Abstract No. 6 of the ships and vessels belonging to the British Navy at the commencement of the year 1798


 
Contents

Abstract No. 6 of the ships and vessels belonging to the British Navy at the commencement of the year 1798
Letters of Reference RATE. CLASS. �                                                                   CRUISERS. Stationary Harbour-ships, &c. �   Increase and decrease in the Classes since the date of the last year's Abstract
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         1 2747   1 2 5124 3 7871                         0 0             0 0
B First. 112-gun ship, 18-pounder, 1 2351     1 2351 1                   1 2351                         0 0             0 0
C First. 112-gun ship, 12-pounder,     1 2457 1 2457   1     1 2398   1     2 4855                                            
D First. 100-gun ship, 18-pounder, 2 4572     2 4572 2                   2 4572             2 4855         2 4855             0 0
E First. 100-gun ship, 12-pounder, 1 2175 1 2091 2 4266 2                   2 4266                         0 0             0 0
F Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder, large,         0 0                 1 2276 1 2276                         0 0     1 2162     1 2162
G Second. 98-gun ship, 18-pounder,small, 1 2119     1 2119 1               2 4244 3 6363 1 2119                     1 2119             0 0
H * Second. 98-gun ship, 12-pounder 13 25316 2 3761 15 29077 15   1 1869     1       16 30946                         0 0             0 0
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 3 6430 1 2143 4 8573 1 3     1 1942   1 1 2062 6 12577             1 1942         1 1942             0 0
L Third. 74-gun ship 24-pounder, 3 5596 1 1889 4 7485 2 2             8 15416 12 22901 1 1842                     1 1842             0 0
M Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, .large, 4 7344 1 1887 5 9231 3 2 1 1799 2 3648   3 4 7538 12 22216             2 3648         2 3648             0 0
N Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, middle 4 6862     4 6862 4   1 1778       1 2 3549 7 12189                         0 0             0 0
O Third. 74-gun ship 18-pounder, small, 45 73662 2 3229 47 76891 47   5 7974 6 9623 11       58 94488             2 3121         2 3121         1 1617 1 1617
P * Third. 64-gun ship 26 36126 7 9392 33 45518 27 6 10 13887 7 9608 10 7     50 69013         1 1430 5 6524         6 7954     1 1380     1 1380
Q Fourth. 60-gun ship         0 0     1 1226 3 3718 1 3     4 4944                         0 0             0 0
  Line   104 174367 16 26849 120 201216 106 14 21 32232 21 33684 25 17 20 40209 182 307341 2 3961 0 0 1 1430 12 20090 0 0 0 0 15 25481 0 0 2 3542 1 1617 3 5159
R Fourth. 56-gun ship, flush 2 2682     2 2682 2                   2 2682                         0 0             0 0
S Fourth. 54-gun ship, flush 1 1182     1 1182 1                   1 1182                         0 0     1 1249     1 1249
T Fourth. 50-gun ship 11 11661 2 2088 13 13749 10 3 2 2101 3 3192 4 1 3 3344 21 22386             1 1041         1 1041             0 0
V Fifth. 44-gun ship 5 4486     5 4486 5   1 882 2 1693 1 2     8 7061                         0 0             0 0
  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 2 2516     2 2516 1 1                 2 2516     1 1277                 1 1277             0 0
Y Fifth. 40-gun frigate, 18-pounder 2 2302     2 2302 2               1 1172 3 3474     2 2302                 2 2302             0 0
Z Fifth. 38-gun frigate, large 7 7583 3 3345 10 10928 1 9             2 2129 12 13057     1 1052     2 2282         3 3334             0 0
A * Fifth. 38-gun frigate, small 18 17889 1 941 19 18830 17 2             2 2081 21 20911     3 3036             1 1043 4 4079 1 996         1 996
B Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, large 3 3092     3 3092 2 1             2 2097 5 5189     1 1049             2 2097 3 3146             0 0
C * Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 18-pounder, small 13 11823 1 890 14 12713 14       1 882 1       15 13595                         0 0 1 934         1 934
D Fifth. 36-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 14 12823 2 1878 16 14701   16 2 1791 5 4512   7     23 21004             2 1782         2 1782 1 916         1 916
E * Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 18-pounder, large         0 0                 1 914 1 914                         0 0             0 0
F Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 18-pounder, small 7 5608     7 5608 7                   7 5608                         0 0             0 0
G * Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, large 6 4772     6 4772 4 2                 6 4772                         0 0             0 0
H Fifth. 32-gun frigate, 12-pounder, small 26 17950 10 6919 36 24869 34 2     1 704 1       37 25573                         0 0 1 715     3 2094 4 2809
I Sixth 28-gun frigate 17 10076 5 2991 22 13067 17 5 2 1220 2 1200 4       26 15487                         0 0 1 587         1 587
K Sixth 24-gun post-ship, . 6 3152     6 3152 4 2 1 528 1 619 .. 2     8 4299                         0 0             0 0
N Sixth 22-gun flush 2 1046 1 532 3 1578 1 2                 3 1578             2 1054         2 1054             0 0
O Sixth 20-gun post-ship, . 6 2745 1 432 7 3177 5 2 1 481 1 472 1 1     9 4130             1 429         1 429             0 0
P Sixth 20-gun flush 3 1589     3 1589   3                 3 1589             1 514         1 514         1 424 1 424
Q Sloop Arrow & Dart 2 772     2 772 2                   2 772                         0 0             0 0
R Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 11 4706     11 4706 10 1     2 930   2 1 422 14 6058                         0 0         1 480 1 480
S Sloop 18-gun ship-sloop, flush 5 1900     5 1900 4 1     1 312   1 3 1214 9 3426     4 1528             3 1214 7 2742             0 0
T * Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, .large 15 5627     15 5627 12 3     3 1034 2 1 1 365 19 7026                         0 0         1 343 1 343
U Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck, small 5 1621 3 960 8 2581 8       1 319 1       9 2900                         0 0 1 331         1 331
V Sloop 16-gun ship-sloop, flush 3 956     3 956 1 2     2 655   2     5 1611                         0 0 1 336         1 336
W Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, quarter-deck 7 2086     7 2086 7   1 304 2 601 3       10 2991             1 261         1 261         1 307 1 307
X Sloop 14-gun ship-sloop, flush 2 461     2 461 1 1                 2 461     1 384                 1 384             0 0
Y Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, large 9 3319 1 384 10 3703 9 1                 10 3703     1 337     2 697         3 1034             0 0
Z Sloop 18-gun brig sloop, small 10 3255     10 3255 8 2                 10 3255             2 551         2 551 2 562     1 290 3 852
a Sloop 16-gun brig sloop, 6 1624 1 310 7 1934   7     1 275 1       8 2209             3 653         3 653 1 210         1 210
b Sloop 14-gun brig sloop, 11 2590 3 612 14 3202 9 5     1 202 1       15 3404         8 2579     1 337     9 2916             0 0
d Bombs of 8 guns and 2 mortars, . 11 3525     11 3525 10 1                 11 3525                         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, 5 1033     5 1033 2 3     1 202   1     6 1235                 1 200     1 200 2 431         2 431
g Gun-Brigs 12 guns, 57 9030 1 147 58 9177 57 1                 58 9177     31 5107 11 1690 1 181         43 6978 2 364         2 364
h Gun-Brigs 10 guns, 3 480     3 480   3     1 170   1     4 650                         0 0             0 0
i Cutters, &c. 14 guns, 5 960     5 960 3 2     1 181 1       6 1141         1 193 1 195         2 388     1 200     1 200
k Cutters, &c. 12 guns, 9 1311     9 1311 7 2     2 275 2       11 1586     1 148                 1 148             0 0
l Cutters, &c. 10 guns, 3 350     3 350   3                 3 350             1 104         1 104 2 291         2 291
m Cutters, &c. 8 guns, 2 220     2 220   2                 2 220                         0 0             0 0
n Cutters, &c. 6 guns, 4 361     4 361   4                 4 361                         0 0             0 0
o Cutters, &c. 4 guns, 5 360     5 360 2 3     1 88 1       6 448         1 86             1 86             0 0
p First-rate 50 guns,         0 0     5 6035 1 1249 6       6 7284                 1 1249     1 1249             0 0
r Fourth-rates 26 guns,         0 0     14 12524 2 1799 16       16 14323                         0 0             0 0
s Fifth-rates 24 guns,         0 0     1 697       1     1 697                         0 0             0 0
t Fifth-rates 18 guns,         0 0     1 1373     1       1 1373                         0 0 1 1662         1 1662
u Floating Battery 58 & 46 guns,         0 0     4 1489     4       4 1489                         0 0             0 0
v Floating Battery 20 and under guns,         0 0     12 950 8 527   20     20 1477                         0 0             0 0
w Gun-vessels from 1 to 4 guns         0 0                     0 0                         0 0         2 215 2 215
y Sloops on Discovery,         0 0     9 3109     6 3     9 3109                         0 0 1 406 1 337     2 743
z Armed Transport         0 0     2 3542     2       2 3542                 2 3542     2 3542             0 0
b Yachts, royal, or. Large         0 0     3 513 3 570 6       6 1083                         0 0             0 0
c Yachts, small,         0 0     3 264 2 135 5       5 399                         0 0             0 0
  * Grand Total   451 351293 51 49278 502 400571 391 111 85 70035 73 56905 96 62 36 53947 696 581458 2 3961 46 16220 22 5978 32 29834 5 5328 6 4354 113 65675 18 8741 5 5328 11 5770 34 19839

P *. THE purchased individual of this class, is the ship referred to in the corresponding note to the last Abstract.

X *. The newly-built individual is the Endymion, armed with twenty-six 24-pounders on the main deck. Her draught was copied from that of the Pomone, taken from the French in April, 1794, and she would have measured the same ; but the merchant-builders, from some neglect, suffered her frame to fall out nearly eight inches, which increased her measurement by 38 tons: thus,

 

Length of birth-deck.

Breadth Extreme

Tons.

 

ft.

in.

ft.

in.

 

By draught

159

2�

41

11�

1239

When built

159

3 3/8

42

7 3/8

1277

It should have been so stated at p. 106, instead of that it was an error in the measurement of the Pomone. This oversight occasioned the Pomone's tonnage, at p. 326, to be stated at " about 1270" instead of " 1240:'

It may here be remarked, that the two ships of this class and the three rasés in the class next above, in mounting but 26 guns on the main deck, similar to the classes from B to H inclusive, are additional exceptions to those mentioned in note �, vol. i., p. 397. Both W and X may be considered, however, as temporary classes ; and, besides, they contain too few individuals to disturb the general rule.

Y *. One of these newly-built ships, the Cambrian, was first fitted with 24-pounders, but 18-pounders were found to suit her better. The other ship was the Acasta, armed with thirty 18-pounders on the main deck, by which her quarters were too much crowed.

N *. One of these captured ships was the late British 24-gun ship Hyæna. The French had cut away her quarterdeck and forecastle, and made her a flush ship. As such, the Hyæna, on being restored to the British service, was allowed to remain ; and was armed with twenty 32-pounder carronades and two long 9-pounders.

S *. Two of the newly-built ships were the Dasher and Driver (averaging 400 tons), constructed at Bermuda, of the sweet or pencil cedar. They proved very durable vessels.

Y *. The new brig was the Cruiser, the first of the fine set of brigs of which this class is at present wholly composed. One of the two new ships of the class S left unnoticed, was the Osprey, built from the same draught as the Cruiser, but ship-rigged, by way of trying which mode of rigging would best answer.

a*. The reason of moving these ships, by the "Converted" columns, to a new class, in preference to simply transferring them to the "Stationary" compartment of their respective classes, E and P, is to avoid making an exception to the rule that no cruiser ever quits the " Stationary" columns, but to be sold or taken to pieces : whereas the Victory and Sampson, on being subsequently repaired, again went to sea full-armed. The rule, it may be observed, does not extend to the " &c., or non-cruising classes ;" otherwise, these very ships could not be restored to their former rank.

* The hired vessels numbered about 78.

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