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

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

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 Commanding Officers

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

1 Flag Officer

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

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.8.1805 - 23.12.1805LieutenantJohn SmithNAO29.8.1805 - 18.12.1805LieutenantGeorge Macrae (d.1823)NAO2.9.1805 - 9.9.1809LieutenantGeorge William Bourn (d.1843)NAO5.9.1805 - 30.1.1806LieutenantJohn S PierceNAO2.10.1805 - 3.12.1805Acting LieutenantMathew HayNAO

6 Warrant Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1.12.1793 - 7.11.1795MasterPeter Peterson (d.1815)ADM29-114.11.1795 - 31.5.1797BoatswainGeorge William Forster (d.1820)NAO1799PurserEdward EilbeckSNL179930.3.1803 - 31.1.1806GunnerWilliam ShepherdNAO1.8.1805 - 6.2.1806SurgeonDavid GardnerNAO13.8.1805 - 8.4.1809BoatswainWilliam ScarthNAO

20 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
11.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Captain's ClerkJohn Page BaileyNAO27.9.1805 - 22.2.1806MidshipmanCharles Beckham (1785-?)NAO10.10.1805 - 24.12.1805MidshipmanJohn Clark (1781-?)NAO10.10.1805 - 31.12.1806MidshipmanThomas Blease (1784-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 24.12.1805MidshipmanCharles Frazier (1785-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 15.1.1806MidshipmanPhilip James Elmhurst (1781-?)NAO11.10.1805 - 11.2.1806MidshipmanJohn Page BaileyNAO11.10.1805 - 22.2.1806MidshipmanJoseph FordNAO11.10.1805 - 12.10.1807MidshipmanDonald Campbell (1781-?)NAO15.10.1805 - 27.2.1810MidshipmanJohn Chancellor (1790-?)NAO16.10.1805 - 19.2.1806MidshipmanAndrew Winterscale (1791-?)NAO19.10.1805 - 3.12.1805MidshipmanFrederick White (1791-?)NAO19.10.1805 - 4.3.1810MidshipmanJames Wightman (1791-?)NAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805MidshipmanWilliam Frazier (1784-?)NAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805MidshipmanJames GordonNAO12.2.1806 - 19.2.1806Captain's ClerkJohn Page BaileyNAO2.7.1806 - 21.2.1808MidshipmanJames GordonNAO1.1.1807 - 18.3.1809Captain's ClerkThomas Blease (1784-?)NAO13.8.1807 - 9.5.1808Master's MateDonald Campbell (1781-?)NAO4.1809 - 12.1810MidshipmanAndrew Barclay (1793-1848)NBD1849

16 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class VolunteerJohn Chancellor (1790-?)NAO1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class VolunteerAndrew Winterscale (1791-?)NAO30.8.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class VolunteerJames Wightman (1791-?)NAO2.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanDonald Campbell (1781-?)NAO3.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanPhilip James Elmhurst (1781-?)NAO3.9.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class VolunteerFrederick White (1791-?)NAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanJoseph FordNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanJames GordonNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanWilliam Frazier (1784-?)NAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805LandmanThomas Blease (1784-?)NAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805Able SeamanJohn Clark (1781-?)NAO15.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanCharles Frazier (1785-?)NAO25.12.1805 - 27.1.1806Able SeamanCharles Frazier (1785-?)NAO1.1.1806 - 14.1.1806Able SeamanWilliam Frazier (1784-?)NAO1.1.1806 - 1.7.1806Able SeamanJames GordonNAO10.5.1808 - 30.5.1808Able SeamanDonald 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

Previous comments on this pageno comments to display

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Thursday 5th of December 2019 13:57	William Fisher	George Younghusband (1776-1806)
Tuesday 3rd of December 2019 14:40	Darrin Zielinski	British Merchant east indiaman 'Durrington' (1739) (26)
Monday 2nd of December 2019 05:15	Tim Oakley	British sloop 'Fleche' (1798) (18)
Saturday 30th of November 2019 05:17	Tim Oakley	British Fourth Rate frigate 'Cornwallis' (1805) (50)
Friday 29th of November 2019 01:51	Karen Tate	British Merchant east indiaman 'Prince William Henry' (1788)

GDPR Statement