There were two frigates, both named Hermione, both launched within a few years of each other.  The British HMS Hermione would become a symbol of cruelty and bloody mutiny, whereas the French Hermione would carry the young Gilbert Motier, better known as the Marquis de Lafayette on a crucial voyage to assist a rebellion against the English Crown in its North American colonies. Neither ship has been forgotten.  The mutiny on the HMS Hermoine has become a fixture in nautical fiction, whereas the French Hermione is being reborn in a shipyard in Rochefort sur mer.

The British frigate, HMS Hermione was commissioned in 1783 as 32-gun fifth-rate frigate.  Five captains served competently on her quarterdeck until in in February 1797 — the year of the Spithead and Nore mutinies — Captain Hugh Pigot was given command.  Within a year, HMS Hermoine was the scene of the bloodiest mutiny in British history. The excellent video by Maritime Great Britain tells the tale:

1797 – Mutiny Aboard HMS Hermione

[iframe: width=”560″ height=”410″ src=”http://www.youtube.com/embed/dfSY5wpkE2Y” frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen]