British Fifth Rate frigate 'Menelaus' (1810)

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Menelaus	5355
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	28.9.1808	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	11.1808	BWAS-1793
Launched	17.4.1810	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth	BWAS-1793
Ship Class	Lively Class (1799)	BWAS-1793
Designed by	William RuleBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1778-1813	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Joseph TuckerBritish Ship Builder Administrator Dockyard Staff Service 1802-1831	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Sold	10.5.1897	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck154' 1"Imperial Feet46.9397
Length of Keel129' 6 ¼"Imperial Feet39.3256
Breadth39' 6 ½"Imperial Feet11.8999
Depth in Hold13' 6"Imperial Feet4.0132
Draught Forward10' 10"Imperial Feet3.048
Draught Aft14' 8"Imperial Feet4.318
Burthen1,077 ¹⁵⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

17.4.1810Broadside Weight = 494 Imperial Pound ( 224.029 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck2 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1799284Design Complement

2 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
5.1810 - 30.8.1814Captain†BWAS-17939.1814 - 10.1815CaptainBWAS-1793

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1812 - 17.9.1812Lieutenant†TNC

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1810 - 5.1815MidshipmanNBD184912.6.1810 - 11.7.1810Midshipman Transfered ADM 196/5/3ADM 1966.1811 - 12.1811MidshipmanNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
18.6.1810 - 2.1813VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
11.1808Began building at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
17.4.1810Completed building at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £38836.0.0dBWAS-1793
17.4.1810Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
21.6.1810Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £38836.0.0dBWAS-1793
11.7.1810Sailed for the Cape of Good hopeBWAS-1793
29.11.1810Capture of Mauritius
7.11.1811Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
29.2.1812Took the Privateer off Frejus
13.8.1812Landing party at San StefanoBWAS-1793
2.9.1812Took the Letter of Marque at Mignone near Civita VecchiaBG
3.9.1812Destroyed three sloops at Porto ErcoleBWAS-1793
4.9.1812Took the Storeship at Mignone
22.3.1813Took the Packet at Mignone
22.3.1813Took the Privateer at Mignone
1814In North AmericaBWAS-1793
30.8.1814Landing party in the ChesapeakeBWAS-1793
9.1815Began large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
10.1815Paid offBWAS-1793
2.1819Laid up at ChathamBWAS-1793
2.1819Completed large repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £34409.0.0dBWAS-1793
1834Refitted as a Unrated Hospital Ship
9.1836Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
10.1836Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
1896At Portsmouth DockyardBWAS-1793
10.5.1897Sold at Portsmouth to John Read, Jnr for £1,157BWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ADM 196 Document

BGOfficial, Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by J Seagrove on Saturday 14th of March 2020 20:35

30/31.08.1814 One hundred and forty strong raiding party lead by Capt Sir P Parker RN of HMS Menelaus landed near Fairlee, Kent County, MD, USA. At nearby Caulks Field they engaged a force of 200 US militiamen and in a night-time fire fight the British suffered the loss of Parker with several other men killed and about 20 wounded. Parker was carried back to Menelaus but died before reaching the frigate. Parker's body was first returned to Bermuda, then later returned to Spithead [March 1815], then to London where he was buried at St Margaret's church, Westminster. At Caulks Field there is a memorial commemorating this military action in August 1814.

Posted by Brian on Wednesday 2nd of July 2014 01:15

1814/08/30 Landing party in the Chesapeake
The London Gazette, Publication date:25 October 1814
From the late Sir Peter Parker, Captain of his Majesty's ship Menelaus, dated off Pool's Island in the Chesapeake, the 29th of August, stating, that with the seaman and marines of that ship, he had dispersed a party of the enemy's regulars and Militia, assembled for the defence of a large depot of stores on the eastern shore of Maryland, and totally destroying the depot, consisting of corn, hemp, and flax, to an immense amount.

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