Bonhomme Richard 1779 – Continental Frigate

On September 23 1779, Bonhomme Richard engaged the Royal Navy ship HMS Serapis, commanded by Captain Richard Pearson, and the hired navy vessel HMS Countess of Scarborough, commanded by Captain Thomas Piercy off Flamborough Head, England.

Originally named “Duc de Duras” and built in 1766 by the French East India Company, the French merchant vessel , was purchased by Benjamin Franklin from King Lous XVI of France and handed over to the stewardship of Scottish-born Captain John Paul Jones for use against Great Britain in the American Revolution.

Captain John Paul Jones renamed the frigate “Bonhomme Richard” to honor Benjamin Franklin, the American Commissioner at Paris, whose famous almanacs had been published in France under the title Les Maximes de Bonhomme Richard.

Following modifications, the Bonhomme Richard became the flagship to a squadron of four main ships consisting of the US built frigate Alliance (Captain Pierre Landais), the former French privateer ship Pallas (Captain Denis Nicolas Contineau), and the brigantine Vengeance (Captain Phillippe Nicolas Ricot).

With the Bonhomme Richard being bombarded with heavy enemy fire, Pearson called for Jones to surrender, to which he is alleged to have replied, “Surrender?! I have not yet begun to fight!”

Emerging victorious after an engagement, some say lasting over four hours, HMS Serapis and Countess of Scarborough were captured by Jones and his squadron whilst the Bonhomme Richard eventually sank into the sea off the Yorkshire Coast.

….Almost 250 years later……

Many a diver has claimed to have found the wreck including local Filey diver, John Adams whose wreck is registered with the National Register of Historic Wrecks, and Merlin Burrows, based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire using satellite imaging.  And the US Navy has spent quite a bit of time and money searching for the Bonhomme Richard.  However, nothing has been found that can confirm any site100% so the mystery continues…!