British Fourth Rate ship of the line 'Assurance' (1646)

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Assurance	401
Nominal Guns	40	B028
Nationality	Kingdom of England
Operator	State Navy
Ordered	12.1645	BWAS-1603
Launched	1646	B028
First Commissioned	8.10.1646	B028
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Deptford Dockyard - Deptford	B028
Constructor	Peter Pett (1610-1672)	B028
Category	Fourth Rate	B028
Ship Type	Ship of the Line	B028
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	B028
Sold	1698	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB065
Length of Keel89' 0"Imperial Feet27.1272
Breadth26' 10"Imperial Feet7.9248
Depth in Hold11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528
Burthen340Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB028
Length of Gundeck106' 6"Imperial Feet32.3342
Breadth29' 0"Imperial Feet8.8392
Burthen456Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentB022
Length of Keel89' 0"Imperial Feet27.1272
Breadth26' 10"Imperial Feet7.9248
Depth in Hold13' 6"Imperial Feet4.0132
Burthen340 ⁸¹⁄₉₄Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1603
Length of Gundeck106' 7"Imperial Feet32.3384
Length of Keel89' 0"Imperial Feet27.1272
Breadth26' 10"Imperial Feet7.9248
Depth in Hold13' 6"Imperial Feet4.0132
Burthen340 ⁸¹⁄₉₄Tons BM
DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentDB002
Length of Gundeck89

Armament

1666Broadside Weight = 209 Imperial Pound ( 94.7816 kg)B022
Gun Deck10 British Culverin
Gun Deck24 British Demi-Culverin
Quarterdeck4 British Saker

1677Broadside Weight = 155 Imperial Pound ( 70.2926 kg)B022
Lower Gun Deck20 British Demi-Culverin
Upper Gun Deck18 British 6-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British Saker

1685Broadside Weight = 171 Imperial Pound ( 77.5485 kg)B022
Gun Deck8 British Culverin
Gun Deck12 British Demi-Culverin
Gun Deck14 British 6-Pounder
Gun Deck2 British 3-Pounder

1685Broadside Weight = 194 Imperial Pound ( 87.9794 kg)BWAS-1603
Gun Deck10 British Culverin
Gun Deck12 British Demi-Culverin
Gun Deck16 British Saker
Gun Deck4 British 3-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1646115 BWAS-1603
1652150EstablishmentB022
1660115EstablishmentB022
1666150EstablishmentB022
1670160EstablishmentB022
1.7.1673170ADM 8/1/1ADM8-DB
1.1.1679/80115For peaceADM8-DB
1.1.1679/80150For war abroadADM8-DB
1.1.1679/80180For war abroadADM8-DB

26 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
8.10.1646 - 1649CaptainWilliam Penn (d.1670)W0151650 - 1652CaptainBenjamin Blake (d.1689)BWAS-16031653 - 3.1652/53CaptainRobert Sanders (d.1666/67)BWAS-16033.1652/53 - 1660CaptainPhilip Holland (d.1666)BWAS-16031660 - 1661CaptainJohn StokesB0511661CaptainEdward Wye (d.1662)B0514.5.1661 - 16.3.1662/63CaptainJohn TyrwhittBWAS-16037.9.1664 - 6.1665CaptainJohn Jefferies (d.1666)B05118.6.1665 - 16.9.1665CaptainPhilemon Bacon (d.1666)B05118.9.1665 - 10.6.1666CaptainThomas Guy (d.1674)BWAS-160311.6.1666 - 29.10.1667CaptainJohn Narborough (1640-1688)B05130.10.1667 - 19.8.1638CaptainNapthali Ball (d.1672/73)BWAS-160313.7.1670 - 10.1.1671/72CaptainCharles Wylde (d.1683/84)B05110.12.1671 - 23.10.1672CaptainWilliam BeestonBWAS-160315.5.1672 - 3.9.1673CaptainRalph Lassells (d.1677)B0515.9.1673 - 23.4.1674CaptainHenry WilliamsB05122.4.1675 - 27.4.1675CaptainWilliam HoldenB0511.5.1676 - 28.1.1677/78CaptainSir Robert RobinsonB05114.5.1678 - 15.10.1678CaptainThomas Lovell (d.1680)BWAS-160315.5.1680 - 13.10.1682CaptainStephen Akerman (d.1693)B05124.5.1688 - 13.12.1688CaptainRandolph M'DonaldBWAS-16031689CaptainSimon Fowkes (d.1702)BWAS-16031690CaptainJohn Mayne (d.1712)BWAS-16031691 - 1692CaptainIsaac Townsend (d.1731)BWAS-16031693CaptainJohn Price (d.1709)BWAS-16031694CaptainWilliam FazebyBWAS-1603

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1661LieutenantGeorge Liddell (d.1672)B051

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
13.7.1689 - 24.6.1690MidshipmanEdward Demeritt (c.1665-?) ADM 107/1/26ADM 107/123.10.1689 - 14.4.1690Quarter GunnerJoseph Joyner (c.1671-?) ADM 107/1/36ADM 107/13.8.1690 - 27.10.1692Master's MateThomas Rayly (c.1664-?) ADM 107/1/16ADM 107/116.2.1690/91 - 9.12.1691Master's MateThomas Teddiman (d.1752) ADM 107/1/30ADM 107/1

3 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
4.10.1681 - 4.12.1681Not RatedJohn Humphreys ADM 107/1/90ADM 107/130.10.1688 - 13.7.1689Able SeamanEdward Demeritt (c.1665-?) ADM 107/1/26ADM 107/131.12.1691 - 5.7.1692Able SeamanCovill Mayne (c.1674-1746) ADM 107/1/98ADM 107/1

Service History

DateEventSource
1646Part of the Winter Guard 1646/47BWAS-1603
1646Completed at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2352.0.0dBWAS-1603
1647

Service in the Irish Sea until 1649

BWAS-1603
10.3.1649/50Blockade of the Tagus
26.7.1650

Sent in at night to alarm Prince Ruperts ships anchored under the guns of Fort St. Julian, which fired on the Assurance

TRN2
14.9.1650

Took part in Robert Blake's interception of the Spanish 'Brazil Fleet'. Boarding the Spanish Vice-Admiral and saving most of her men from burning.

BWAS-1603
10.1650Took a Portugese 28-gun frigateBWAS-1603
1651Part of fleet in the MediterraneanBWAS-1603
19.5.1652Battle of Dover
28.9.1652Battle of Kentish Knock
1653Off the Dutch coast during the Winter of 1653/54BWAS-1603
18.2.1652/53Battle of Portland
2.6.1653Battle of the Gabbard
31.7.1653Battle of Scheveningen
8.1655In the MediterraneanBWAS-1603
1659

Operations in the Sound (Øresund )

BWAS-1603
1660Refitted as a 32 gunner
8.12.1660

Was sunk by a storm at Woolwich . Twenty men were drowned. She was salvaged

BWAS-1603
17.12.1660

Refloated

B022
1661

At Tangier

BWAS-1603
31.7.1661

At Algiers

BWAS-1603
3.6.1665Battle of Lowestoft
3.9.1665Took the Ship of the Line Westfriesland (50) BWAS-1603
1666Refitted as a 38 gunner
1.6.1666Four Days Battle
25.7.1666St James Day Battle
9.8.1666Holmes' Bonfire
25.6.1667Battle of Martinique
28.5.1673First Battle of Schooneveld
4.6.1673Second Battle of Schooneveld
11.8.1673Battle of Texel
31.8.1673

Pay record starting 15.3.1672 for a period of 16 months, 3 weeks & 5 days for a value of 4,029.0.0d. ADM 8/1/6

ADM8-DB
28.9.1673

At Deptford

ADM8-DB
1677Refitted as a 42 gunner
1677

Sailed for The Mediterranean Sea

BWAS-1603
30.8.1677Took the Ship Date Tree (28) BWAS-1603
1678

In the English Channel

BWAS-1603
1689

Off Dunkerque

BWAS-1603
1690Refitted as a Fifth Rate
1692

Sailed for the Colony of Virginia

BWAS-1603
1694

Guardship at Sheerness

BWAS-1603

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
1647-1648	Winter Guard of 1647	Thomas Rainsborough
9.1649-1650	Winter Guard of 1649
14.2.1649/50-1652	Fleet sent to Lisbon	Robert Blake (1598-1657)
1659-1659	British Baltic Fleet 1659	Edward Montagu (d.1672)

Notes on Ship

Cost of buildingB022

The total cost of building the Assurance was £3,830.2.0d broken down as

Hull	£2,618.0.0d
Cordage	£292.0.0d
Cables	£452.5.0d
Anchors	£175.17.0d
Blocks, Tops and Pumps	£79.0.0d
Sails	212.10.0d

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

BWAS-1603Rif WinfieldBook

B065Brian LaveryBook

B022Rif WinfieldBook

DB002Joseph E. GarlandDigital Book

ADM8-DBSamuel McLeanArchive

W015VariousWeb Site

B051John CharnockDigital Book

ADM 107/1 Archive

TRN2William Laid ClowesDigital Book

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