“Seamen of the Proserpine, your conduct has been such as to merit the thanks of the court with that of your country and I trust that the example shown by you, for good order and obedience to command, in times of great difficulty and danger, will be held forth as worthy of imitation by all the seamen of his majesty’s fleet.” So ended the court-martial for the loss of the Proserpine. The events that led up to the court-martial could certainly be considered worthy of the court's remarks.
Ship Name: HMS Proserpine
Year Built: 1777
Nationality: British
Tonnage: 595
Ship Type: Sixth Rate Frigate
Year Wrecked: 1799
Reason For Wreck: Struck a Sandbank in Poor Conditions
Location Wrecked: Mouth of the Elbe River
Lives Lost: 14
Sources:
https://newspaperarchive.com/london-lloyd-evening-post-mar-29-1799-p-8/
https://newspaperarchive.com/true-briton-mar-04-1799-p-3/
https://newspaperarchive.com/true-briton-mar-16-1799-p-3/
https://newspaperarchive.com/london-lloyd-evening-post-mar-06-1799-p-4/
https://newspaperarchive.com/london-observer-feb-24-1799-p-2/
https://newspaperarchive.com/bells-weekly-messenger-feb-24-1799-p-14/
https://newspaperarchive.com/bells-weekly-messenger-feb-24-1799-p-6/
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/15301/15301-h/15301-h.htm
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/12678/page/410
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15092/page/1240
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15294/page/1074
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/15402/page/1062
https://newspaperarchive.com/weekly-register-mar-13-1799-p-7/
https://books.google.com/books?id=I7BWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA332#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://dawlishchronicles.com/2019/07/12/hms-proserpine-1799/
