British Fifth Rate frigate 'Active' (1780)

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Active	2878
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	10.12.1778	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	2.1779	BWAS-1714
Launched	30.8.1780	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Northam - Devon	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward HuntBritish Ship Builder Administrator Dockyard Staff Service 1757-1786	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	13.7.1796	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 0"Imperial Feet38.4048
Length of Keel103' 9 ⅞"Imperial Feet31.4166
Breadth35' 7"Imperial Feet10.7036
Depth in Hold12' 2"Imperial Feet3.683
Burthen699 ²³⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

30.8.1780Broadside Weight = 246 Imperial Pound ( 111.561 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1778250Design Complement

8 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
11.8.1780 - 1.1.1783Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/160BWAS-17141.1.1783 - 23.12.1783Captain ADM 6/23/233
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 21.7.1784BWAS-171423.12.1783 - 7.1786Captain ADM 6/23/316
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 18.2.1786BWAS-171421.9.1790 - 22.11.1790Captain ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2422.11.1790Captain ADM 6/24/88ADM 6/241.1793 - 23.7.1794Captain TransferedBWAS-171423.7.1794 - 1795Captain ADM 6/25/65BWAS-17141796 - 13.7.1796CaptainBWAS-1714

3 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.11.1790 - 21.3.1791First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/92ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 31.3.1790Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/93ADM 6/2410.3.1793 - 7.1793Lieutenantref:616

Service History

DateEventSource
30.8.1780building at Northam - Devon at a cost of £8285.4.3dBWAS-1714
2.9.1780Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
18.11.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
13.3.1781Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
16.4.1781Battle of Porto Praya
1.7.1781Took the Ship near Saldhana Bay
21.7.1781Attack in Saldanha Bay
3.9.1782Battle of Trincomalee
7.1786Returned home to be paid offBWAS-1714
11.1791Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
1.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1793Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £17845.0.0dBWAS-1714
13.7.1796Wrecked on Anticosti island in the St Lawrence estuaryBWAS-1714
30.7.1796AbandonedBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 6/24 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Frank van Andel on Sunday 5th of February 2017 19:33

What happened to the crew of the Held Woltemade, which was taken near Saldhana Bay? In the VOC log it doesn't say they were killed, just "lifted" (= taken from board by the British)

Posted by Ian Bates on Friday 5th of October 2012 12:03

The captain of this frigate when it was wrecked in 1796 was Captain Edward Leveson-Gower (8 May 1776 – 6 December 1853).
Captain Sir Erasmus Gower was in command of HMS Triumph (74) at this time, not HMS Active (32).

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