British Sixth Rate ship 'Sphinx' (1779)

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Sphinx	20157
Nominal Guns	20	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Sixth Rate ship 'Le Sphinx' (1779) (20)
Captured	29.12.1779	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth
Category	Sixth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	24.6.1811	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 0"Imperial Feet32.9184
Length of Keel89' 7 ⅜"Imperial Feet27.1367
Breadth30' 1"Imperial Feet9.1694
Depth in Hold9' 8"Imperial Feet2.9464
Burthen431 ³⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

12.1779Broadside Weight = 90 Imperial Pound ( 40.815 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder

18 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
3.4.1779 - 25.8.1779Captain George Anson Byron (d.1793) Transfered ADM 6/22/195
Issued by John Byron (1723-1786), North America
Confirmed 9.11.1780ADM 6/2223.1.1780 - 23.5.1780Captain Francis John Hartwell (1757-1831) Transfered ADM 6/22/218
Issued by Hyde Parker (1713/14-1783), West Indies - North Atlantic Ocean
Confirmed 29.12.1780BWAS-171423.5.1780 - 26.9.1780Captain Charles Fitzgerald (1756-1810) Transfered ADM 6/22/182
Issued by Sir George Brydges Rodney (Baronet ) (1719-1792), Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 12.10.1780ADM 6/222.10.1780 - 3.10.1780Captain John Gore (1729-1790) ADM 6/22/178ADM 6/223.10.1780 - 9.4.1781Captain James King (1750-1784) Transfered ADM 6/22/178ADM 6/2231.1.1782 - 19.6.1783Captain Thomas Totty (d.1802) ADM 6/22/405BWAS-171419.6.1783 - 10.1786Captain John Markham ADM 6/23/87BWAS-171417.7.1790 - 6.1792Captain George Tripp ADM 6/24/51BWAS-171426.3.1793 - 4.10.1794Captain Richard Lucas ADM 6/24/223BWAS-17144.10.1794Captain Charles John Moore Mansfield (1760-1813) ADM 6/25/92ADM 6/254.10.1794 - 5.1795Captain Charles John Moore Mansfield (1760-1813)BWAS-17145.1795 - 3.1796Captain George BrisacBWAS-17143.1796 - 4.1796Commander John William Spranger (d.1822)BWAS-17144.1796 - 11.1796Commander Andrew Todd (d.1803)BWAS-171411.1796 - 9.1797Lieutenant Francis Holmes CoffinBWAS-17149.1797 - 1798Captain Thomas Alexander (d.1843)BWAS-17144.1799 - 6.1799Lieutenant Charles SmithBWAS-17146.1799Captain James OughtonBWAS-1714

3 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
20.2.1782 - 30.5.1782Lieutenant Henry Carew: on board from 26.2.1782 ADM 6/22/413ADM 6/2227.7.1790 - 1790Lieutenant James Fitzpatrick ADM 6/24/56ADM 6/2421.3.1795 - 2.1796Lieutenant James Brisbane (1774-1826)ref:616

Service History

DateEventSource
12.1779Recommissioned in the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
9.1780Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1781Began middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1782RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1782Completed middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
5.1783Paid offBWAS-1714
6.1783RecommissionedBWAS-1714
16.10.1783Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
10.1786Paid offBWAS-1714
12.1788Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1789Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £6979.0.0dBWAS-1714
7.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1790Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1790Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £3259.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1792Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1793Began fitting at Deptford - London BWAS-1714
3.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1793Completed fitting at Deptford - London at a cost of £1108.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.1.1794Took the Sloop La Trompeuse (16) off Cape Clear
10.1794RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.4.1795Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
17.8.1796At surrender of the Dutch in Saldanha BayBWAS-1714
2.12.1796Capture of Foul Point, MadagascarBWAS-1714
9.1797At the Cape of Good HopeBWAS-1714
6.1799Paid off?BWAS-1714
24.6.1811Breaking up begun at PortsmouthBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

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