| Medea | 5326 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nominal Guns | 28 | BWAS-1714 | |
| Nationality | Great Britain | BWAS-1714 | |
| Operator | The Royal Navy | BWAS-1714 | |
| Ordered | 1776/05/14 | BWAS-1714 | |
| Keel Laid Down | 1778/04/28 | BWAS-1714 | |
| Launched | 1778/04/28 | BWAS-1714 | |
| How acquired | Purpose built | BWAS-1714 | |
| Shipyard | Bristol | BWAS-1714 | |
| Ship Class | Enterprise Class | BWAS-1714 | |
| Designed by | John Williams | BWAS-1714 | |
| Constructor | James Martin Hillhouse | BWAS-1714 | |
| Category | Sixth Rate | BWAS-1714 | |
| Ship Type | Frigate | BWAS-1714 | |
| Sold | 1805 | BWAS-1714 | |
Dimensions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimension | Measurement | Type | Metric Equivalent | BWAS-1714 |
| Length of Gundeck | 120' 9 ½" | Imperial Feet | 36.8173 | Length of Keel | 99' 4" | Imperial Feet | 30.2768 | Breadth | 33' 10" | Imperial Feet | 10.3124 | Depth in Hold | 11' 0 ½" | Imperial Feet | 3.3655 | Burthen | 604 77⁄94 | Tons BM |
Armament | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1778/04/28 | Broadside Weight = 117 Imperial Pound ( 53.0598 kg) | BWAS-1714 | ||
| Upper Gun Deck | 24 | British 9-Pounder | ||
| Upper Gun Deck | 12 | British 1/2-Pound Swivel | ||
| Quarterdeck | 4 | British 3-Pounder | ||
| 1780 | Broadside Weight = 174 Imperial Pound ( 78.909 kg) | BWAS-1714 | ||
| Upper Gun Deck | 24 | British 9-Pounder | ||
| Quarterdeck | 4 | British 6-Pounder | ||
| Quarterdeck | 4 | British 18-Pound Carronade | ||
| Forecastle | 2 | British 18-Pound Carronade | ||
| Crew Complement | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | # of Men | Notes | Source |
| 1771/01/03 | 200 | Design Complement | |
| Commanders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1778/05 | 1778/08 | Captain | The Hon. William Cornwallis | BWAS-1714 |
| 1778/08 | 1780/09 | Captain | James Montagu | BWAS-1714 |
| 1780/09 | 1781/10 | Captain | Henry Duncan | BWAS-1714 |
| 1782 | 1784/01 | Captain | Erasmus Gower | BWAS-1714 |
| 1798/04 | 1798/04 | Commander | George Frederick Ryves | BWAS-1714 |
| Warrant Officers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | Rank | Name | Source |
| 1796/12/04 | 1797/03/13 | Boatswain | Thomas Needham | NAO |
| Service History | Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1778/04/28 | building at Bristol at a cost of £6326.2.0d | BWAS-1714 |
| 1778/08/10 | coppering and fitting at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £5351.19.2d | BWAS-1714 |
| 1778/10 | Present at the Action of 1778-10 | |
| 1779 | In the Channel and North Sea | BWAS-1714 |
| 1779/06/16 | Took the Privateer Sloop Le Duc de la Vauguyon | |
| 1780/10/08 | Sailed for North America | BWAS-1714 |
| 1781/01/14 | Took the Privateer Ship Morning Star | |
| 1781/03/16 | Present at the Battle of Cape Henry | |
| 1781/05/01 | Took the Privateer Sloop Phoenix | |
| 1781/05/05 | Took the Sixth Rate Ship Protector | |
| 1781/06/20 | Took the Privateer Ship Rover off Cape Sable, Nova Scotia | |
| 1781/08/04 | Took the Privateer Ship Belisarius | |
| 1781/08/13 | Took the Privateer Brigantine Marianne | |
| 1781/08/29 | Took the Privateer Brigantine Favorite | |
| 1781/09/05 | Present at the Battle of the Chesapeake | |
| 1781/10 | Returned home | BWAS-1714 |
| 1782/02/06 | Sailed with Bickerton's squadron for the East Indies | BWAS-1714 |
| 1782/09/03 | Present at the Battle of Trincomalee | |
| 1783/01/16 | Took the Unrated Corvette Le Chasseur | |
| 1783/01/30 | The Dutch 50-gun East Indiaman Vrijheid was captured under the guns of Cuddalore, on the Indian coast, by the boats of the Medea. The Vrijheid was unfortunately wrecked soon after her capture. | TRN4 |
| 1783/06/20 | Present at the 2nd Battle of Cuddalore | |
| 1784/01 | Home and paid off into ordinary at Portsmouth | BWAS-1714 |
| 1801 | Damaged by grounding | BWAS-1714 |
| 1801/10 | Re-classed as a UnratedHospital Ship | |
| Sources | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ID | Description | Author | Type |
| BWAS-1714 | British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 - 1792 | Rif Winfield | Book |
| NAO | The National Archive - Trafalgar Ancestors | Various | Web Site |
| TRN4 | The Royal Navy : a history from the earliest times to the present Vol IV | William Laid Clowes | Digital Book |