HMS Deal Castle (1697)

Last updated

History
English Red Ensign 1620.svg England
NameHMS Deal Castle
Ordered24 December 1696
Builder Royal Dockyard, Deptford
Launched6 November 1697
Commissioned28 October 1697
Captured3 July 1706
FateBy French privateer on 3 July 1706
General characteristics
Type20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen240+39 bm
Length
  • 91 ft 11 in (28.0 m) gundeck
  • 77 ft 8 in (23.7 m) keel for tonnage
Beam24 ft 1.25 in (7.3 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold10 ft 9.5 in (3.3 m)
Armament
  • initially as ordered
  • 20 × sakers on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 × 3-pdr on wooden trucks (QD)
  • 1703 Establishment
  • 20 × 6-pdrs on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 × 4-pdr on wooden trucks (QD)

HMS Deal Castle was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. After she was commissioned she was in Newfoundland, the West Indies, the Irish Sea, Jamaica, and back to Home Waters. She was captured by the French in 1706. [1]

Contents

Deal Castle was the first ship in the Royal Navy. [2]

Construction

She was ordered in the Fourth Batch of four ships from Deptford Dockyard to be built under the guidance of their Master Shipwright, Fisher Harding. She was launched on 6 November 1697. [3]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned on 28 October 1697 under the command of Captain Henry Fowles, RN. In 1698 Captain Sir Thomas Hardy took command. Captain Fowles re-assumed command in 1699 and sailed for Newfoundland. In 1700, Captain Edmund Doyley, RN assumed command and sailed to North America and the West Indies in 1700 and 1701. In 1702 she was surveying the Irish Coast. Following Captain Doyley's death on 10 May 1703, Commander Henry Scott, RN assumed command for service in the North Sea. In 1704 Commander John Trehearne, RN took command and proceeded to Jamaica, where he died in 1705. In 1706 Commander Chaloner Ogle, RN took command. [4]

Loss

She was taken by a French 26-gun privateer off Ostend on 3 July 1706. [5]

Citations

  1. Winfield
  2. Colledge
  3. Winfield
  4. Winfield
  5. Winfield

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HMS Experiment 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 career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1724. Her breaking was finally completed at Portsmouth in 1738.

HMS Sheerness was a fifth rate built under the 1689 programme built at Sheerness Dockyard. Her guns were listed under old terms for guns as demi-culverines, sakers and minions. After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, North America, Mediterranean and the West Indies. She was reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate in 1717 then rebuilt as a Modified 1719 Establishment sixth rate in 1731. She was sold in 1744.

HMS Speedwell was a fireship of the 1689 Programme built under contract. She would be rebuilt and rerated several times from a fireship to a 24-gun fifth rate then reduced to a 20-gun sixth rate and finally a bomb ketch. She was at the Battle of Barfleur in 1692 and had an attempted mutiny in 1699. After her first rebuild she was employed in the Irish Sea capturing four privateers and recapturing a sloop. She was wrecked on the Dutch coast in 1720.

References