British Fifth Rate frigate 'Licorne' (1778)

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Licorne	5094
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Licorne' (1755) (32)
Named	21.10.1778	BWAS-1714
Captured	18.6.1778	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Brest - Brittany	NNF-1715
Ship Class	Licorne Class	NNF-1715
Designed by	Jean Geoffroy	NNF-1715
Constructor	Jean Geoffroy	NNF-1715
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Sold	22.11.1783	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck127' 1"Imperial Feet38.7105
Length of Keel106' 7 ½"Imperial Feet32.3215
Breadth34' 7 ⅞"Imperial Feet10.3854
Depth in Hold10' 6 ¼"Imperial Feet3.0544
Burthen679 ⁸²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

10.1778Broadside Weight = 135 Imperial Pound ( 61.2225 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
10.1778220 BWAS-1714

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
21.10.1778 - 12.3.1779Captain Henry Bellew (c.1729-1791) ADM 6/21/462ADM 6/2112.3.1779 - 31.3.1781Captain Thomas Cadogan (d.1782) ADM 6/21/523BWAS-17147.6.1782 - 8.10.1783Captain William Henry Douglas (1763-1809): on board from 14.6.1782 ADM 6/23/246
Issued by George Brydges Rodney (Baronet ) (1719-1792), Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 1.10.1784BWAS-1714

Service History

DateEventSource
30.6.1778Arrived in PortsmouthBWAS-1714
9.1778Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
21.10.1778RegisteredBWAS-1714
1.1779Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4557.12.0dBWAS-1714
31.5.1779Took the Frigate L'Audacieuse (20)
20.6.1779Took the Brig General Sullivan (14)
1.1780Began coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
3.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £5814.14.8dBWAS-1714
5.7.1780Action off Cape Ortegal
24.12.1780Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
1781Sailed to JamaicaBWAS-1714
31.3.1781Paid offADM 51
4.1782At JamaicaBWAS-1714
8.10.1783

Paid off

BWAS-1714
2.12.1783Sold at Deptford for £740BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1715Alain Demerliac, Book

ADM 6/21 Archive

ADM 51 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by TF on Wednesday 23rd of January 2019 20:47

Additional contemporary confirmation of the capture of the L'Audacieuse and the General Sullivan by the Licorne {Spelled L corne} can be found in the Gentleman' magazine Vol 49 year 1779 p.468 under date September 11 under the heading "Admiralty Office" [Captured vessels spelled as "Audacute" and "General Sul.ivan" {writing not clear}] considering the time a message would have been to cross the ocean-not suprized it was about 3-4 months late

Posted by Bob Brooks on Wednesday 5th of June 2013 11:09

HMS Licorne was commissioned 21 Oct 1778 under the command of Captain Henry Bellew (ADM 6/21, p.462) with 1st Lieut. Richard Rudsdell & 2d Lieut Edward Pellew assigbed the next day (ibid., p.463). Captain the Hon'ble Thomas Cadogan was Licorne's second commander, commissioned 12 Mar 1779 (ibid., p.523)

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