In 1603 all English warships with a complement of fewer than 160 men were known as 'small ships'. In 1625/26 to establish pay rates for officers, a six-tier naval ship rating system was introduced. These small ships were divided into three tiers: fourth-, fifth- and sixth-rates. Up to the end of the 17th century, the number of guns and the complement size were adjusted until the rating system was actually clarified. A 'fourth-rate' was nominally a ship of over thirty guns with a complement of 140 men.
HMS Deptford was a 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard in 1687. This was the second of three 50-gun ships ordered in 1682/3.
HMS St Albans was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Deptford Dockyard in 1687. One of only three 50-gun ships to be built during James II's brief reign, she was first commissioned on 22 October 1688 under Captain William Constable, and joined Lord Dartmouth's fleet in that month. The ship fought in the Battle of Bantry Bay on 1 May 1689, at the capture of a French 36-gun ship on 18 July 1690 off Rame Head and in the Battle of Barfleur on 24 May 1692 and in the Battle of Placentia, Newfoundland on 16-21 September 1693.
HMS Sedgemoor was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Chatham Dockyard in May 1687. One of only three 50-gun ships to be built during James II's brief reign, she was first commissioned on 5 May 1687 under Captain David Lloyd, who was still in command when she was wrecked twenty months later.
HMS Norwich was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Deptford on 24 August 1693. The last of seven 50-gun ships ordered during 1692, she was given the name of Norwich following the loss of the previous 50-gun ship of that name on 6 October 1692.
HMS Southampton was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered to be built by commercial contract by John Winter at Chapel, Southampton. The Southampton was launched on 10 June 1693.
HMS Weymouth was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard on 8 August 1693. She was one of two 50-gun ships ordered on 15 August 1690 to be built by Master Shipwright William Stigant at Portsmouth Dockyard. However, unlike the Norwich, the Weymouth was delayed until 1693 and - instead of the 123 ft length originally specified - was lengthened to 132 ft 4 in, thus becoming the prototype for the 1693 batch ordered with a design extended to some 130 ft.
HMS Anglesea was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Plymouth in 1694, although not ordered from the dockyard, but as a commercial contract with Mr Flint, with labour and materials supplied from the dockyard by the Master Shipwright, Elias Waffe. She was ordered on 17 February 1692.
HMS Chester was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched 21 March 1691. She was ordered on 20 March 1690 to be built at Woolwich Dockyard by Master Shipwright Joseph Lawrence - on the same day as her stable-mate Centurion, and six days after the first ship of this batch - to a similar design to the prototype of this "123-ft" type - the Sedgemoor of 1687. She was launched on 21 March 1691.
HMS Chatham was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, the first of five such ships to be ordered in 1690. The Chatham was built by Master Shipwright Robert Lee at the eponymous dockyard, and launched on 20 October 1691. She was designed to the same lines as Lee's previous 50-gun ship, the Sedgemoor of 1687 - her specification was for a length of 123 ft, breadth of 34ft 3in and depth in hold of 13ft 9in, although she measured very slightly more on completion.
HMS Centurion was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched in 1691. She was ordered on 20 March 1690 to be built at Deptford Dockyard by Master Shipwright Fisher Harding - on thye same day as her stable-mate Chester, and six days after the first ship of this batch - to a similar design to the prototype of this "123-ft" type - the Sedgemoor of 1687. The specified dimensions in the ordxer were for a length of 125 ft by 32ft 6in by 13ft 4in, but on completion she measured about 8 inches longer and in breadth. She was launched on 6 March 1691.
HMS Norwich was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, launched at Portsmouth Dockyard in 1691. She was one of two 50-gun ships ordered on 15 August 1690 to be built by Master Shipwright William Stigant at Portsmouth Dockyard.
HMS Portland was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Woolwich Dockyard on 28 March 1693. One of two 50-gun ships ordered on 17 February 1692.
HMS Dartmouth was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the English Royal Navy, ordered on 21 June 1692 to be built by commercial contract with the master shipwright John Shish in Rotherhithe, and launched there on 24 July 1693.
HMS Rochester was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, and the fifth such ship to be ordered in 1692. She was launched at Chatham Dockyard on 15 March 1693.
HMS Romney was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, ordered to be built by commercial contract by Sir Henry Johnson on 16 November 1693, and both ships were launched at the contractor's Blackwall Yard on 23 October 1694. The Romney was commissioned in 1695 under Captain Edmund Loades, for service in the Mediterranean.
HMS Burlington was a 50-gun fourth rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built by Sir Henry Johnson's Blackwall Yard, and launched on 16 September 1695. The commercial contract had originally been agreed with Johnson on 16 November 1693, but the latter two were delayed and a fresh contract for them agreed on 7 December 1694.
HMS Severn was a 50-gun fourth-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched at Sir Henry Johnson's Blackwall Yard on 16 September 1695. The commercial contract had originally been agreed with Johnson on 16 November 1693, but the latter two were delayed and a fresh contract for them agreed on 7 December 1694.
HMS Falcon was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. She had a very brief career in the Royal Navy as she was captured shortly after commissioning by two French ships. She was recaptured in 1703 then broken.
HMS Drake was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. After commissioning she was lost within three months on the Irish Coast in a storm on 20 December 1694.
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