellanies and the Clan Duncan Society website (with extra information from me but accredited to Clan Duncan Society)

Shipwrecks in the Americas By Robert F. Marx doesn't add to the basic information from the web version of The naval history of Great Britain, by William James

One valuable clue I found a few years ago was a memorial to Henry Roberts (actually should be Henry Robert Carpenter )
href="http://www.nmm.ac.uk/memorials/Memorial.cfm?Cause=7&MemorialPage=10&MemorialID=M1436&Full=Transcript

My catch-cry is "better to be told something twice than not at all"
Thanks again
daryl