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 (1777)	B028
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	William BarnardBritish Ship Builder Service 1763-1795	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 Transfered ADM 6/22/278BWAS-17148.1.1782 - 17.5.1784Captain ADM 6/22/395BWAS-17143.11.1790 - 14.12.1791Captain ADM 6/24/84ADM 6/249.10.1793 - 11.10.1796Captain: on board from 22.10.1793 ADM 6/24/273BWAS-17149.1798 - 1800LieutenantBWAS-17141800LieutenantBWAS-179331.7.1805 - 19.2.1806CaptainNAO1.1806 - 2.1806CaptainBWAS-17142.1806 - 1806CaptainBWAS-17146.1806 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17141807 - 2.1808CaptainBWAS-17142.1808 - 2.1809CaptainBWAS-171410.1809 - 4.1810CaptainBWAS-17144.1810 - 7.1810CaptainBWAS-17147.1810 - 10.1810CaptainBWAS-171410.1810 - 1811CaptainBWAS-17141.1811 - 11.1811CaptainBWAS-171411.1811 - 1812CaptainBWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
11.1811 - 1812Vice-Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1714

7 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
3.11.1790 - 1790Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/84ADM 6/243.11.1790 - 15.1.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/84ADM 6/241.8.1805 - 23.12.1805LieutenantNAO29.8.1805 - 18.12.1805LieutenantNAO2.9.1805 - 9.9.1809LieutenantNAO5.9.1805 - 30.1.1806LieutenantNAO2.10.1805 - 3.12.1805Acting LieutenantNAO

9 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.12.1793 - 7.11.1795MasterADM 29-114.11.1795 - 31.5.1797BoatswainNAO1799PurserSNL179930.3.1803 - 31.1.1806GunnerNAO1.8.1805 - 1805Surgeonref:18761.8.1805 - 6.2.1806SurgeonNAO13.8.1805 - 8.4.1809BoatswainNAO14.8.1805 - 7.11.1805Master Discharged Sickref:187615.9.1805 - 1805Second Masterref:1876

20 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
11.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Captain's ClerkNAO27.9.1805 - 22.2.1806MidshipmanNAO10.10.1805 - 24.12.1805MidshipmanNAO10.10.1805 - 31.12.1806MidshipmanNAO11.10.1805 - 24.12.1805MidshipmanNAO11.10.1805 - 15.1.1806MidshipmanNAO11.10.1805 - 11.2.1806MidshipmanNAO11.10.1805 - 22.2.1806MidshipmanNAO11.10.1805 - 12.10.1807MidshipmanNAO15.10.1805 - 27.2.1810MidshipmanNAO16.10.1805 - 19.2.1806MidshipmanNAO19.10.1805 - 3.12.1805MidshipmanNAO19.10.1805 - 4.3.1810MidshipmanNAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805MidshipmanNAO11.11.1805 - 31.12.1805MidshipmanNAO12.2.1806 - 19.2.1806Captain's ClerkNAO2.7.1806 - 21.2.1808MidshipmanNAO1.1.1807 - 18.3.1809Captain's ClerkNAO13.8.1807 - 9.5.1808Master's MateNAO4.1809 - 12.1810MidshipmanNBD1849

16 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class VolunteerNAO1.8.1805 - 15.10.18051st Class VolunteerNAO30.8.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class VolunteerNAO2.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO3.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO3.9.1805 - 18.10.18051st Class VolunteerNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO13.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805Able SeamanNAO15.9.1805 - 10.10.1805Able SeamanNAO15.9.1805 - 9.10.1805LandmanNAO25.12.1805 - 27.1.1806Able SeamanNAO1.1.1806 - 14.1.1806Able SeamanNAO1.1.1806 - 1.7.1806Able SeamanNAO10.5.1808 - 30.5.1808Able SeamanNAO

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
9.7.1812Took the Ship B044
11.7.1812Took the Ship ref:1298
14.8.1812Chase of the
3.1813Paid off

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Stephen Callaghan on Monday 27th of February 2023 08:03

this page was a great help.

Do you have any further details of William Scarth. I understand he is a distant relative of mine and I think he was born in the Orkneys in 1785 - date provided by my cousin who lives in South Shields.

My grandmother was Mary (Polly) Scarth born sometime in the 1890's and moved to Jarrow in about 1913 where my mother was born

Posted by Brian S. Clayton on Tuesday 6th of July 2021 09:21

Thank Cy. I am researching the effect that the actions of HMS Africa had at the Battle of Trafalgar. Times that she engaged various ships etc. Comments on the effects of smoke obscuring vision, which could explain why Dumanoir took so long to go to the assistance of Villeneuve.

Posted by Cy on Friday 11th of June 2021 14:12

The National Archives have pay ADM 34/5, muster ADM 36, captains ADM 51 and masters ADM 52 logs. Some of which cover the Trafalgar period. Search for Africa in ADM.
They are not digitised though so a visit will be required.
You may find some Lieutenants logs, ADM/A, in the Royal Museum Greenwich's archive collections.

Posted by Brian S. Clayton on Friday 11th of June 2021 07:59

Does anyone know the where abouts of HMS Africa's logbooks at the Battle of Trafalgar? Needed for research for a proposed book about the actions of the ship and crew during the battle.

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