Catholic Church in the United Kingdom was not yet a reality, particularly in Ireland, where the Protestant Ascendancy was still in full force. The Treaty of Union of 1707, like the Act of Settlement, had stated that no "Papist" could succeed to the throne. Restrictions on the civil rights of Catholics only began to change with the passing of the Papists Act 1778, which allowed them to own property, inherit land and join the British Army, although even this measure resulted in the backlash of the Gordon Riots of 1780, showing the depth of continuing anti-Catholic feeling. After 1790, a new mood emerged as thousands of
Pandour (1780) Pandour (1780) Pandour was a French a 14-gun gun-brig launched in 1780 as a cutter, which the Royal Navy captured in December 1795. The Navy took her into service as "Pandora" (or "Pandour"), but she foundered in June 1797. "Pandour" was built as a cutter by Jacques and Daniel Denys at Dunkirk in 1780 and launched on 16 June. In 1782 she was re-rigged as a brig at Brest. In 1792 she was under the command of Lieutenant Bertrand de Keranguen. His successor in 1793 as commander was "enseigne de veaisseau non-entretenu" Hardouin, later "lieutenant de vaisseaux". "Pandour" was based