English ship Answer (1590)

Last updated

History
English Red Ensign 1620.svg Kingdom of England
NameAnswer
BuilderMatthew Baker
Launched1590
Commissioned1590
FateSold 17 June 1629
General characteristics
Class and type
  • Small Galleon
  • Fourth Rate - 1626
Tons burthen219/274.6 tons bm
Length65 ft 0 in (19.8 m) keel
Beam26 ft 0 in (7.9 m)
Depth of hold13 ft 0 in (4.0 m)
PropulsionSail
Sail plan ship-rigged
Complement100 (1603)
Armament
  • 5 × demi-culverins
  • 6 × sakers
  • 6 × minions
  • 2 x falcons

Answer was a small galleon in the service of the English Royal Navy. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as Cadiz and the Azores. She was later assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She maintained this assignment until she went to the Irish Station then back to the English Channel. She was finally sold in 1629. [1]

Contents

Answer was the first named vessel in the English and Royal Navies. [2]

Construction and specifications

She was built on the Thames possibly at Deptford under the guidance of Master Shipwright Richard Chapman. She was launched in 1590. Her dimensions were 60 feet 0 inches (18.3 metres) for keel with a breadth of 26 feet 0 inches (7.9 metres) and a depth of hold of 13 feet 0 inches (4.0 metres). Her tonnage was between 202.9 and 253.5 tons. [3]

Her gun armament was in 1603 19 guns consisting of five demi-culverines, [4] [Note 1] six sakers, [5] [Note 2] six minions [6] [Note 3] and two falcons [7] [Note 4] plus two fowlers [8] [Note 5] Her manning was around 100 officers and men in 1603. [9]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned in 1599 thru 1600 under Captain Walter Gore for service with Sir Richard Leveson's Channel Guard in 1599. She was with the Channel Guard until July 1599. In 1601 she was under Captain Thomas Coverte for the Thames Guard. In 1602 she was under the command of Captain Matthew Bardgate for service in the English Channel. [10] She was rebuilt at Chatham Dockyard in May 1604. [11]

Disposition

Answer was sold at Rochester on 17 June 1629. [12]

Notes

  1. ↑ A demi-culverin was a gun of 3,400 pounds with a four inch bore firing a 9.5 pound shot with an eight pound powder charge.
  2. ↑ A sacar or saker was a gun of 1,400 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 5.5 pound shot with an 5.5 pound powder charge.
  3. ↑ A minion was a gun of 1,000 pounds with a 3.5 inch bore firing a 4 pound shot with an 4 pound powder charge.
  4. ↑ A falcon was a gun of 660 pounds with a 2.5 inch bore firing a 2 pound shot with a 3.5 pound powder charge.
  5. ↑ A fowler was an anti-personnel breech-loading gun that fired either stone or grape shot. the weapon weighed about 5 cwt and the breech weighed another 1 cwt.

Citations

  1. ↑ Winfield
  2. ↑ Colledge
  3. ↑ Winfield
  4. ↑ Lavery, page 101
  5. ↑ Lavery, page 102
  6. ↑ Lavery, page 103
  7. ↑ Lavery, page 103
  8. ↑ Lavery, page 103.
  9. ↑ Winfield
  10. ↑ Winfield
  11. ↑ Colledge
  12. ↑ Winfield

Related Research Articles

HMS Southsea Castle was a 32-gun fifth rate built at Deptford Dockyard in 1694/95. She was assigned to the West Indies. She was wrecked along with HMS Bideford on Hispaniola in November 1699.

The 1689 Programme of fifth rates were devised by Admiral the Earl of Torrington as the prototype demi-batterie ships of the Royal Navy. The concept was to have one tier of ordnance flush on the upper deck for use in all weathers on a freeboard of at least seven feet. The ordnance would be arranged with a minimum of ten gun ports on the upper deck. The lower deck would be provided with four ports for heavier guns that could only be used in calm weather. For added propulsion ten oar ports per side would be provided with a central loading port. Five new 32-gun vessels to these specifications were ordered from Naval Dockyards in June 1689.

HMS Portsmouth was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Deptford Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines, sakers and minions. After commissioning she spent her short career with the Fleet in Home Waters. She was taken by the French in 1696.

The 1693 Programme of fifth rates were derived from the 1689 programme vessels as demi-batterie ships. The concept was to have one tier of ordnance flush on the upper deck for use in all weathers on a freeboard of at least seven feet. The ordnance would be arranged with a minimum of ten gun ports on the upper deck. The lower deck would be provided with four ports for heavier guns that could only be used in calm weather. For added propulsion ten oar ports per side would be provided with a central loading port. Four 32-gun vessels to these specifications were ordered in early 1693 with three to be built by Contract and one in dockyard.

The 1650 Programme of six 510 ton Fourth Rate vessels was initiated by the Council of State on 16 November 1649. On 2 January 1650 the Admiralty Committee confirmed that six 'frigrates' had been ordered at a cost of 6.10.0d per ton. The ships would be built under contract with the exception of one ship built in Dockyard. The ships were all named by 16 August 1650 and launched by the end of the year. Each ship was to carry initially 34 guns and 150 men. This would increase over time

Crane was a small galleon in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as Cadiz and the Azores. She later was assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She maintained this assignment until she went to the Irish Station then back to the English Channel. She was finally sold in 1629.

Quittance was a small galleon in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as Cadiz. She was later assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. she maintained this assignment until she went to Monson's squadron then back to the English Channel. She was condemned in 1618.

Advantage was a small galleon in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her career in the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She maintained this assignment until she went to the English Channel. She was accidentally burnt in Scotland in 1613.

Adventure was a 26-gun galley in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her early career in expeditions as far as West Indies, Cadiz and the Azores. She later was assigned to the Channel Guard during two more attempts by Philip II of Spain to invade England. She would spend the rest of her time in Home Waters, mainly the English Channel and North Sea. She was broken in 1645.

Phoenix was described as a pinnace in the service of the English Navy Royal. She has no record of service and was not mentioned after 1624.

Mary Rose was a 26-gun ship in the service of the English Navy Royal. After commissioning she mainly served in Home waters. With the outbreak of the English Civil War in 1642 she was in the service of the Parliamentary Forces. She served until wrecked in a storm in 1650.

Expedition was a 30-gun pinnance in the service of the English Navy Royal. She spent her career in Home Waters. During the English Civil War she was employed in the Parliamentary Naval Force. In 1651 she was assigned to the Commonwealth Navy. She was in the Battle of Gabbard and Scheveningen in 1653. Upon the Restoration in 1660 she participated in the battles of Lowestoffe, Four Days' Fight and Orfordness in 1666. She was converted to a fireship then sold in 1667.

HMS Milford was a 32-gun fifth rate built under contract by William Hubbard of Ipswich in 1694/95.

HMS Winchelsea was a 32-gun fifth rate vessel built under contract at Redbridge (Southampton) in 1693/94. After commissioning she was employed for trade protection in the North Sea, guard ship at Plymouth, briefly with Shovell's Fleet in the Channel and a brief visit to the West Indies. While on fisheries protection in the Channel she was taken by the French off Hastings in June 1706.

HMS Arundel was a 32-gun fifth rate built by Thomas Ellis of Shoreham in 1694/95. After commissioning she was used as a convoy escort, trade protection and counter piracy operations. Her main areas of operation were Irish Waters, the English Channel and convoy escorts to Newfoundland and the West Indies. She was sold in June 1713.

HMS Looe was a 32-gun fifth rate built at Plymouth Dockyard in 1695/96. Shortly after commissioning she was wrecked in Baltimore Bay, Ireland on 30 April 1697.

HMS Southsea Castle was a 32-gun fifth rate built under contract by John Knowler of Redbridge (Southampton) in 1695/96.

HMS Hastings was a 32-gun fifth rate built by Isaac Betts of Woodbridge in 1696/98. She was employed in convoy service, trade protection and counter piracy patrols. She was wrecked off Greater Yarmouth in February 1707.

HMS Bridgewater was a 32-gun fifth rate built at Sheerness Dockyard in 1697/98.

HMS Ludlow was a 32-gun fifth rate built by Mrs. Anne Mundy of Woodbridge in 1697/98.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.