Name Venom Fate delisted 1799 or 1800 | Acquired 1794, by capture Tons burthen 128 ⁄94 (bm) | |
Honours and
awards Naval General Service Medal with clasp "17 Mar. Boat Service 1794" Length 65 ft 1 in (19.84 m) (overall)
47 ft 1 in (14.35 m) (keel) | ||
HMS Venom was a gunbrig that Admiral Sir John Jervis captured in the Caribbean in 1794. The Royal Navy commissioned her under the command of Lieutenant Thomas H. Wilson. In March and April 1794, she participated in the capture of Martinique, St. Lucia, and Guadeloupe. Jervis's expedition restored monarchist rule. The French counter-attacked and recaptured Guadeloupe on 2 June. Jervis and General Sir Charles Grey, the army commander, landed a force to recapture the island but the reinforced French garrison repulsed the British expedition, which withdrew.
Venom was deleted from the lists in 1799 or 1800. After commanding Venom, Wilson assumed command of the hired armed lugger Lark on 21 April 1800.
The London Gazette published details for four tranches of prize and head money payments for Jervis's campaign. In all some 36 ships qualified: HMS Asia, Assurance, Avenger, Boyne, Beauleau, Blonde, Bull Dog, Ceres, Dromedary, Experiment, Irresistible, Inspector, Nautilus, Quebec, Roebuck, Rattlesnake, Rose, Retort, Santa Margarita, Solebay, Seaflower, Terpsichore, Ulysses, Undaunted, Vengeance, Veteran, Vesuvius, Winchelsea, Wooolwich (sic), and Zebra. So did six gunboats: Spiteful, Teazer, Tickler, Tormentor, Venom, and Vexor.
In 1847 the Admiralty awarded the Naval General Service Medal with clasp "17 Mar. Boat Service 1794" to all surviving claimants from the action at Fort Royal Bay, Martinique during which the boats of Venom, and others, captured the French frigate Bienvenue, and other vessels.