Dates: 1789 - 1821
Tonnant (French for "Thundering") was an 80-gun ship of the line of the French Navy and lead ship of the Tonnant class. Admiral Nelson captured her at Aboukir Bay on 1 August 1798. The Royal Navy then took her into service. She participated in the Battle of Trafalgar during the Napoleonic Wars, and was the flagship for Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane during most of the campaign in Chesapeake Bay during the War of 1812. Francis Scott Key wrote the American national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner, while on her deck watching the British attack on Baltimore. She was broken up in 1821.
Tonnant underwent repairs between December 1801 and April 1803. She was commissioned in March 1803 under Captain Sir Edward Pellew. Under his command she participated in the Blockade of Ferrol. On 24 May the cutter Resolution captured the Esperance and the Vigilant, with Tonnant sharing in the capture. Next, Tonnant, Mars and Spartiate captured the Dutch ships Coffee Baum and Maasulys on 2 and 4 June. Tonnant then was one of the vessels that shared in the recapture on 27 August of the Lord Nelson. Pellew received ₤1667 10s 2½p in prize money. A seaman received ₤2 14s 6½d.
Tonant was part of Admiral Sir Robert Calder’s squadron off Cape Ortegal when she encountered Duguay-Trouin and Guerrière on 2 September 1803. The two French vessels had broken out of the blockade when they met Tonnant. They escaped her but British forces of varying strengths harried them during their journey back to port and they only just made it to the safety of A Coruña.
Tonnant shared in the capture of the Perseverance on 28 October, though the prize money was much less. Pellew received £85 12s 1d; a seaman received 3s 5¼d. Then on 29 November, Ardent destroyed the Bayonnoise; Tonnant was among the vessels sharing, by agreement, in the bounty money. In the new year, on 18 February 1804, Tonnant and the ships of the squadron recaptured the brig Eliza.
Later in 1804 Tonnant was in the Channel under Captain William Henry Jervis. Unfortunately he drowned off Brest when going in his gig from Tonnant to the San Josef on 26 January 1805. Jervis had just arrived from Rochefort and was anxious to impart his intelligence to the commander-in-chief. Captain Charles Tyler replaced Jervis in March.
During the Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) she captured the French ship Algésiras of 74 guns. She lost 27 officers and men killed and 55 officers and men wounded in the battle, with Tyler being among the wounded. For seamen and marines of Parliament’s grant for Trafalgar was ₤4 12s 6d per capita. This represented roughly three months’ wages.
Tonnant underwent a refit at Portsmouth between January and June 1806. She was recommissioned in May under Captain Thomas Browne. She then served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Eliab Harvey. While under his command Minerve distinguished herself in a number of small cutting out expeditions.
In July 1807 she was under Captain Richard Hancock and served as flagship for Rear-Admiral Michael de Courcy. In April 1809 she was under the command of Captain James Bowen when she recaptured the Ann of Leith on the 8th. Tonnant then was among the vessels sharing in the captures of the Goede Hoop 9 July and the Carl Ludwig on 2 August.
Between November and December 1809 she was under repair at Plymouth. In 1810 she served under Captain Sir John Gore. On 24 March 1812, still under the command of Gore, she was off Ushant when she captured the French privateer Emilie. Emilie was armed with twelve 10-pounder guns and had a crew of 84 men. She was nine days out of Saint-Malo and had captured one vessel, a Spanish merchant ship that the Royal Navy had recaptured on the 24th. At the time that she captured Emilie Tonnant was in company with Hogue, Colossus, Bulwark, and Poictiers. Then on 18 April Tonnant captured the Martha. On 12 May, Abercrombie captured the Betsy. Abercrombie was in company with Tonnant, Royal Sovereign, Queen, Pompee and Goldfinch. The capture involved so many large vessels, and the Betsey was apparently not very valuable, that the amount of prize money per seaman was 6d. Tonnant then again underwent repair between August and December 1812, this time at Chatham.
