Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant, 1811-1813: Finding Aid

History of H.M.S. Valiant (Ship-of-the-line)

H.M.S. Valiant, a third-rate ship-of-the-line, was ordered on January 24, 1805, laid down in April 1805, launched on January 24, 1807, and fitted out between February 5 and March 6, 1807 at Woolwich. She was commissioned in March 1807, Captain Kenneth McKenzie in command.

First put to sea during the Napoleonic Wars, Valiant took part in the British bombardment of Copenhagen in August 1807, and was also a combatant in the Battle of Basque Roads in April 1809. Additional duty at Basque Roads saw her take part in the capture of two brigs and the destruction of a third in September 1810.

Following the outbreak of the War of 1812, she was deployed to North America in January 1813. On June 17 of that year, Valiant, with H.M.S. Acasta and H.M.S. Wasp, captured the American privateer Porcupine. She returned to British waters in 1814. H.M.S. Valiant was broken up at Portsmouth, England in November 1823.

Description of Contents

The Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant, comprising 0.17 linear feet of documentation in a single volume of 154 leaves, spans from June 24, 1811 to June 30, 1813. The logbook records Valiant's course, location, and sailing conditions during cruises between England and the coastal waters off New Jersey, New York and New England.

Several of the log's entries pertain to punishments aboard ship, including the execution of two men aboard the brig Kite (January 20, 1812), the sentencing of a man to 150 lashes (July 31, 1812), and the execution of a man aboard H.M.S. Gloucester (November 26, 1812). Other entries pertain to War of 1812 naval engagements, including the recapture of a British brig from the American privateer Jack's Favorite (March 31, 1813), mention of the capture of U.S.S. Chesapeake by H.M.S. Shannon (June 8, 1813), and the capture of the American vessel Porcupine by Valiant, H.M.S. Acasta, and H.M.S. Wasp (June 17, 1813).

Arrangement

The Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant comprises a single volume.

Access and Use

Access

Patron use restricted to microfilm and digital surrogates.

Copyright and Permission

The Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant is the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Purchased from B. F. Stevens & Brown, Ltd. Accessioned on June 2, 1902. Accession No. 43104.

Related Materials

Location of Copies or Alternate Formats

Digital copies of the Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant are available in the USNA Digital Collections at https://usna.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01USNA_INST/t2tcj0/alma991003569559706751.

This collection also available on microfilm.

Related Archival Material

Additional Royal Navy logbooks available in this repository include the Remark-Book of the H.M.S. Alert, 1847-1849, MS 59; Log of the H.M.S. Theseus, H.M.S. Royal George, H.M.S. Sophie, and H.M.S. Seahorse, 1806-1811, MS 155; Order Book of the H.M.S. Penguin, 1808-1876 (bulk 1810-1814), MS 58; and Log Book of the H.M.S. Wasp and the H.M.S. Eridanus, 1813-1817, MS 157.

Logbooks for H.M.S. Valiant are available in British Royal Navy logbooks, 1808-1840, MSS97923 at the Library of Congress.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Log Book of Proceedings on board His Majesty's Ship Valiant, MS 156

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

Winfield, Rif. British Warships in the Age of Sail 1793-1817: Design, Construction, Careers and Fates. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Seaforth Publishing, 2008.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mary R. Catalfamo. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in May 2020.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Great Britain -- History, Naval -- 19th century -- Sources
• Naval discipline -- Great Britain
• United States -- History -- War of 1812 -- Naval operations
• Valiant (Ship-of-the-line)

Genre Terms

• Manuscripts
• Ships' logs