British Fifth Rate frigate 'Phoenix' (1783)

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Phoenix
Nominal Guns	36	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	20.6.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	8.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	15.7.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	10.1787	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Bursledon - Hampshire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Perseverance Class	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward Hunt (d.bef.1740)	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John Parsons	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	20.2.1816	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck137' 1"Imperial Feet41.7583
Length of Keel113' 2 ⅞"Imperial Feet34.4646
Breadth38' 3 ¾"Imperial Feet11.6015
Depth in Hold13' 5"Imperial Feet4.0047
Draught Forward10' 2"Imperial Feet3.0988
Draught Aft15' 1"Imperial Feet4.5771
Burthen884 ¹⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

15.7.1783Broadside Weight = 354.5 Imperial Pound ( 160.7661 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1779260Design Complement

9 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.10.1787 - 9.10.1788Captain John Willett Payne (1752-1803) ADM 6/23/421BWAS-17149.10.1788 - 1.10.1791Captain George Anson Byron (d.1793) ADM 6/23/481BWAS-17141.10.1791 - 8.1793CaptainSir Richard John Strachan (6^th Baronet of Thornton, Kincardine) (1760-1828) ADM 6/25/20
Confirmed 17.3.1794BWAS-171410.1795 - 6.1802Captain Lawrence William HalsteadBWAS-17144.1803 - 12.1805Captain Thomas Baker (1771-1845)BWAS-171412.1805 - 2.1810Captain Zachariah Mudge (1770-1852)BWAS-17142.1810 - 1812CaptainSir James BowenBWAS-17141813 - 9.1814Captain William H WebleyBWAS-17149.1814 - 20.2.1816Captain Charles John Austen (1779-1852)NBD1849

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
25.10.1790 - 12.1792Lieutenant Charles Wollaston (1777-1845)NBD184914.11.1791 - 16.11.1791Lieutenant Richard King (1774-1834)NAO2.2.1796 - 10.1796Lieutenant Edward Pelham Brenton (1774-1839)ref:6161805 - 10.8.1805Lieutenant John Bounton (d.1805)†BG30.1.1805 - 5.11.1805First Lieutenant Samuel Brown (1776-1852)NBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
20.5.1803 - 29.9.1805Master James Woodford (d.1807)ADM 29-1

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1788 - 1792MidshipmanSir Thomas Brown (d.1851)NBD184928.8.1790 - 1791Midshipman Richard Byron (1769-1837)ref:61611.1805 - 10.1808Midshipman Jacon Ley YoungNBD1849

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
15.11.1788 - 28.8.1790Able Seaman Richard Byron (1769-1837)ref:61627.11.1788 - 30.1.1794Able Seaman George Coulbert (1773-1839)PMD

Service History

DateEventSource
15.7.1783building at Bursledon - Hampshire at a cost of £15813.5.9dBWAS-1714
5.1784Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
8.1784Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £2553.15.8dBWAS-1714
12.1787Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1788RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.12.1788fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1961.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.2.1789Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
11.1791Phoenix vs Resolue
8.1793Returned homeBWAS-1714
8.1794Began great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
10.1795RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1796Completed great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £25236.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.5.1796Took the Frigate Argo (36) in the North Sea
12.2.1797Took the Cutter Le Difficile (18) in the ChannelBG
3.1797Joined the Channel FleetBWAS-1714
18.5.1797Took the Lugger L'Espiègle (4)
24.4.1798Took the Corvette Le Brave (22) off Cape Clear
31.5.1798Took the Privateer La Caroline (18) in Lat. 49 Deg. 02 Min. N. Long. 15 Deg. 38 Min. W.BG
23.1.1799Took the Corvette Le Foudroyant (24)
25.4.1799

Arrived at Plymouth

TNC
11.2.1800Took the Privateer L'Éole (10)
3.6.1800Took the Tartane L'Albanaise (4)
17.6.1800Took the Unrated La Revanche (4) in Hyères Bay Hythe BG
3.8.1801Took the Frigate Le Carrère (44) off Elba
2.9.1801Action of 1801-09-02
2.9.1801Took the Frigate Le Succès (32)
6.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1802Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
4.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1803Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £7925.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.8.1805Phoenix vs Didon
4.11.1805Battle of Cape Ortegal
9.1808Began repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
2.1809Paid off and RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1809Completed repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
29.1.1810Took the Privateer Le Charles (14)
11.5.1810Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
20.2.1816Wrecked off IzmirBWAS-1714
2.3.1816Remains burntBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NAOVarious, Web Site

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

BGOfficial, Web Site

ADM 29-1 Document

PMD Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 19:59

8 Aug 1801 the frigates Phœnix, Pomone, and Pearl, captured the Carrère, a Venetian-built frigate of 1013 tons sailing under French colours, which was added to the British navy as an 18-pounder 36-gun frigate.
Killed. Thomas Cook, Boatswain ; Samuel Herring, Quarter-Master.
Wounded. Charles Douglas, Lieutenant of Marines, since dead ; John Cox, able seaman, since dead ; John Brown, able seaman ; John Boyd, able seaman

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