Naval history of Great Britain by William James - Vol 1 -Abstract No. 4


 
Contents

No. 4 Abstract of the ships and vessels belonging to the British Navy at the commencement of the year 1796.

      CRUISERS. Stationary Harbour-ships, &c. �         Increase and decrease in the Classes since the date of the last year's Abstract
Letters of Reference RATE.                 CLASS. �                                                                   In commission. In ordinary, under or for repair. TOTAL. No. In commission. Not in commission. No. Building or ordered to be built. Grand Total Launched Purchased � Captured || Converted from other Classes Ordered to be built Total of Increase Loss by Capture &c. � Converted to other Classes Sold or taken to pieces Total of Decrease
King's Yard Merchant's Yards
No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons. Brit. built For. built No. Tons. No. Tons. Brit. built For. built No. Tons. No. Tons. No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons No. Tons
  Three-deckers.                                                             0 0             0 0
A First. 120-gun ship,         0 0                 2 5124 2 5124                         0 0     1 2747     1 2747
B First. 112-gun ship, 1 2351     1 2351 1                   1 2351 1 2351                     1 2351             0 0
D First. 100-gun ship, 18-pounder, 2 4572     2 4572 2                   2 4572                         0 0             0 0
E First. 100-gun ship, 12-pounder, 3 6428     3 6428 3                   3 6428                         0 0             0 0
F Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder, large,         0 0                 1 2276 1 2276                         0 0             0 0
G Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder,small,         0 0                 3 6363 3 6363                         0 0             0 0
H Second. 98-gun ship, 12-pounder 15 28860     15 28860 15   1 1869     1       16 30729                         0 0 1 2011         1 2011
I Second. 90-gun ship, 12-pounder 1 1814     1 1814 1   2 3699     2       3 5513                         0 0             0 0
  Two-deckers.         0 0                     0 0                         0 0             0 0
K Third. 80-gun ship 5 10783     5 10783 1 4             1 2062 6 12845             1 2210         1 2210             0 0
L Third. 74-gun ship 24-pounder, 2 3754 1 1889 3 5643 1 2             8 15339 11 20982             1 1889     6 11557 7 13446             0 0
M Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, .large, 4 7347 1 1884 5 9231 3 2     2 3600   2 4 7538 11 20369             2 3707     4 7538 6 11245 1 1820     1 1811 2 3631
N Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, middle 5 8583     5 8583 4 1 1 1778       1 2 3549 8 13910                         0 0             0 0
O Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, small, 43 70357 8 12997 51 83354 51   3 4803 4 6455 7       58 94612             1 1621         1 1621 2 3239         2 3239
P Third. 64-gun ship 24 33282 1 1379 25 34661 24 1 3 4134 10 13869 9 4     38 52664                 1 1386     1 1386             0 0
Q Fourth. 60-gun ship         0 0         4 4944 3 1     4 4944             1 1226         1 1226             0 0
  Line   105 178131 11 18149 116 196280 106 10 10 16283 20 28868 22 8 21 42251 167 283682 1 2351 0 0 0 0 6 10653 1 1386 10 19095 18 33485 4 7070 1 2747 1 1811 6 11628
R * Fourth. 56-gun ship, flush 3 4022 1 1434 4 5456 4                   4 5456         4 5456             4 5456             0 0
S * Fourth. 54-gun ship, flush 4 4848 1 1176 5 6024 5                   5 6024         5 6024             5 6024             0 0
T Fourth. 50-gun ship 10 10562 2 1967 12 12529 12   2 2101 3 3192 4 1 3 3344 20 21166                         0 0             0 0
V Fifth. 44-gun ship 8 7205 1 898 9 8103 9   1 882 2 1693 2 1     12 10678                         0 0 1 887 2 1792     3 2679
  One-deckers.         0 0                     0 0                         0 0             0 0
W Fifth. 44-gun frigate 3 4129     3 4129 3                   3 4129                         0 0             0 0
X Fifth. 40-gun frigate, 24-pounder 1 1239     1 1239   1             1 1277 2 2516                     1 1277 1 1277             0 0
Y Fifth. 40-gun frigate, 18-pounder         0 0                 2 2302 2 2302                     2 2302 2 2302             0 0
Z* Fifth. 38-gun frigate, large 5 5468     5 5468   5             3 3181 8 8649             1 1102     1 1052 2 2154             0 0
A Fifth. 38-gun frigate, small 15 14789     15 14789 14 1             6 6075 21 20864                     5 5051 5 5051 1 1029         1 1029
B Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, large 1 1032     1 1032   1             1 1049 2 2081                     1 1049 1 1049             0 0
C Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, small 14 12676     14 12676 14       1 882 1   2 1852 17 15410     6 5557             2 1852 8 7409             0 0
D Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 8 7394 3 2810 11 10204   11 1 931 5 4398   6     17 15533             4 3448         4 3448             0 0
F Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 18-pounder 7 5608     7 5608 7                   7 5608                         0 0             0 0
G Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, large 2 1561     2 1561 1 1             3 2463 5 4024                     3 2463 3 2463             0 0
H Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 35 24251 3 2051 38 26302 37 1     2 1393 1 1     40 27695             1 697         1 697     1 697 1 699 2 1396
I Sixth 28-gun frigate 22 13098 1 599 23 13697 20 3 1 594 3 1826 4       27 16117             1 581         1 581 1 598         1 598
K Sixth 24-gun post-ship, . 3 1605 1 519 4 2124 4       2 1147 .. 2     6 3271             1 619         1 619             0 0
N Sixth 22-gun flush 1 524     1 524   1                 1 524             1 524         1 524             0 0
O Sixth 20-gun post-ship, . 7 3218 1 432 8 3650 5 3 1 481     1       9 4131             1 472         1 472 1 429         1 429
P Sixth 20-gun flush 1 424     1 424   1                 1 424             1 424         1 424             0 0
Q * Sloop Arrow & Dart         0 0                 2 772 2 772                     2 772 2 772             0 0
R Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 10 4448     10 4448 6 4             6 2544 16 6992                     4 1695 4 1695             0 0
S Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, flush         0 0                 2 801 2 801                     2 801 2 801         1 340 1 340
T Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, large 13 4797     13 4797 11 2     2 694 2   3 1146 18 6637             1 345     3 1146 4 1491         1 378 1 378
U Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, small 9 2912     9 2912 9       1 319 1       10 3231                         0 0             0 0
V Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, flush 3 915     3 915   3     1 355 1       4 1270             3 915         3 915             0 0
W Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 9 2693     9 2693 9       2 605 2       11 3298         1 269             1 269             0 0
X Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, flush 1 200     1 200 1                   1 200         1 200             1 200                
Y * Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, large 9 3319     9 3319 8 1                 9 3319     8 2947                 8 2947         1 365 1 365
Z Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, small 6 1906     6 1906 6               2 631 8 2537     6 1906             2 631 8 2537             0 0
a Sloop 16-gun brig sloop 11 3147 1 275 12 3422 2 10                 12 3422             3 877         3 877         1 262 1 262
b Sloop 14-gun brig sloop, 9 2037 3 612 12 2649 9 3     1 202 1       13 2851         1 243 4 947         5 1190 1 227     1 209 2 436
d Bombs of 8 guns and 2 mortars 2 609     2 609 2                   2 609                         0 0             0 0
e Fireships 14 guns, 3 1273     3 1273 3       1 423 1       4 1696                         0 0             0 0
f Gun-Brigs 14 guns, 3 613     3 613 2 1                 3 613                         0 0             0 0
g Gun-Brigs 12 guns, 16 2368     16 2368 16                   16 2368         3 421             3 421             0 0
h Gun-Brigs 10 guns, 2 300     2 300   2                 2 300             1 165         1 165             0 0
i Cutters, &c. 14 guns, 4 772     4 772 3 1     1 181 1       5 953                         0 0             0 0
k Cutters, &c. 12 guns, 5 743     5 743 4 1     2 275 2       7 1018                         0 0             0 0
l Cutters, &c. 10 guns, 2 298     2 298   2                 2 298                         0 0             0 0
m Cutters, &c. 8 guns, 2 241     2 241   2                 2 241                         0 0             0 0
n Cutters, &c. 6 guns, 1 71     1 71   1                 1 71                         0 0 1 80         1 80
o Cutters, &c. 4 guns, 1 47     1 47 1       1 88 1       2 135                         0 0             0 0
p First-rate 50 guns,         0 0     1 2747       1     1 2747                 1 2747     1 2747             0 0
q Third-rates 36 guns,         0 0                     0 0                         0 0     1 1386     1 1386
s Fifth-rates 24 guns,         0 0     12 10706     12       12 10706                 2 1792     2 1792             0 0
t Fifth-rates 18 guns,         0 0     2 1629       2     2 1629                 1 697     1 697             0 0
u Floating Battery 58 & 46 guns,         0 0     2 3035     2       2 3035                         0 0             0 0
v Floating Battery 20 and under guns,         0 0     4 1489     4       4 1489                         0 0 1 309         1 309
w Gun-vessels from 1 to 4 guns         0 0     18 1419 4 273   22     22 1692             4 505         4 505 1 63         1 63
y Sloops on Discovery,         0 0     1 406 1 337 2       2 743                         0 0             0 0
z Armed Transport         0 0     8 2984     6 2     8 2984             1 677         1 677             0 0
b Yachts, royal, or. Large         0 0     4 679 2 404 6       6 1083                         0 0             0 0
c Yachts, small,         0 0     2 162 2 135 4   1 102 5 399                         0 0             0 0
  * Grand Total   376 335493 29 30922 405 366415 333 72 70 46528 59 47690 83 46 58 69790 592 530423 1 2351 20 10410 15 12613 34 22951 5 6622 38 39186 113 94133 12 10692 5 6622 7 4064 24 21378

NOTES TO ABSTRACT, No. 4.

B *. THIS ship is the Ville-de-Paris, the largest British-built ship of her day. She began building at Chatham July 1, 1789, and was launched July 17, 1795. See first note of Abstract No. 1, p. :397.

R *. and S *. Had been East-Indiamen. Anomalous in their construction as two-decked ships of war, having the second or upper deck without an overbuilt quarterdeck and forecastle. On this account they mounted no more guns, except perhaps a pair or two of bow-chasers, than stands as the sign of their respective classes. These ships were fitted with 28 long 18-pounders on the first deck ; the 56s with 28, and the 54s with 26, 32-pounder carronades on tire second deck.

Q *. Two experimental vessels designed by Samuel Bentham, Esq., at that time inspector-general of his majesty's naval works. They were in shape much sharper than vessels of war in general, and projected or raked forward, at each end like a wherry. Their breadth increased from the water-line upwards ; whereby it was considered that they would be stiffer, and less liable to overset than ordinary vessels. The decks were straight fore and aft, and the frames or ribs of less curvature than usual. They were constructed to carry twenty-four 32-pounder carronades upon the main deck, and were afterwards fitted to receive two more carronades of the same nature on each of their two short decks, which we may call the quarterdeck and forecastle. All these carronades were fitted upon the non-recoil principle. It is believed that both the Arrow and Dart subsequently took on board, for their quarterdecks, two additional 32s. They proved to be stiff vessels and swift sailers, but it was found necessary to add some dead wood to their bottoms, in order to make them stay better. Not knowing exactly what characteristic designation to give the Arrow and Dart, we have merely named them : they must be considered, especially when their force is compared with that of the two or three classes next above them, as extraordinary vessels for sloops of war, but as such only they ranked. Three or four schooners were afterwards. built upon a similar plan.

Y * The large are of 340 tons and upwards. The new brigs of this and the next class were built of fir, and intended to carry long 6s, but by an admiralty-order of April 22, 1795, they were directed to be prepared for, and afterwards mounted, sixteen 32-pounder carronades and two long 6s. This armament, owing to the additional weight of the carronade-carriages and slides (the 32-pounder carronade and six feet 6-pounder weigh nearly alike), proved rather too much for the small class ; and, in consequence, the carronades of many of the brigs were exchanged for 24s. The brig in the "Sold or taken to pieces" column, was one of the larger description, the Despatch, which, as soon as launched, was transferred to the Russian admiral at Portsmouth.

* The hired vessels numbered about 60. See the last notes of Abstracts Nos. 1 and 2, pp. 400 and 401.

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