English wine cask units the mediæval French and Italian "botte") or pipe was half a tun, or 1008 pints. Tradition has it that George, Duke of Clarence, the brother of Edward IV of England, was drowned in a butt of malmsey on 18 February 1478. (However, Josephine Tey in "The Daughter of Time" suggests that "drowned in a butt of malmsey" means rather that George, Duke of Clarence, drank himself to death rather than literally drowning in a container of wine.) In Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado", the narrator claims he has received "a pipe of what passes for Amontillado".
Hired armed cutter Duke of Clarence to leave, within limits, each other's fishing boats unmolested.) In July 1807 "Africaine" was awarded prize money for sundry fishing boats captured in May 1803. She shared the prize money with "Duke of Clarence". On 26 September 1804 "Duke of Clarence" left Portsmouth with a convoy for Guernsey. On 5 October 1804, the brig "Polante", arrived at Portsmouth. "Polante" had been sailing from Lisbon to "Charleburg" when "Duke of Clarence" detained her. "Lloyd's List" gave the brig's name as "Volante", and her destination as Cherbourg. On 27 October 1804 Lieutenant Harper was appointed to . His replacement was Lieutenant Nicholas