British Fifth Rate frigate 'Inconstant' (1783)

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Joseph TauntonBritish
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Service 1695-1697
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Hampton Court (70) 1701-1707
British 70 Gun
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Inconstant	4857
Nominal Guns	36	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	8.12.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	12.1782	BWAS-1714
Launched	28.10.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	8.1790	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Deptford Green - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Perseverance Class (1779)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward HuntBritish Ship Builder Administrator Dockyard Staff Service 1757-1786	BWAS-1714
Constructor	William BarnardBritish Ship Builder Service 1763-1795	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Broken Up	11.1817	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck137' 9"Imperial Feet41.7638
Length of Keel114' 2"Imperial Feet34.7508
Breadth38' 3 ½"Imperial Feet11.5951
Depth in Hold13' 5"Imperial Feet4.0047
Burthen890 ³⁵⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

28.10.1783Broadside Weight = 354.5 Imperial Pound ( 160.7661 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

4.1798Broadside Weight = 84 Imperial Pound ( 38.094 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck16 British 9-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck4 British 6-Pounder

1806Broadside Weight = 354.5 Imperial Pound ( 160.7661 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

6.1809Broadside Weight = 471 Imperial Pound ( 213.5985 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1779260Design Complement

12 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.12.1787Captain ADM 6/23/439ADM 6/2330.8.1790 - 9.1791Captain ADM 6/24/63BWAS-17148.1.1793 - 1794Captain ADM 6/24/192BWAS-17141.1794 - 2.1794CaptainBWAS-17141.1795 - 9.1797CaptainBWAS-17144.1798 - 10.1799CommanderBWAS-171418.12.1799 - 20.4.1802Commander Discharged ADM 196/3/4BWAS-171410.1802 - 12.1802CaptainBWAS-171412.1802 - 1810CaptainBWAS-171410.1810 - 12.1810CaptainBWAS-171412.1810 - 1812CaptainBWAS-17143.1814 - 1816CaptainBWAS-1714

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1806 - 1808Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-17148.1815CommodoreBWAS-1714

11 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
30.8.1790 - 30.9.1790First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/63ADM 6/2430.8.1790 - 5.10.1790Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/63ADM 6/2430.8.1790 - 23.1.1791Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/63ADM 6/246.10.1790 - 1790First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/74ADM 6/2427.10.1790 - 23.1.1791Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/2424.1.1791 - 21.3.1791First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/104ADM 6/2424.1.1791 - 21.3.1791Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/104ADM 6/2424.1.1791 - 1791Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/104ADM 6/2422.3.1791 - 1791First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/111ADM 6/2424.3.1791 - 9.9.1791Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/111ODNB1795Acting LieutenantADM 171/8

3 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.8.1783 - 8.2.1793Gunner ADM 196/1/23ADM 29-13.9.1790 - 6.9.1791MasterADM 29-19.1.1793 - 1795Master

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1808MidshipmanNBD1849

3 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1795Able SeamanADM 171/81795Able SeamanADM 171/81795LandmanADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
22.3.1783Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
23.10.1783building at Deptford Green - Deptford - Barnards' Thames Yards at a cost of £16226.0.1dBWAS-1714
28.10.1783Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
6.1790Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
3.11.1790Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £6627.0.0dBWAS-1714
9.1791Paid offBWAS-1714
1.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1793Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
2.1793Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7239.0.0dBWAS-1714
4.1793Sailed to the West IndiesBWAS-1714
3.6.1793Took the Brig-Aviso
7.1793Returned to EnglandBWAS-1714
21.11.1793Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
14.3.1795Action off Genoa
25.3.1795Took the Brig
8.1795off VadoBWAS-1714
20.4.1796Took the Corvette at BomaBG
26.6.1796Evacuation of LeghornBWAS-1714
9.1797Paid offBWAS-1714
3.1798Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
4.1798RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1798Refitted as a 20 gun Unrated Troop Ship
6.1798Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7193.0.0dBWAS-1714
28.1.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth for Guernsey

TNC
7.4.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth for Dublin with troops, armed en-flute.

TNC
10.1799Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1799Began refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
12.1799RecommissionedBWAS-1714
3.1800Completed refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4787.0.0dBWAS-1714
1.6.1800Operation in Quiberon Bay
1801Operations off EgyptBWAS-1714
10.1803Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1803Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
12.1805Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
1806Flagship in the Channel Islands until 1808BWAS-1714
2.1806Refitted as a 36 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
2.1806Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1808Began large repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
6.1809RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1809Completed large repair at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
1810Paid offBWAS-1714
9.1810Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
10.1810RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1810Broken up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
12.1810Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714

Previous comments on this page

Posted by AvM on Monday 10th of July 2017 15:16

Hampshire Chronicle - Monday 20 October 1817
Royal Cornwall Gazette - Saturday 01 November 1817

The Inconstant has been taken into dock, at Portsmouth, to be repaired; but v,as found »o extensively defective, that it is expected she will be broken up.

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