British Fifth Rate frigate 'Niger' (1759)

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Niger -> 1813 Negro	5548
Nominal Guns	32	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	19.9.1757	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	7.2.1758	BWAS-1714
Named	31.7.1759	BWAS-1714
Launched	25.9.1759	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	27.10.1759
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Niger Class
Designed by	Sir Thomas Slade (1703-1771)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Joseph Harris (d.1773)	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged
Sold	29.9.1814	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck125' 0"Imperial Feet38.1
Length of Keel103' 4"Imperial Feet31.4283
Breadth35' 2"Imperial Feet10.6782
Depth in Hold12' 0"Imperial Feet3.6576
Draught Forward8' 5"Imperial Feet2.5654
Draught Aft13' 9"Imperial Feet4.0386
Burthen679 ⁶⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

25.9.1759Broadside Weight = 177 Imperial Pound ( 80.2698 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1757220Design Complement

24 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
27.10.1759 - 25.8.1762CaptainJohn Albert Bentinck (1737-1775) ADM 6/19/97BWAS-171425.8.1762 - 17.3.1763CaptainThomas Cornwall (d.1796) ADM 6/19/432BWAS-171425.3.1763 - 29.11.1766CaptainSir Thomas Adams (6^th Baronet of London) (c.1738-1770) ADM 6/19/474BWAS-171429.11.1766 - 6.12.1769CaptainAndrew Wilkinson (d.1787) ADM 6/20/148BWAS-17146.12.1769 - 7.8.1771CaptainFrancis Banks (c.1730-1777) ADM 6/20/264ADM 6/207.8.1771 - 27.3.1772CaptainPhilip Durell (c.1734-1772)† ADM 6/20/454
Issued by Charles Proby (d.1799), The Mediterranean Sea
Commission confirmed 19.8.1772ADM 6/207.4.1772 - 22.7.1772CaptainEdward Thompson (c.1737-1787) ADM 6/20/447
Issued by Sir Peter Denis (1^st Baronet of St Mary's) (c.1713-1778), The Mediterranean Sea
Commission confirmed 6.6.1772BWAS-171414.7.1775 - 8.10.1777CaptainGeorge Talbot (c.1730-1787) ADM 6/21/104BWAS-17148.10.1777 - 11.2.1780CaptainRobert Alexander Lambert (1732-1801) ADM 6/21/322BWAS-171412.2.1780 - 13.12.1780CaptainJohn Brown (1751-1808) ADM 6/22/351
Issued by Sir George Brydges Rodney (Baronet ) (1719-1792), Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Commission confirmed 12.10.1781BWAS-171424.5.1790 - 3.1.1791CaptainThomas Farnham (d.1793) ADM 6/24/33BWAS-17143.1.1791 - 21.8.1791CaptainGeorge Cranfield Berkeley (1753-1818) ADM 6/24/99BWAS-171429.8.1791 - 5.4.1793CaptainRichard Goodwin Keats (1757-1834) ADM 6/24/130BWAS-17146.4.1793 - 19.6.1793CaptainRobert Moorsom (1760-1835) ADM 6/24/226BWAS-171419.6.1793 - 7.7.1794CaptainArthur Kaye Legge ADM 6/24/247BWAS-171421.7.1794 - 10.1797CaptainEdward James Foote ADM 6/25/64BWAS-171410.1797 - 3.1798CaptainEdward Griffith (1767-1832)BWAS-17143.1798 - 12.1798CaptainMathew Henry Scott (d.1837)BWAS-171412.1798 - 1799CaptainThe Hon. Philip WodehouseBWAS-17146.1799 - 4.1800CaptainJoseph Larcom (1764-1818)BWAS-17144.1800 - 29.2.1804CommanderJames Hillyer (1769-1843)BWAS-171429.4.1804 - 1807CaptainJames Hillyer (1769-1843)BWAS-17141812 - 1813LieutenantWilliam Todman (d.1838)BWAS-17141813LieutenantIsaac Strutt (d.1823)BWAS-1714

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.12.1760 - 17.3.1763First LieutenantDavid Maitland (c.1733-c.1779) ADM 6/19/219ADM 6/1924.9.1775 - 28.4.1777Acting LieutenantCharles Cotton (1753-1812)ref:6161794First LieutenantJames Walker (1764-1831)ref:9241794Second LieutenantRichard Carruthers Corne (d.1810)ref:9241794Third LieutenantDavid Wilmot (d.1799)ref:924

6 Warrant Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1794PurserGeorge Harrisref:9241794CarpenterJohn Claypittref:9241794GunnerJohn Walshref:9241794BoatswainJames Williamsref:9241794MasterJohn Lewisref:9241794SurgeonRobert Kirkwoodref:924

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1770 - 3.1772MidshipmanPeter Aplin (1753-1817)ref:6761794MidshipmanGeorge Clark Hurdis (d.1858)ADM 171/83.1804 - 1.1807MidshipmanJohn BulfordNBD1849

4 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
30.9.1791 - 14.5.1793Able SeamanCharles Cobbe (d.1811)1794Captain's ServantWilliam HaydenADM 171/81794ServantDaniel MatthewsonADM 171/81794Able SeamanWilliam Rose Holden (d.1854)ADM 171/8

2 Marines

DatesRankNameSource
1794Lieutenant of MarinesEdward Charles Hornbyref:9241794PrivateRobert A WilsonADM 171/8

Service History

DateEventSource
29.9.1714Sold at Portsmouth for £1,600BWAS-1714
25.9.1759building at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £11264.4.8dBWAS-1714
25.5.1760Took the Privateer La Jason (8)
1761Took the Privateer Le Duc de Mazarin (12)
24.10.1762Took the Privateer La Victoire (10)
3.1763RecommissionedBWAS-1714
17.3.1763

Paid off

BWAS-1714
1764West coast of ScotlandBWAS-1714
22.4.1766Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
1769Returned homeBWAS-1714
9.5.1770Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
7.1772Began large repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
22.7.1772

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1775RecommissionedBWAS-1714
8.1775Completed large repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £12549.7.7dBWAS-1714
24.9.1775Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
2.12.1775Took the US Merchant brig Peter. She was recaptured off Plymouth, MA by the US Privateer Yankee (12)
8.12.1777Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
7.3.1779Action of March 7 1779
20.3.17801st Action off Monti Christi
20.6.1780Action off Monti Christi
13.12.1780

Paid off

BWAS-1714
2.1783Began great repair at Deptford - London BWAS-1714
4.1784Completed great repair at Deptford - London at a cost of £13717.14.9dBWAS-1714
5.1789Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
4.1790Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7762.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.1790Began coppering and fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
7.1790Completed coppering and fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1384.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.2.1791Sailed to examine fortifications in the West Indies and then paid offBWAS-1714
21.8.1791Paid offADM 51
1.6.1794Glorious 1st of June
9.5.1795Action in Carteret Bay
27.4.1796Niger vs Ecureuil
14.2.17972nd Battle of Cape St Vincent
20.2.1797Pursuit of the Santissima Trinidad
25.12.1797Took the Privateer Cutter La Delphine (4) off Start Point bearing North about 7 LeaguesBG
5.1799Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
6.1799Refitted as a 14 gun Unrated Troop Ship
7.1799Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £5980.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.9.1800Took the Sixth Rate Esmeralda (22) Barcelona
1801In egypt operations, armed en-fluteBWAS-1714
3.3.1804Refitted as a 28 gun Sixth Rate Frigate
2.5.1806Took the Unrated Schooner El Virgin del Carmen
1.1808Laid up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
20.1.1808Paid offADM 51
5.1809RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1809Refitted as a Unrated Prison Ship
14.12.1809Paid offADM 51
1813Renamed NegroBWAS-1714

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

ADM 6/20 Archive

ADM 6/19 Archive

ref:616Nicholas TracyBook

ref:924A C de PoggiBook

ref:676 Web Site

ADM 171/8British AdmiraltyDocument

NBD1849O'BrienDigital Book

ADM 51 Archive

BGOfficialWeb Site

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Three Decks' Forum

Recent updates

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Niger -> 1813 Negro

Dimensions

Armament

Crew Complement

24 Commanding Officers

5 Commissioned Officers

6 Warrant Officers

3 Petty Officers

4 Crewmen

2 Marines

Service History

Sources