British Fifth Rate frigate 'Minerve' (1795)

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Minerve	5410
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Minerve' (1794) (42)
Captured	24.6.1795	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Toulon - Provence	NNF-1774
Ship Class	Junon Class	NNF-1774
Designed by	Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb (1728-1803)	NNF-1774
Constructor	Joseph-Marie-Blaise Coulomb (1728-1803)	NNF-1774
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Captured	3.7.1803	BWAS-1793
Becomes	French Fifth Rate frigate 'La Minerve' (1803) (38)

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck154' 4 ½"Imperial Feet46.9519
Length of Keel130' 0 ⅛"Imperial Feet39.6272
Breadth39' 11"Imperial Feet11.89
Depth in Hold13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624
Draught Aft13' 0"Imperial Feet3.9624
Burthen1,101 ⁷⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

8.1795Broadside Weight = 425 Imperial Pound ( 192.7375 kg)BWAS-1793
Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1795300EstablishmentBWAS-1793

7 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
6.1795 - 8.1795Captain Henry TowryBWAS-17938.1795 - 4.1796Captain Henry TowryBWAS-179311.1.1796 - 5.1796Captain Charles Ogle (1775-1858)BWAS-17938.1796 - 1802Captain George Cockburn (1772-1853)BWAS-179310.1802 - 8.5.1803Captain Jahleel Brenton (1770-1844)BWAS-17938.5.1803 - 3.6.1803Captain Charles Bullen (1768-1853)NBD18493.6.1803 - 3.7.1803Captain Jahleel Brenton (1770-1844)BWAS-1793

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
15.12.1796 - 13.2.1797Commodore Horatio Nelson (1758-1805)BWAS-1793

7 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1796 - 13.6.1797Lieutenant William Hall Gage (1777-1864)BWAS-17931796 - 20.12.1797First Lieutenant John Culverhouse (1760-1809)BWAS-17938.1796 - 20.12.1796Second Lieutenant Thomas Masterman Hardy (1769-1839)BWAS-179315.12.1796 - 20.12.1796Flag Lieutenant James Noble (1774-1851)ODNB13.6.1797 - 26.7.1797Commander William Hall Gage (1777-1864)BWAS-179329.11.1797 - 4.1.1799Acting Lieutenant Charles Cumby (1779-?)NBD18491800 - 16.12.1803Lieutenant William Kelly (1782-?)NBD1849

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
24.1.1797 - 3.3.1797Master's Mate Thomas Coleman (1769-1815)NAO

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
22.9.1798 - 17991st Class Volunteer John Bingham (1785-?)NBD184912.1802 - 2.7.18031st Class Volunteer Frank CutlerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
28.4.1795RegisteredBWAS-1793
6.1795Commissioned in the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
8.1795Paid off at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
8.1795RecommissionedBWAS-1793
19.12.1796Minerve vs Sabina
23.12.1796Took the Privateer La Monica (6) off Sardinia
14.2.17972nd Battle of Cape St Vincent
29.5.1797Took the Sloop La Mutine (18) cut out by boats at Santa Cruz
26.4.1798RegisteredBWAS-1793
26.4.1798Arrived at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
14.5.1798Operations against Ostend
21.9.1798Completed fitting at Portsmouth at a cost of £12,866BWAS-1793
2.3.1800Took the Brig Le Furet (14) in the morning on the Lisbon stationBG
4.1800Took the Privateer La Manche (20)
4.1800Took the Privateer Nuestra Señora del Carmen (20)
15.5.1800Took the Privateer La Vengeance (15) in the Mediterranean
2.9.1801Action of 1801-09-02
2.9.1801Took the Frigate Le Succès (32)
1802Paid offBWAS-1793
10.1802RecommissionedBWAS-1793
3.7.1803Capture of the Minerve
3.7.1803Taken by Le Chiffon while grounded off Cherbourg
3.7.1803Taken by Le Terrible while grounded off Cherbourg
3.2.1810Retaken by Valiant (74) but not re-added to the Royal Navy

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

Notes on Ship

I believe she retained her original French guns until the 1798 refit in Portsmouth

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NNF-1774Alain Demerliac, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

ODNBOxford University Press, Web Site

NAOVarious, Web Site

BGOfficial, Web Site

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Date posted	By	Page
Wednesday 30th of September 2020 15:45	Peter Evans	Peter Butt (d.bef.1775)
Wednesday 30th of September 2020 15:25	Peter Evans	Peter Butt (d.bef.1775)
Wednesday 30th of September 2020 07:04	Cy	Sir Richard Spry (1715-1775)
Wednesday 30th of September 2020 00:30	Pieter van der Merwe	Sir Richard Spry (1715-1775)
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