Ships

A word of caution: the standard references don’t all agree on the descriptions of individual men-of-war of the eighteenth century. That’s not surprising as over a long career ships would have had a number of different armaments, rates and rigs. The descriptions that I have offered for historical ships are correct (as far as I can tell) for the chronology of the series.

Fury

Fury is Edward Carlisle’s first ship as a post-captain. He commanded her from September 1755 to August 1756. Holbrooke served as master’s mate and first lieutenant in Fury.

Originally built to the twenty-gun, sixth-rate establishment of 1741, Fury’s armament has been increased and she is now rated as a twenty-four. She carries twenty 9-pound cannons on the upper deck, four 9-pound cannons on the gun deck (her ‘antique little demi-batterrie‘) and four small 6-pound cannons on the quarterdeck.

Fury has a complement of 160 including a captain, a lieutenant, a master, a bosun, a gunner, a carpenter, a surgeon, a purser, two master’s mates, four midshipmen, a marine lieutenant, a marine sergeant, a marine corporal, and thirty-five marine privates.

She is 112′ 6″ on the gundeck, 32′ 3″ in the beam, 11′ 10″ depth in the hold, and displaces 514 tons (builder’s measurement). She has a conventional ship rig of the period with a half-lateen mizzen and no royals. She carries two boats: a pinnace and a cutter.

Medina

Medina is Carlisle’s second ship as a post-captain. He commanded her from September 1756 to August 1759. Holbrooke served as Carlisle’s first lieutenant in Medina until November 1757.

Built as a twenty-eight gun sixth-rate frigate of the Lowestoffe class, Medina carries twenty-four 9-pound cannons on her upper deck and four 3-pound cannons on her quarterdeck. She also mounts twelve half-pound swivel guns on her gunwales and her fighting tops.

Medina has a complement of 200 including a captain, a lieutenant, a master, a bosun, a gunner, a carpenter, a surgeon, a purser, two master’s mates, four midshipmen, a marine lieutenant, a marine sergeant, a marine corporal, and thirty-five marine privates.

She is 117′ 10″ on the gundeck, 33′ 9″ in the beam, 10′ 3″ depth in the hold, and displaces 587 tons (builder’s measurement). She has a conventional ship rig of the period with a half-lateen mizzen and no royals. She carries three boats: a 22′ longboat which is the ship’s heavy working boat, a 28′ pinnace which is narrower and lighter than the longboat, and a 23′ yawl.

Kestrel

Kestrel is Holbrooke’s first ship as a master and commander. He was commissioned into Kestrel in November 1757 and served as her captain until September 1758.

Built as the Dutch privateer Torenvalk of sixteen 8-pound cannons, she was renamed Kestrel in British service and her broadside was reduced to sixteen 6-pound cannons. She also mounts twelve half-pound swivel guns on her gunwales.

As a 16-gun, unrated, flush-decked ship-sloop, Kestrel has a total complement 125, including a captain, a lieutenant, a master, a bosun, a gunner, a carpenter, a surgeon, a purser, 2 master’s mates, 2 midshipmen, a marine second lieutenant, a marine sergeant, a marine corporal, and 25 marine privates.

Kestrel is 93′ on the gundeck, 27′ in the beam, and displaces 300 tons (builder’s measurement). Her Dutch builders gave her a shallow draught of 12′. Kestrel is ship-rigged with a gaff driver on the mizzen and no royals. Her tiller is replaced by a wheel at Portsmouth yard and she has a windlass instead of capstan. She carries three boats: a longboat, a yawl and a gig.

Dartmouth

Dartmouth is Carlisle’s first ship-of-the-line as a post-captain. He took command in September 1759.

Dartmouth is a 50-gun fourth-rate ship-of-the-line of the 1745 establishment. She carries twenty-two 24-pound cannons on her lower deck, twenty-two 12-pound cannons on her upper deck, four 6-pound cannons on her quarterdeck, two 6-pound cannons on her fo’c’sle and twenty half-pound swivel guns on her gunwales and in her fighting tops.

She has a complement 350, including a captain, 3 lieutenants, a master, a bosun, a gunner, a carpenter, a surgeon, a purser, 2 master’s mates, 10 midshipmen, 1 marine lieutenant, 2 sergeants, 2 corporals, 1 drummer, and 50 marine privates

Dartmouth was built by Benjamin Slade at Plymouth Dock and was launched in 1747. She is 144′ on the gundeck, 41′ 2″ in the beam, 17′ 8″ depth in the hold, and displaces 1,061 tons (builder’s measurement), with a draught of 18′ 6″. She has a conventional ship rig of the period with a half-lateen mizzen and no royals. Dartmouth carries four boats: a 30′ sixteen-oared longboat with a lug rig and bowsprit (changed to gaff rig in late 1760), a 32′ ten-oared pinnace, a 28′ eight-oared yawl, and a 25′ six-oared cutter

Mohawk

Mohawk is Lynton’s first command. He captured the first Mohawk from the French on Lake Ontario in June 1759 and lost her off Duck Island in July 1759. Two days later he captured her sister ship and again named her Mohawk.

Mohawk is a topsail schooner. She carries six French three-pound cannons and eight half-pound swivel guns. She has a variable complement of between twenty and fifty, including a master and commander, a bosun and a purser. Her crew is made up of New England bateaux-men and gunners from the Royal Artillery.

Two schooners were built by the British at Oswego in 1756 and brought into French service when they raided Oswego later in that year. One of the schooners was named Huron by the French, the other’s name under French ownership is not known. Mohawk is 61′ on the gundeck, 20′ in the beam, and displaces 106 tons (builder’s measurement). She is rigged as a topsail schooner with gaff main and foresails, square topsails (no topgallants), a fore staysail and jib.  In 1759, under British ownership, she carries a whaleboat.

Argonaut

Argonaut is Holbrooke’s first command as a post-captain. He took command in October 1759.

Argonaut is a 28 gun sixth rate frigate of the Coventry class. She carries twenty-four nine-pound cannon on the upper deck, four six-pound cannon on the quarterdeck and twelve half-pound swivel guns on her gunwales and in her fighting tops.

She has a complement of 200 including a captain, a lieutenant, a master, a bosun, a gunner, a carpenter, a surgeon, a purser, two master’s mates, four midshipmen, a marine lieutenant, a marine sergeant, a marine corporal, and thirty-five marine privates.

Argonaut was built at Moody Janverin’s yard on the Hamble and was launched in October 1759. She is 118′ 4^3/4” on the gundeck, 97′ 2^3/4” on the keel, 33′ 11″ in the beam, 10′ 6″ depth in the hold, and displaces 599 tons (builder’s measurement), with a draught of 13′ 11″. She has a conventional ship rig of the period with a half-lateen mizzen and no royals. Argonaut carries Three boats: a 22′ longboat which is the ship’s heavy working boat, a 28′ pinnace which is narrower and lighter than the longboat, and a 23′ yawl.

Argonaut Cost £5,130.5.6d (contract at £8.15.0d per ton) and £3,976.19.9d for fitting . She took 11 months to build from contract to launch and 2 months fitting out.

ALL THE SHIPS MENTIONED IN THE SERIES

Click below to download a list of all the ships used in the series.