HMS Gibraltar (1711)

Last updated

History
Naval Ensign of Great Britain (1707-1800).svg Great Britain
NameHMS Gibraltar
Ordered24 January 1711
Builder Royal Dockyard, Deptford
Launched18 October 1711
Commissioned1712
FateSold 16 March 1749
General characteristics
Type24-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen280+2394 bm
Length
  • 94 ft 1 in (28.7 m) gundeck
  • 76 ft 7 in (23.3 m) keel for tonnage
Beam26 ft 2.75 in (8.0 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold11 ft 6 in (3.5 m)
Sail plan ship-rigged
Armament
  • 20 × 6-pdr 19 cwt guns on wooden trucks (UD)
  • 4 × 4-pdr 12 cwt guns on wooden trucks (QD)
General characteristics as rebuilt 1727
Type20-gun Sixth Rate
Tons burthen374+6694 bm
Length
  • 106 ft 10 in (32.6 m) gundeck
  • 87 ft 9 in (26.7 m) keel for tonnage
Beam28 ft 4 in (8.6 m) for tonnage
Depth of hold9 ft 2 in (2.8 m)
Sail plan ship-rigged
Armament20 × 6-pdr 19 cwt guns on wooden trucks (UD)

HMS Gibraltar was the name ship of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. [1] After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters and North America on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Deptford between 1725 and 1727. After her rebuild, she served in Home Waters, North America, the West Indies, and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She was sold in 1749. [2]

Contents

Gibraltar was the first vessel in the Royal Navy to be given this name, which commemorated the capture by the Royal Navy of the Rock of Gibraltar in 1704. [3]

Construction

She was ordered on 24 January 1711 from Deptford Dockyard to be built under the guidance of Joseph Allin, Master Shipwright of Portsmouth. She was launched on 18 October 1711. [4]

Commissioned service

She was commissioned in 1712 under the command of Commander John Shorter, RN (promoted to captain in January 1713) for service in Ireland for 'owling'. She then came under the command of Captain Edward Falkingham, RN, for the Newfoundland convoy, and subsequently Captain Beaumont Waldron, RN, for service in the Channel. She was refitted at Deptford from March to July 1720 at a cost of £1,993.19.8d. [Note 1] She was surveyed on 13 November 1724. [5]

Rebuild at Deptford 1725–1727

She was dismantled at Deptford in preparation for rebuilding as a 374 tom 20-gun sixth rate. Her rebuild commenced in January 1725 with her launching on 8 August 1727. The dimensions after rebuild were gundeck 106 feet 0 inches (32.3 metres) with a keel length of 87 feet 9 inches (26.7 metres) for tonnage calculation. The breadth would be 28 feet 4 inches (8.6 metres) with a depth of hold of 9 ft 2 in (2.8 m). The tonnage calculation would be 37466/94 tons. [6] The gun armament as established in 1713 would be twenty 6-pounder 19 hundredweight (cwt) guns mounted on wooden trucks. [7] She was completed for sea on 2 September 1727 at a cost of £6,723.16.4d. [Note 2] [8]

Commissioned service after rebuild

She was commissioned in 1728 under the command of Captain John Byng, RN In July 1728 she was under the command of Captain John Stanley, RN for Wager's Fleet in the straits, then moved to the Mediterranean. In 1752 Captain Henry Medley was in command for secret service in 1732 then to Maryland in 1733 and then to the Barbary Coast in 1734. She underwent a middling repair and refitted at Sheerness for £1,181.10.4d [Note 3] from March to May 1735. After completion, she was commissioned under Captain John Durell, RN for service in the English Channel. [9] In 1736, Captain Richard Norris took command for Tagus and then to the Mediterranean. Upon her return, she underwent a middling repair at Portsmouth for £4,296.5.5d [Note 4] from May through October 1740. She was recommissioned in July 1740 under Captain Purvis, RN. Captain George Cokburne, RN took command in June 1741 and was off Oporto, followed by Captain Thorp Fowke, RN in May 1742 for the North Sea, and Captain Philip Durell, RN took command in 1743. She was to have been fitted for service in the West Indies but this was cancelled. She underwent a small repair at Sheerness costing £2,371.1.5d between December 1743 and January 1744. [Note 5] Captain Richard Chadwick, RN took command in January 1744 for service in the North Sea followed by Captain Coningsby Norbury, RN in November 1744 and Captain John Barker in September 1745. November 1746 she was in the Thames approaches under Captain Frederick Hyde, RN. Between October 1747 and February 1748 she underwent a middling repair at Sheerness for £2,167.18.8d. [Note 6] She was paid off in July 1748 and underwent a survey on 13 December 1748. [10]

Disposition

HMS Gibraltar was sold by Admiralty Order (AO) 23 December 1748 for £340 [Note 7] on 16 March 1749. [11]

Notes

  1. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £316,900 in today's money.
  2. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £1,063,900 in today's money.
  3. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £197,400 in today's money.
  4. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £662,200 in today's money.
  5. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £429,500 in today's money.
  6. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £361,800 in today's money.
  7. A total cost accounting for inflation of approximately £56,800 in today's money.

Citations

  1. Winfield 2009
  2. Winfield 2007
  3. Colledge
  4. Winfield 2009
  5. Winfield 2009
  6. Winfield 2007
  7. Winfield 2009
  8. Winfield 2007
  9. Winfield 2007
  10. Winfield 2007
  11. Winfield 2007

Related Research Articles

HMS Phoenix was built as a fireship as part of the 1693–94 programme of Fireships. After her commissioning she spent time in the English Channel then joined the Fleet for the Battle of Vigo Bay followed by the Battle of Velez-Malaga. She went aground in the Isles of Scilly and was salvaged. While laid up at Plymouth in 1708 was rebuilt as a 24-gun sixth rate. After recommissioning she spent her time in Home Waters, North America and the West Indies. She was rebuilt again in 1727 before finally being sold in 1744.

HMS Seaford was a member of the standardized 20-gun sixth rates built at the end of the 17th century. After she was commissioned she had a very varied career, starting in the Mediterranean then the Irish Sea, then to Newfoundland, the North Sea followed by a great repair then to the Leeward Islands. She was dismantled in 1722 and rebuilt as a bomb vessel in 1727 than a 20-gun sixth rate in 1728. She served in the West Indies, America and the Mediterranean. She was finally broken in 1740.

HMS Nightingale was a development of the standardize 20-gun sixth rates and were built at the beginning of the 18th Century. After she was captured by French privateer galleys in 1707 then recaptured four months later. She was renamed HMS Fox and continued service until she was rebuilt at Deptford. Her breaking was completed in January 1738.

HMS Deal Castle was a 24-gun sixth-rate ship of the Royal Navy, purchased in 1706 and in service in West Indies, North America and English waters until 1727 when she was rebuilt at Sheerness. She commissioned after her rebuild in May 1727 and served in Home waters, North America and the West Indies. She was finally broken at Deptford in August 1746.

HMS Squirrel was designed by Richard Stacey, Master Shipwright of Woolwich. Her design was based on the standardize 20-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she was assigned to Home Waters then the Mediterranean. She took a privateer in 1710. She was dismantled at Deptford with her timbers sent to Woolwich Dockyard for rebuilding as a 374-ton (bm). She was finally broken in 1749.

HMS Solebay was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters, North America, and the West Indies on trade protection duties. She was converted to a bomb ketch with 3 mortars and six guns in 1726. She became a fireship in 1734 then converted back to a 24-gun sixth rate in 1735. Her final conversion was into a hospital ship to lie at Tower Wharf in 1742. She was sold in 1748.

HMS Port Mahon was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in home waters and North America on trade protection duties. She was broken up at Plymouth in May 1740.

HMS Blandford was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters and the Baltic on trade protection duties. She was lost with all hands in a storm in the Bay of Biscay in March 1719.

HMS Blandford was a member of the 1719 Establishment Group of 20-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters, the Baltic, North America and the Mediterranean on trade protection duties. She was sold at Deptford in October 1742.

HMS Hind was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home Waters and the Baltic on trade protection duties. She was lost with all hands in a storm in the Bay of Biscay in March 1719.

HMS Seahorse was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters and North America on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Deptford between 1725 and 1727. After her rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America, West Indies and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She was sold in 1749.

HMS Rose was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters and North America on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Woolwich between 1722 and 1724. After her rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America, West Indies and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She was sold in 1744.

HMS Bideford was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in West Indies, Morocco and Portugal on trade protection duties. She was rebuilt at Chatham in 1727. After her rebuild she served in Home Waters, North America and the Mediterranean on trade protection. She foundered off Flamborough Head in 1736.

HMS Lively was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun Sixth Rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters on trade protection duties. She was broken in 1738.

HMS Success was a member of the Gibraltar Group of 24-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent her career in Home waters, the West Indies and the North America on trade protection duties. She was sold in 1743.

HMS Greyhound was a member of the 1719 Establishment Group of 20-gun sixth rates. After commissioning she spent the first part of her career in North America and the West Indies. Later she was in Home Waters and finishing in the Mediterranean on trade protection duties. She was sold at Deptford in October 1742.

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.

HMS Shoreham was a 32-gun fifth rate vessel built under contract at Shoreham in 1693/94. During the War of the English Succession she was involved in the unsuccessful operation at Camaret Bay. At the end of the war she helped take half a French convoy off Ireland. She then deployed to North America and the West Indies. She was rebuilt as a 20-gun sixth rate to the 1719 Establishment in 1719/21. She served in the Baltic as a bomb vessel then reverted to a sixth rate. She participated in operations in the West Indies during the initial years of the War of Austrian Succession before being sold in 1744.

References