British Third Rate ship of the line 'Africa' (1781)

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Africa	384
Nominal Guns	64	B028
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	11.2.1778	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	2.3.1778	BWAS-1714
Launched	11.4.1781	B028
First Commissioned	3.1781	B028
How acquired	Built by Contract	B028
Shipyard	Deptford Green - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards	B028
Ship Class	Inflexible Class	B028
Designed by	John Williams (1700-?)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	William Barnard (1735-1795)	B028
Category	Third Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Broken Up	5.1814	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck169' 10"Imperial Inch4.2926 (14′ 0″ Imperial)
Length of Keel132' 9"Imperial Inch3.3528 (10′ 11″ Imperial)
Breadth44' 9"Imperial Inch1.1176 (3′ 7″ Imperial)
Depth in Hold18' 1"Imperial Inch0.4572 (1′ 5″ Imperial)
Draught Forward11' 9"Imperial Inch0.2794 (0′ 10″ Imperial)
Draught Aft16' 0"Imperial Inch0.4064 (1′ 3″ Imperial)
Burthen1,425Tons BM

Armament

11.4.1781Broadside Weight = 600 Imperial Pound ( 272.1 kg)BWAS-1793
Lower Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

1794Broadside Weight = 678 Imperial Pound ( 307.473 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck10 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder
Roundhouse6 British 18-Pound Carronade

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1777500Design Complement

18 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
25.4.1781 - 8.1.1782Captain Thomas Newnham (d.1795) Transfered ADM 6/22/278BWAS-17148.1.1782 - 17.5.1784Captain Robert McDougall (1729-1816) ADM 6/22/395BWAS-17143.11.1790 - 14.12.1791Captain James Kempthorne (1737-1808) ADM 6/24/84ADM 6/249.10.1793 - 11.10.1796Captain Roddam Home (d.1801): on board from 22.10.1793 ADM 6/24/273BWAS-17149.1798 - 1800Lieutenant John BryantBWAS-17141800Lieutenant John Dixon (d.1803)BWAS-179331.7.1805 - 19.2.1806Captain Henry Digby (1770-1842)NAO1.1806 - 2.1806Captain James R FarquharsonBWAS-17142.1806 - 1806Captain Isaac WolleyBWAS-17146.1806 - 1807Captain James RossBWAS-17141807 - 2.1808Captain Henry William Bayntun (1766-1840)BWAS-17142.1808 - 2.1809Captain John Barrett (d.1810)BWAS-171410.1809 - 4.1810Captain Thomas DundasBWAS-17144.1810 - 7.1810Captain George Frederick Ryves (1758-1826)BWAS-17147.1810 - 10.1810Captain Stair DouglasBWAS-171410.1810 - 1811Captain Thomas Baker (1771-1845)BWAS-17141.1811 - 11.1811Captain John Surman Carden (1771-1858)BWAS-171411.1811 - 1812Captain John Bastard (c.1787-1835)BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
11.1811 - 1812Vice-Admiral of the Blue Herbert Sawyer (d.1833)BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.8.1805 - 23.12.1805Lieutenant John SmithNAO29.8.1805 - 18.12.1805Lieutenant George Macrae (d.1823)NAO2.9.1805 - 9.9.1809Lieutenant George William Bourn (d.1843)NAO5.9.1805 - 30.1.1806Lieutenant John S PierceNAO2.10.1805 - 3.12.1805Acting Lieutenant Mathew HayNAO

6 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.12.1793 - 7.11.1795Master Peter Peterson (d.1815)ADM 29-114.11.1795 - 31.5.1797Boatswain George William Forster (d.1820)NAO1799Purser Edward EilbeckSNL179930.3.1803 - 31.1.1806Gunner William ShepherdNAO1.8.1805 - 6.2.1806Surgeon David GardnerNAO13.8.1805 - 8.4.1809Boatswain William ScarthNAO

20 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
11.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Captain's Clerk John Page BaileyNAO27.9.1805 - 22.2.1806Midshipman Charles Beckham (1785-?)NAO10.10.1805 - 24.12.1805Midshipman John Clark (1781-?)NAO10.10.1805 - 31.12.1806Midshipman Thomas Blease (1784-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 24.12.1805Midshipman Charles Frazier (1785-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 15.1.1806Midshipman Philip James Elmhurst (1781-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 11.2.1806Midshipman John Page BaileyNAO11.10.1805 - 22.2.1806Midshipman Joseph FordNAO11.10.1805 - 12.10.1807Midshipman Donald Campbell (1781-?)NAO15.10.1805 - 27.2.1810Midshipman John Chancellor (1790-?)NAO16.10.1805 - 19.2.1806Midshipman Andrew Winterscale (1791-?)NAO19.10.1805 - 3.12.1805Midshipman Frederick White (1791-?)NAO19.10.1805 - 4.3.1810Midshipman James Wightman (1791-?)NAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805Midshipman James GordonNAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805Midshipman William Frazier (1784-?)NAO12.2.1806 - 19.2.1806Captain's Clerk John Page BaileyNAO2.7.1806 - 21.2.1808Midshipman James GordonNAO1.1.1807 - 18.3.1809Captain's Clerk Thomas Blease (1784-?)NAO13.8.1807 - 9.5.1808Master's Mate Donald Campbell (1781-?)NAO4.1809 - 12.1810Midshipman Andrew Barclay (1793-1848)NBD1849

16 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class Volunteer Andrew Winterscale (1791-?)NAO1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class Volunteer John Chancellor (1790-?)NAO30.8.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class Volunteer James Wightman (1791-?)NAO2.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman Donald Campbell (1781-?)NAO3.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman Philip James Elmhurst (1781-?)NAO3.9.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class Volunteer Frederick White (1791-?)NAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman James GordonNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman William Frazier (1784-?)NAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman Joseph FordNAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805Able Seaman John Clark (1781-?)NAO15.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able Seaman Charles Frazier (1785-?)NAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805Landman Thomas Blease (1784-?)NAO25.12.1805 - 27.1.1806Able Seaman Charles Frazier (1785-?)NAO1.1.1806 - 14.1.1806Able Seaman William Frazier (1784-?)NAO1.1.1806 - 1.7.1806Able Seaman James GordonNAO10.5.1808 - 30.5.1808Able Seaman Donald Campbell (1781-?)NAO

Service History

DateEventSource
7.1781Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £39003.24.7dBWAS-1714
6.2.1782Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
20.6.17832nd Battle of Cuddalore
5.1784Paid off after service in the East IndiesBWAS-1793
6.1784Fitted for ordinary at PlymouthBWAS-1793
12.1784Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
7.1785Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £10727.3.4dBWAS-1714
11.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
12.1790Paid offBWAS-1714
9.1793Began fitting at PlymouthBWAS-1714
10.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1793
2.1794Completed fitting at a cost of £8,460BWAS-1714
18.5.1794Sailed for Nova ScotiaBWAS-1714
21.3.1796Participated in the attack on LeoganeBWAS-1714
21.3.1796Attack on Leogane
10.1796Paid offBWAS-1714
9.1798Refitted as a Unrated Hospital Ship
9.1798fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £3966.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.1804Began fitting at Northfleet - Kent BWAS-1714
7.1805Recommissioned as a Third RateBWAS-1714
7.1805Refitted as a 64 gun Third Rate Ship of the Line
7.1805Completed fitting at Northfleet - Kent at a cost of £32208.0.0dBWAS-1714
21.10.1805Battle of Trafalgar
7.1807At the Cape of Good HopeBWAS-1714
20.12.1808Action against 25 Danish gunboats in the BalticBWAS-1714
28.1.1811Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
7.6.1812Took the Nautilus (12)
14.8.1812Chase of the Constitution (44)
3.1813Paid off

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