British fireship 'Aetna' (1739)

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Aetna	2915
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	British Merchant merchantman 'Mermaid' (1739)
Named	12.1739	BWAS-1714
Purchased	14.9.1739	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	1.3.1739/40	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Unknown	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Fireship	BWAS-1714
Sold	23.10.1746	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck81' 8"Imperial Feet24.892
Length of Keel66' 5 ½"Imperial Feet20.1295
Breadth22' 9"Imperial Feet6.8199
Depth in Hold11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528
Burthen183 ¹³⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

30.1740Broadside Weight = 26 Imperial Pound ( 11.7912 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 6-Pounder
Gun Deck8 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
3.1739/4045 BWAS-1714

8 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.3.1739/40 - 7.6.1741CommanderBenjamin Fenwick (d.1757) ADM 6/16/252BWAS-17148.6.1741 - 17.12.1742CommanderWilliam Boys (1700-1774) ADM 6/16/470BWAS-171418.12.1742 - 9.10.1743CommanderCharles Powlett (c.1711-1762) ADM 6/16/125BWAS-171410.10.1743 - 29.5.1744CommanderElliott Elliott (d.1745) ADM 6/16/227ADM 6/166.6.1744 - 15.10.1744CommanderDavid Brodie (1709-1787) ADM 6/16/317BWAS-171420.11.1744 - 21.11.1745CommanderEdward Keller (d.1750) ADM 6/16/389BWAS-17148.2.1745/46 - 16.4.1746CommanderWilliam Fortescue (d.1775) ADM 6/17/59ADM 6/1717.4.1746 - 11.9.1746CommanderLeonard Marshall (d.1773) ADM 6/17/92BWAS-1714

6 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
23.11.1742 - 6.12.1743LieutenantCharles Chasemore (d.bef.1752) ADM 6/16/119ADM 6/1623.12.1743 - 6.7.1744LieutenantGeorge Allan (c.1715-1757) ADM 6/16/252ADM 6/1614.7.1744 - 15.10.1744LieutenantAndrew Laing (d.1748) ADM 6/16/339ADM 6/1616.11.1744 - 11.1.1744/45LieutenantSamuel Tilley (c.1718-?) ADM 6/16/375ADM 6/1625.7.1745 - 21.11.1745LieutenantBenjamin Jenkins (c.1724-?) ADM 6/16/517ADM 6/1615.2.1745/46 - 11.9.1746LieutenantProbert Morgan (d.1756) ADM 6/17/64ADM 6/17

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
31.12.1741 - 21.1.1741/42Yeoman of the Powder RoomJames Worth (c.1722-?) ADM 107/3/504ADM107/3

Service History

DateEventSource
14.9.1739Purchased at Unknown at a cost of £640.19.8dBWAS-1714
19.9.1739Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
6.5.1740Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £2050.5.2dBWAS-1714
4.3.1740/41Operations against Cartagena
6.1741In home watersBWAS-1714
11.1741Began middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
3.1741/42Completed middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3300.2.1dBWAS-1714
12.1743refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
6.1744In the ChannelBWAS-1714
11.1745In home watersBWAS-1714
21.11.1745

Paid off

ADM 51
1.8.1746

Ordered to be sold

BWAS-1714
11.9.1746

Paid off

ADM 51
23.10.1746

Sold at Woolwich for £330

BWAS-1714

Notes on Ship

OriginBWAS-1714
Mercantile Mermaid purchased form Mr Chauncey Townsend

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/16 Archive

ADM 6/17 Archive

ADM107/3 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

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