Duchess of Rutland (1799 ship)
Duchess of Rutland was launched in Sweden in 1786 under another name. She was taken in prize in 1799 and thereafter served as a transport. French frigates captured and burnt her on 4 February 1805 as a consequence of a notable action that resulted in the loss of the two naval vessels escorting the convoy of which she was part. The convoy was sailing from Malta to London. Career Duchess of Rutland first appeared in Lloyd's Register (LR) and the Register of Shipping (RS) in 1799. LR gave her country of origin as Sweden and her launch year as 1786. RS simply noted that she had been taken in prize in 1799. Duchess of Rutland arrived at Portsmouth on 4 August 1803 together with a number of other transports and armed ships carrying troops from Egypt and Malta. Fate Duchess of Rutland was one of a convoy of some 30 merchant vessels that left Malta on 4 January 1805, bound for England. The convoy escorts were and . Between 19 and 22 January, bad weather off the coast of Spain caused the convoy to separate into two parts, one with Arrow and the other with Acheron. During the night of