British Fifth Rate ship of the line 'Assurance' (1780)

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Assurance	3167
Nominal Guns	44	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	20.5.1778	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	11.6.1778	BWAS-1714
Launched	20.4.1780	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Roebuck Class	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Sir Thomas Slade (1703-1771)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John Randall (1755-1802)	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	3.1815	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck140' 4"Imperial Feet42.6745
Length of Keel115' 11 ½"Imperial Feet35.0647
Breadth38' 2"Imperial Feet11.5888
Depth in Hold16' 4 ½"Imperial Feet4.8895
Draught Forward10' 3"Imperial Feet3.1242
Draught Aft14' 9"Imperial Feet4.3244
Burthen898 ⁴⁵⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

20.4.1780Broadside Weight = 285 Imperial Pound ( 129.2475 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

7.1793Broadside Weight = 456 Imperial Pound ( 206.796 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck22 British 24-Pound Carronade
Upper Gun Deck20 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade

6.1796Broadside Weight = 90 Imperial Pound ( 40.815 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck16 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1769280Design Complement

11 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
27.4.1780 - 7.5.1781Captain James Cumming (1738-1808) ADM 6/22/119BWAS-17147.5.1781 - 6.2.1784Captain William Swiney: on board from 30.5.1781 ADM 6/22/537
Issued by Marriot Arbuthnot (1711-1794), North America
Commission confirmed 5.11.1782BWAS-171421.9.1790 - 6.2.1791Captain James Robert Mosse (d.1801) ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2423.10.1790 - 6.2.1791Commander William Grosvenor (d.1809) ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/242.2.1791 - 5.1.1792Commander John Shortland (d.1803): on board from 6.2.1791 ADM 6/24/106BWAS-171426.4.1793 - 12.1794Captain Velters Cornewall Berkeley (1754-1804) ADM 6/24/233BWAS-171412.1794 - 4.1795Commander Wyndham Bryer (d.1794)BWAS-17144.1795 - 9.1695Captain Charles SawyerBWAS-17149.1795 - 18.8.1795Commander Charles Ogle (1775-1858)BWAS-17147.1796 - 8.1796Lieutenant John NorrisBWAS-17148.1796 - 10.1798Lieutenant Ranceford TookeyBWAS-1714

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
5.1781 - 15.4.1783First Lieutenant Thomas Williams (1761-1841)ODNB

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
20.5.1780 - 6.2.1784Master John Pike (d.1818)ADM29-1

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1794Able Seaman John L StoveADM 171/81794Able Seaman Robert SutherlandADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
20.4.1780building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £12364.13.8dBWAS-1714
20.4.1780Began coppering at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
15.7.1780Completed coppering at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
27.10.1780Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
23.5.1781Took the Brig Duke of Leinster (14)
17.6.1781Took the Frigate Rattlesnake (20) North America
15.9.1781Took the Brig Fair American (8)
6.2.1784

Paid off

BWAS-1714
3.1785Began middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
10.1785Completed middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £8578.5.7dBWAS-1714
27.11.1790

Paid off

BWAS-1714
2.1791RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1791Refitted as a 22 gun Unrated Troop Ship
2.1791Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
4.1791Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £2692.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.5.1791Sailed for Halifax with troopsBWAS-1714
4.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1794Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
5.1794Sailed for the West IndiesBWAS-1714
18.8.1795

Paid off at Sheerness Dockyard

BWAS-1714
1796Transfered to the Transport BoardBWAS-1714
2.1796Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
6.1796Refitted as a 22 gun Unrated Troop Ship
7.1796RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1796Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £7008.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.1796Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
10.1798Returned home from the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
3.1799Placed in ordinary at WoolwichBWAS-1714
3.1799Refitted as a Unrated Receiving Ship
3.1799fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1695.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.1815Broken up at WoolwichBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/24 Archive

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

ADM29-1 Document

ADM 171/8British Admiralty, Document

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Brian Stephens on Monday 7th of April 2014 18:24

Edinburgh Advertiser April 25, 1780
This day was launched at Rotherhithe, the Assurnace, a fine new frigate of 44 guns, on the new establishment. She is as long as the old 50 gun ships, and is to carry 34 guns on the main deck, and 10 on the quarter.

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