British Fifth Rate frigate 'Ceres' (1781)

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Ceres	3535
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	7.5.1779	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.9.1779	BWAS-1714
Launched	19.9.1781	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Liverpool - Lancashire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Active Class	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward Hunt (d.bef.1740)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	& Webb Fearon	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	3.1830	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck126' 3 ½"Imperial Feet38.4175
Length of Keel103' 9"Imperial Feet31.4706
Breadth35' 5"Imperial Feet10.6934
Depth in Hold11' 11 ½"Imperial Feet3.3655
Burthen692 ¹⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

19.9.1781Broadside 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

13 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
25.7.1781 - 17.12.1783Captain James Hawkins-Whitshed (1762-1849) Transfered ADM 6/22/317ADM 6/2222.11.1790Captain Thomas Williams (1761-1841) ADM 6/24/88ADM 6/249.1.1793 - 9.8.1794Captain Richard Incledon (1755-1825) ADM 6/24/192ADM 6/2413.5.1794 - 9.8.1794Captain Thomas Hamilton ADM 6/25/97
Confirmed 20.10.1794ADM 6/259.8.1794 - 1794Captain Thomas Peyton ADM 6/25/73ADM 6/251795Captain John PeytonBWAS-17141796Captain James Newman (d.1811)BWAS-17141797 - 1798Captain Robert Waller Otway (1770-1846)BWAS-17141.1799 - 6.1799Captain Richard Harrison PearsonBWAS-17147.1799 - 2.1801Commander John NicholasBWAS-171414.2.1801 - 21.3.1801Commander Charles JonesBWAS-171421.3.1801 - 12.1801Commander James Russell (d.1801)†BWAS-17144.1803 - 1804Commander James JohnstoneBWAS-1714

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
15.4.1814 - 30.5.1815Lieutenant William Bohun Bowyer (1789-?)NBD1849

3 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
22.1.1793 - 28.3.1794Master Thomas PriceADM 29-114.12.1803 - 31.1.1811Master George LouttitADM 29-11812 - 1814Surgeon Gabriel JohnstonNA-ROA

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
17.12.1806 - 18072nd Class Volunteer Edward Parker Bedwell (d.1856)NBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
19.9.1781building at Liverpool - Lancashire at a cost of £13644.6.2dBWAS-1714
8.4.1782Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
6.7.1782Took the Privateer Fox
28.9.1782Took the Ship Matilda (22)
24.2.1784

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1784Began small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1784Completed small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4464.0.0dBWAS-1714
4.1790Began great repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
3.1792Completed great repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
12.1792Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
2.1793Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
22.6.1793Took the Privateer La Petite Victoire (6)
24.11.1793Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
2.2.1794At the capture of MartiniqueBWAS-1714
12.1795Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
21.3.1796Attack on Leogane
1797On the Jamaica StationBWAS-1714
2.1798Took the Privateer La Ste Marie de Louvaine (2)
3.1798Took the Privateer La Créole (6)
12.5.1798Took the Privateer La Sally
18.5.1798Took the Privateer La Goulette
30.5.1798Took the Privateer L'Aventure
1.6.1798Sank the La Mutine (2) off San JuanBWAS-1714
8.6.1798Took the Privateer Le Cargo (2)
6.1799Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
7.1799Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Troop Ship
7.1799Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6330.0.0dBWAS-1714
4.1803Slop ship at the NoreBWAS-1714
4.1803Refitted as a Other Vessels Slop Ship
4.1803Began fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
5.1803Completed fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
12.1812Moved to Chatham as dockyard flagshipBWAS-1714
8.1816Victualling depot at ChathamBWAS-1714
3.1830Broken up at ChathamBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/22 Archive

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/25 Archive

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ADM 29-1 Document

NA-ROA Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Barry Jolly on Tuesday 16th of January 2018 16:14

Please note that Captain Thomas Peyton was appointed to Ceres in August 1794, and not his brother John. (All very confusing as there were three Peyton brothers, all Captains at the same time.) Thomas Peyton took over from Captain Hamilton.
He moved to Minerva in July 1795.

Posted by Tim Oakley on Thursday 23rd of November 2017 19:57

Circa Feb 1800 Lieut. Barley Reynolds, of the Ceres, died of an apoplexy, with which he was seized whilst playing at backgammon. He was universally esteemed and respected and was most honourably attended to the grave by Capt NichoIas, and all the other officers, part of the ship's company, and the whole of the marines of the ship he belonged to.
29 Mar 1803 Lieut Johnston, an experienced officer, has been appointed in command of the Ceres, which is to be stationed at the Nore, as a slop ship.

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