British Fifth Rate ship 'Dover' (1740)

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Dover

3963
Nominal Guns44BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Launched7.1.1739/40BWAS-1714
First Commissioned1.1741BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardBronsdon's Yard - Deptford BWAS-1714
Ship Class1733 Establishment 44-GunnerBWAS-1714
ConstructorPeter Bronsdon (d.1745)BWAS-1714
CategoryFifth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip BWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sold6.10.1763BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck124' 5"Imperial Feet37.8005 
Length of Keel101' 4 ⅜"Imperial Feet30.7943 
Breadth35' 10 ¼"Imperial Feet10.6744 
Depth in Hold14' 5 ½"Imperial Feet4.2799 
Depth in Hold14' 6"Imperial Feet4.3053 
Burthen693 9⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


7.1.1739/40Broadside Weight = 222 Imperial Pound ( 100.677 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1733250Design Complement

12 Commanding Officers


DatesRankNameSource
10.1.1740/41 - 27.1.1742/43CaptainGeorge Burrish (d.1770) ADM 6/16/368BWAS-171428.1.1742/43 - 27.9.1744CaptainFrederick Rogers (c.1716-1775) ADM 6/16/140BWAS-17142.10.1744 - 24.1.1746/47CaptainRichard Collins (d.1779) ADM 6/16/368ADM 6/1624.1.1746/47 - 5.12.1747CaptainWashington Shirley (1722-1778) ADM 6/17/193BWAS-17145.12.1747 - 17.8.1748CaptainCharles Knowler (d.1789) ADM 6/17/291BWAS-171428.10.1755 - 23.4.1757CaptainChristopher Hill (c.1716-1778) ADM 6/18/204BWAS-171423.4.1757 - 18.10.1758CaptainJohn Bladen Tinker (c.1725-1767) ADM 6/18/389BWAS-171417.10.1758 - 27.10.1759CaptainJohn Albert Bentinck (1737-1775) ADM 6/18/548BWAS-171411.4.1760 - 21.7.1760CaptainBasil Keith (c.1734-1777) ADM 6/19/157BWAS-171421.7.1760 - 29.3.1762CaptainPhilip Tufton Perceval (1740/41-1795) ADM 6/19/182BWAS-171429.3.1762 - 29.6.1762CaptainChaloner Ogle (d.1814) ADM 6/19/487
Issued by George Brydges Rodney (1719-1792)
Commission confirmed 22.4.1763BWAS-17142.7.1762 - 26.2.1763CaptainLancelot Holmes (c.1729-1785) ADM 6/19/487
Issued by George Pocock (1705/6-1792), East Indies - Asia
Commission confirmed 22.4.1763BWAS-1714

12 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
20.1.1740/41 - 4.2.1740/41Second LieutenantGeorge Vachell (d.1748) ADM 6/15/371ADM 6/155.2.1740/41 - 6.11.1744First LieutenantGeorge Vachell (d.1748) ADM 6/15/378ADM 6/155.2.1740/41 - 20.2.1740/41Third Lt. & Lt. at ArmsWilliam Griffiths ADM 6/15/378ADM 6/1521.2.1740/41 - 27.1.1742/43Second LieutenantWilliam Griffiths ADM 6/16/388ADM 6/1521.2.1740/41 - 27.1.1742/43Third Lt. & Lt. at ArmsCornelius Smelt (c.1719-1755) ADM 6/16/388ADM 6/1511.5.1744 - 6.11.1744Second LieutenantAlexander Blyth (c.1708-c.1751) ADM 6/16/307ADM 6/164.6.1744 - 6.11.1744Third Lt. & Lt. at ArmsJohn Daniel (d.1746)ADM3547.11.1744 - 14.7.1747First LieutenantAlexander Blyth (c.1708-c.1751) ADM 6/16/381ADM 6/167.11.1744 - bef.21.4.1746Second LieutenantJohn Daniel (d.1746) ADM 6/16/381ADM 6/1621.4.1746 - 14.1.1746/47Second LieutenantJohn Thane ADM 6/17/188
Issued by William Rowley (1690-1768), The Mediterranean Sea
Commission confirmed 9.1.1746/47ADM 6/1721.4.1746 - 15.1.1746/47Third Lt. & Lt. at ArmsWilliam Hall (c.1718-1798) ADM 6/17/197
Issued by Peter Warren (1703-1752), Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Commission confirmed 2.5.1747ADM 6/1719.1.1746/47 - 17.8.1748First LieutenantJohn Thane ADM 6/17/192ADM 6/17

Service History


DateEventSource
7.1.1739/40building at Deptford - London at a cost of £7119.0.0dBWAS-1714
7.1.1739/40Began Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
5.4.1741Completed Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £4403.6.4dBWAS-1714
10.1743In the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
1744In the North Sea and ChannelBWAS-1714
11.1745Sailed with a convoy to AmericaBWAS-1714
1.1746Began small repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
3.1745/46Completed small repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £3382.9.8dBWAS-1714
4.1746At LouisbourgBWAS-1714
14.6.1747Took the Privateer L'Huistre BWAS-1714
27.9.1747Took the Frigate La Renommée (30) in the Channel
16.11.1747Took the Ship Le Jean Frederick (22) and carried in FalmouthBG
17.8.1748

Paid off

ADM 51
12.1749Began small repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
5.1750Completed small repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £3823.2.5dBWAS-1714
29.7.1755Ordered to be fitted for seaBWAS-1714
10.1755RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1757In home watersBWAS-1714
12.1757Took the East Indiaman Le Pondichery (56)
18.4.1761Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
12.1761Sailed to the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
7.1.1762Operations against Martinique
24.2.1762At St LuciaBWAS-1714
24.2.1762Capture of Saint Lucia
3.1762In the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
4.1762Blockade of Cap FrancoisBWAS-1714
6.6.1762Operations against Havana
23.2.1763Paid offADM 51
29.3.1763Surveyed and an estimate for a large repair of £6,063 pounds givenBWAS-1714
30.8.1763Ordered to be soldBWAS-1714
6.10.1763Sold at Chatham for £500BWAS-1714


Fleets

DatesFleetFleet CommanderSource
1746-1746British Fleet at LouisbourgIsaac Townsend (1684-1765) 
 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 8th of September 2019 02:01

Dover arrived at Louisbourg on 21 Apr./3 May 1746 with two other 44s, Torrington and Fowey, and the troops from Gibraltar via the Chesapeake, where they, their transports, and their escorts had wintered. The ships then scattered, as follows:
• Dover to England on 9/20 Nov. with Louisbourg, fireship (local purchase), Kingston (58), Pembroke (60), Kinsale (44), Hinchinbrook (10), and Hampshire (50)
• Torrington to Newfoundland Banks for fisheries protection on 5/16 July, then to Englad
• Fowey to West Indies on 28 Nov./9 Dec. with Vice-Adm. Isaac Townsend and Norwich (50), Canterbury (60)
Source: W.A.B. Douglas, "Nova Scotia and the Royal Navy, 1713-1766," Ph.D. diss., Queen's Univ., Kingston, Ont., 1973, pp. 113-39. (PDF downloaded from Internet but originally on microfilm and perhaps at some research institutions in that format)

Posted by Cy on Sunday 1st of September 2019 21:54

Albert
I've added Richard Collins who was the missing captain.

There are some letters in the National Archives ADM 106/1026 from the Elizabeth River, Virginia dated 18 March 1745/6, by 26 October 1746 she is in Louisbourg.

Posted by Albert Parker on Sunday 1st of September 2019 20:52

Dover went to America in the fall of 1745 with reinforcements for the Louisbourg garrison, too late to deliver them, and had to remain in Virginia until the spring, when they could finally be taken to their destination. The ship was at Louisbourg during the summer, sailing for England on 9/20 Nov. I have not been able to find a captain for her between Rogers and Shirley.

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