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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol I |
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1727 |
Introduction |
10 |
class. The third admitted all classes below the 90, and above the 60. The fourth took for its limits the 60 and 50; and the fifth received all below the 50, down to the 30. The sixth-rate found room for every class below the 30, that had not, for its denomination, a term in which, as sloops, bombs, &c., the number of guns was not expressed. Desirous to show what, if any, progress in classification, armament, and size, half a century has produced, we will, by the aid of an abstract, investigate the state of the navy at the death of George L, in June 1727.
An Abstract of the British Navy in June, 1727.*
|
CARRIAGE-GUNS. |
||||||||||
|
No. |
RATE |
CLASS |
First or main deck. |
Second deck. |
Third deck. |
Quarter- deck and Fore-castle |
Gross weight of Guns. |
Complement of men |
Ships in each class |
Burden. |
|
Gun. ships. |
No. Pdrs |
No. Pdrs |
No. Pdrs |
No. Pdrs |
Tons |
No. |
No. |
Tons |
||
|
1 |
First. |
100 |
28----42 |
28----24 |
28----12 |
16----6 |
214 |
780 |
7 |
1869 |
|
2 |
Second. |
90 |
26----32 |
26----18 |
26----9 |
12----6 |
175 |
680 |
13 |
1566 |
|
3 |
Third. |
80 |
26----32 |
26----12 |
24----6 |
4----6 |
147� |
520 |
16 |
1350 |
|
4 |
Third |
70 |
26----24 |
26----12 |
... |
18----6 |
126� |
480 |
24 |
1128 |
|
5 |
Fourth |
60 |
24----24 |
26----9 |
... |
10----6 |
104 |
365 |
18 |
195 |
|
6 |
Fourth |
50 |
22----18 |
22----9 |
... |
6----6 |
85� |
280 |
46 |
755 |
|
7 |
Fifth. |
40 |
20----12 |
20----6 |
... |
... |
57� |
190 |
24 |
594 |
|
8 |
Fifth |
30 |
8----9 |
20----6 |
... |
... |
34 |
135 |
3 |
421 |
|
9 |
Sixth. |
20 |
20----6 |
... |
... |
... |
22� |
115 |
27 |
374 |
On the face of this abstract, there does not appear any greater increase in the size of the ships, than the increased weight of the guns seems to authorize. One improvement, however, is evident: the poop or roundhouse deck is no longer armed. The two or four 3-pounders, formerly mounted there, now appear as 6-pounders on the quarterdeck and forecastle. We have here no clashing of classes on account of a similarity in the number of guns. On the other hand, that distinction between the rates,
* The items of the table in the text have been carefully compiled from official and other documents. The guns are those established upon the several classes by an order of 1716 ; and which order continued, in force until 1743. The complements are those borne between 1719 and 1733. The tonnage is that established in 1719, and which was not materially varied until 1743. The employment of swivel-guns in the navy, at or about this period (see page 12), renders necessary the distinction of carriage-guns.
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