British unrated fireship 'Spitfire' (1782)

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Spitfire6851
Nominal Guns8BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat BritainBWAS-1714
OperatorThe Royal NavyBWAS-1714
Ordered1780/11/28BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down1780/12BWAS-1714
Launched1782/03/19BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardIpswich BWAS-1714
ConstructorStephen Teague BWAS-1714
CategoryUnratedBWAS-1714
Ship TypeFireship BWAS-1714
Sold for Break Up1825/07/30BWAS-1714

Dimensions
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 10"Imperial Feet33.1724
Length of Keel90' 8"Imperial Feet27.6352
Breadth29' 7"Imperial Feet9.017
Depth in Hold9' 0"Imperial Feet 
Burthen422 6⁄94Tons BM 

Armament

1782/03/19Broadside Weight = 48 Imperial Pound ( 21.768 kg) BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8British 12-Pounder
1791/09Broadside Weight = 133 Imperial Pound ( 60.3156 kg) BWAS-1714
Gun Deck2British 6-Pounder
Gun Deck14British 18-Pound Carronade
Gun Deck4British 1/2-Pound Swivel
1807/02Broadside Weight = 48 Imperial Pound ( 21.768 kg) BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8British 12-Pounder
Crew Complement
Date# of MenNotesSource
177955Design Complement 
Commanders
FromToRankNameSource
1782/03/091782/11/15CommanderRobert MostynBWAS-1714
1782/11/151783/01/17CommanderThomas ByardBWAS-1714
1790/051790/05CommanderRobert WatsonBWAS-1714
1791/031791/09CommanderThomas Francis FremantleBWAS-1714
1791/091793/02/09CommanderJohn WoodleyBWAS-1714
1793/02/091793/06/24CommanderPhilip Charles Calderwood Henderson DurhamBWAS-1714
1793/06/241794/01CommanderJames Cook†BWAS-1714
1794/011794/10CommanderJohn ClementsBWAS-1714
1794/101796CommanderAmherst MorrisBWAS-1714
17961800/08/11CommanderMichael SeymourBWAS-1714
1800/08/111804CommanderRobert KeenBWAS-1714
1803/011803/04CommanderCharles BartholomewBWAS-1714
1806/021807/02CaptainWilliam GreenBWAS-1714
1807/021808CommanderHenry Samuel ButtBWAS-1714
18081814CommanderJohn EllisBWAS-1714
18141815/05CommanderJames Robert DaltonBWAS-1714
Commissioned Officers
FromToRankNameSource
1800/10/021804/09/12LieutenantRobert BloyeNBD1849
1808/02/211808/07/07LieutenantJohn Donaldson BoswallNBD1849
Service History
DateEvent Source
1782/03Commissioned for Channel ServiceBWAS-1714
1782/04/21Began coppering and fitting at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1782/07/18Completed coppering and fitting at Sheerness Dockyard at a cost of £3391.17.0dBWAS-1714
1783/04Paid offBWAS-1714
1783/07Began fitting for ordinary at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1783/08Completed fitting for ordinary at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1790/05Recommissioned and paid offBWAS-1714
1790/05Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1790/06Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard at a cost of £519.0.0dBWAS-1714
1791/03RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1791/04Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1791/05Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard at a cost of £1749.0.0dBWAS-1714
1791/09Paid offBWAS-1714
1791/09Recommissioned as a sloopBWAS-1714
1791/09Re-classed as a 16 gun UnratedSloop-of-War  
1793/02Took the Privateer Cutter L'Afrique  
1793/03Destroyed the privateer La Marguerite BWAS-1714
1793/03Took the Privateer Le St Jean  
1797/01/12Took the Unrated Storeship L'Allègre off Ushant 
1797/04/02Took the Privateer Les Bons Amis off Eddystone 
1797/05Took the Privateer La Trompeuse  
1797/05/01Took the Privateer L'Aimable Manet in the Channel 
1797/09/15Took the Privateer L'Incroyable off the Lizard 
1798/01Began refitting at Plymouth Dockyard BWAS-1714
1798/02Completed refitting at Plymouth Dockyard at a cost of £2449.0.0dBWAS-1714
1798/12/28Took the Unrated Transport Le Wilding in the Bay of Biscay 
1799/03/31Took the Privateer La Résolue off Scilly 
1800/04/17Took the Privateer L'Heureuse Societé in the Channel 
1800/06/19Took the Privateer L'Heureux Coureur in the Channel 
1805/04Began middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1806/02RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1806/04Completed middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard BWAS-1714
1806/12/29Took the Privateer Les Deux Frères in the Channel 
1807/02Recommissioned as a fireshipBWAS-1714
1807/02Re-classed as a 8 gun UnratedFireship  
1810/05/23Sailed with a convoy to QuebecBWAS-1714
1811At PortsmouthBWAS-1714
1813In GreenlandBWAS-1714
1814Off West AfricaBWAS-1714
1815/05Laid up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
1825/07/30Sold at Portsmouth to Mr Ranwell for £1,205 to break upBWAS-1714

Sources
IDDescriptionAuthorType
BWAS-1714 British Warships in the Age of Sail 1714 - 1792Rif WinfieldBook
NBD1849 A Naval Biographical Dictionary 1849O'BrienDigital Book
 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Friday 20th of July 2012 22:19

1791 May 27 Spitfire 8 fire ship commander Thomas Francis Fremantle at Spithead
1791 Jun 26 Spitfire 8 guard ship off Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
1791 Sept Spitfire 8 paid off
Ref : not Rif Winfield

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