British fireship 'Lucifer' (1778)

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Lucifer -> 1779 Avenger	5181
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Acquired	9.10.1778	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purchased on the Stocks	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John Randall (1755-1802)	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Fireship	BWAS-1714
Sold	12.6.1783	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck97' 10"Imperial Feet29.5656
Length of Keel79' 4 ¼"Imperial Feet24.0856
Breadth28' 4 ¼"Imperial Feet8.5408
Depth in Hold12' 11"Imperial Feet3.6703
Burthen339 ³²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

10.1778Broadside Weight = 18 Imperial Pound ( 8.1632 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 4-Pounder
Gun Deck8 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

13.12.1779Broadside Weight = 35.5 Imperial Pound ( 16.0996 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck16 British 4-Pounder
Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
10.177845 BWAS-1714
13.12.1779120 BWAS-1714

7 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
2.10.1778 - 15.5.1780Commander Howell Lloyd (d.1780) ADM 6/21/456BWAS-17141.1780 - 5.1780Commander Peter Aplin (1753-1817)BWAS-171415.5.1780 - 1.12.1780Commander Charles Stirling (1760-1833) ADM 6/22/166
Issued by Marriot Arbuthnot (1711-1794), North America
Confirmed 5.9.1780BWAS-17141.12.1780 - 7.5.1781Commander Rupert George Transfered ADM 6/23/167
Issued by Marriot Arbuthnot (1711-1794), North America
Confirmed 24.11.1783ADM 6/233.7.1781 - 28.11.1781Commander Isaac Coffin (1759-1839) TransferedBWAS-171429.11.1781 - 2.8.1782Commander Alexander Inglis Cochrane (1758-1832) ADM 6/22/496
Issued by Robert Digby (1732-1815), North America
Confirmed 17.7.1782ADM 6/222.8.1782 - 6.1783Commander Alexander Scott (d.1804) ADM 6/23/74
Issued by Robert Digby (1732-1815), North America
Confirmed 23.5.1783BWAS-1714

Service History

DateEventSource
9.10.1778building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £3899.19.5dBWAS-1714
9.10.1778Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
17.12.1778Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2706.8.0dBWAS-1714
23.5.1779Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
13.12.1779Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Unknown
13.12.1779Renamed AvengerBWAS-1714
12.6.1783Condemned and sold at New York for £1,519.17.9dBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

ADM 6/23 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Monday 25th of June 2012 06:20

5 April 1779 Lucifer 8 [fire ship] commander Howell Lloyd at Portsmouth

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Sunday 17th of January 2021 23:27	Margaret Picard	George Sidney Smith (1793-1732)
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