British Fifth Rate frigate 'Hebe' (1782)

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Hebe -> 1805 Blonde	4672
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'L'Hébé' (1782) (38)
Captured	4.9.1782	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	St Malo - Brittany	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Hébé Class	NNF-1774
Designed by	Jacques-Noël Sané (1740-1831)	NNF-1774
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	6.1811	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck151' 3 ½"Imperial Feet46.0375
Length of Keel126' 1 ¾"Imperial Feet38.4239
Breadth39' 11 ½"Imperial Feet11.8999
Depth in Hold12' 5 ½"Imperial Feet3.6703
Burthen1,071 ¹⁸⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

9.1782Broadside Weight = 297 Imperial Pound ( 134.6895 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

12.1805Broadside Weight = 389 Imperial Pound ( 176.4115 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
9.1782280 BWAS-1714

9 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
4.12.1782 - 16.4.1783CaptainGeorge Keppel ADM 6/22/550BWAS-171430.9.1783 - 7.10.1785CaptainEdward Thornbrough (1754-1834) ADM 6/23/145BWAS-17148.1.1790 - 6.10.1791Captain Alexander Hood (1758-1798) ADM 6/24/15BWAS-171426.12.1791 - 3.12.1792CaptainWilliam Affleck (d.1794) ADM 6/24/157
Commission confirmed 3.3.1792ADM 6/2415.4.1793 - 7.7.1794Captain Alexander Hood (1758-1798) ADM 6/24/229ADM 6/249.7.1794 - 1796CaptainPaul Minchin ADM 6/25/58BWAS-17143.1798 - 1800CommanderWilliam BirchallBWAS-17141800 - 1802CommanderGeorge ReynoldsBWAS-17147.1806 - 7.1810CaptainVolant Vashon BallardBWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
23.5.1785 - 7.10.1785CommodoreThe Hon. John Leveson Gower (1740-1792) ADM 6/23/282BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
17.4.1783 - 22.1.1784First LieutenantClement Johnson (d.1798) ADM 6/23/52ADM 6/2317.4.1783 - 17.6.1785Third LieutenantAndrew Johnstone Skinner ADM 6/23/52ADM 6/2317.6.1785 - 7.10.1785Third LieutenantHRH Prince William Henry (Prince William Henry) (1765-1837) ADM 6/23/284ADM 6/2317.6.1785 - 7.10.1785Fourth LieutenantAndrew Johnstone Skinner ADM 6/23/285ADM 6/2317.3.1786 - 20.1.1790Third LieutenantAndrew Johnstone Skinner ADM 6/23/321ADM 6/23

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
12.1.1790 - 6.10.1791MasterBartholomew JacksonADM29-1

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
4.9.1782 - 1783MidshipmanMichael Fitton (1765-1852)NBD18492.1790 - 1791MidshipmanThomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839)ODNB1792Master's MateWilliam Pryce Cumby (1771-1837)ref:616

Service History

DateEventSource
23.12.1782Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
11.11.1783Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £8743.17.5dBWAS-1714
1784Recommissioned for the ChannelBWAS-1714
4.1785Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
5.1785Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4000.19.1dBWAS-1714
7.10.1785

Paid off

BWAS-1714
3.1787Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
5.1787Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4763.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.1790RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1792RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1793Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
7.1793Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £5293.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.1794Began refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
1.1795Completed refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £7461.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.5.1795Action in Carteret Bay
3.7.1795Took the Gunboat Vesuve (4)
2.1798Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
3.1798Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Troop Ship
5.1798Ostend operationsBWAS-1714
5.1798Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £8587.0.0dBWAS-1714
1800Egyptian operationsBWAS-1714
28.3.1800Embarked elements of the 40th Regiment of Foot at MargateJF1800
11.4.1802

Paid off and laid up at Chatham

BWAS-1714
17.7.1805Action off Calais
12.1805Refitted as a 38 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
24.12.1805Renamed BlondeBWAS-1714
1.1806Began middling repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
7.1806RecommissionedBWAS-1714
8.1806Completed middling repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £19907.0.0dBWAS-1714
7.7.1807Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
15.8.1807Took the Privateer La Dame Villaret (5)
16.8.1807Took the Privateer L'Hortense (8)
14.9.1807Took the Privateer L'Hirondelle (8)
23.9.1807Took the Schooner Le Duquesne (12)
14.10.1807Took the Privateer L'Alert (20)
13.12.1809Actions of December 1809
7.1810Paid offBWAS-1714
6.1811Broken up at DeptfordBWAS-1714

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
14.5.1798-20.5.1798	Raid on Ostend	Home Riggs Popham (1762-1820)

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

NNF-1774Alain DemerliacBook

ADM 6/24 Archive

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM29-1 Document

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

ODNBOxford University PressWeb Site

ref:616Nicholas TracyBook

JF1800Aeneas AndersonWeb Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Friday 28th of December 2018 18:45

On 8 October 1783 Thornbrough was given command of the crack frigate Hebe 38, serving in home waters and enjoying huge success in the prevention of smuggling whilst also undertaking some survey work. From June to September 1785 he cruised around the British Isles with the broad pennant of Commodore Hon. John Leveson-Gower, having Prince William aboard as a newly-commissioned lieutenant, He later served in Rear-Admiral Hon. John Leveson-Gower’s squadron of observation during 1788, and was present at the Kings Naval Review at Plymouth on 18 August 1789 prior to being paid off on 21 October.

Posted by Tim Oakley on Sunday 2nd of December 2018 18:47

Collection Correspondence of William IV
Reference GEO/MAIN/44685-44686
Title Letter from Prince William to George III, written aboard HMS Hebe, in Portland Roads
Date 6 November 1785
Writer William, Prince (1765-1837)
Addressee George III, King
Description Prince William writes of stormy weather during their last cruise and of the admiration he has for the Hebe. He hopes the King will grant him a promotion and the command of the Hebe - this will be, the Prince maintains, in the best interest of the reign.

Posted by Charles on Thursday 24th of July 2014 20:51

Portsmouth Dec 31, 1784 - Hebe frigate departs on a cruize (The Times 3 Jan 1785)

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