British Second Rate great ship 'Unicorn' (1634)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Unicorn	62
Nominal Guns	46	B028
Nationality	Kingdom of England
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	9.3.1632/33	B028
Launched	6.2.1633/34	B028
How acquired	Purpose built	B028
Shipyard	Woolwich Dockyard	B028
Constructor	Edward Boate	B028
Category	Second Rate	B028
Ship Type	Great Ship
Sold	27.1.1686/87	B028

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentDB002
Burthen700Tons BM

Armament

1666Broadside Weight = 567 Imperial Pound ( 257.13475 kg)BWAS-1603
Gun Deck16 British Demi-Cannon
Gun Deck26 British Culverin
Gun Deck11 British Demi-Culverin
Gun Deck10 British Saker

1677Broadside Weight = 506 Imperial Pound ( 229.4715 kg)BWAS-1603
Lower Gun Deck22 British Demi-Cannon
Middle Gun Deck22 British Demi-Culverin
Upper Gun Deck14 British Saker
Quarterdeck6 British Saker

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1634250 BWAS-1603
3.1651/52260 BWAS-1603
1653300 BWAS-1603
1660280 BWAS-1603
1666410Establishment for war abroadBWAS-1603
1666335Establishment for war at homeBWAS-1603
1666270Establishment for peaceBWAS-1603
4.1666320 BWAS-1603

22 Commanding Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1636CaptainHenry MainwaringBWAS-16031639CaptainDavid MurrayBWAS-16031642CaptainThomas TrenchfieldBWAS-16031646 - 1647CaptainPeter AndrewsBWAS-16031648CaptainRichard Haddock (1581-1660)BWAS-16037.8.1649 - 1649CaptainJohn HarrisSPD-16491653 - 6.1653CaptainPeter StrongBWAS-16039.1653 - 1654CaptainWilliam Goodson (1610-1680)ref:10591654Rear-AdmiralJoseph Jordan (1603-1685)BWAS-16031655CaptainJohn StokesBWAS-16031656CaptainRobert Clarke (d.1669)BWAS-16031656 - 7.1656CaptainJonas PooleBWAS-160324.1.1664/65 - 3.6.1666CaptainHenry TeddemanB0514.6.1666 - 10.6.1666CaptainMark HarrisonBWAS-160311.6.1666 - 30.7.1666CaptainGeorge BatesBWAS-171430.7.1666 - 30.11.1666CaptainLevy Green (d.1672)BWAS-17141667CaptainMichael YoungB05126.1.1671/72 - 10.10.1672CaptainRichard James (d.1679/80)BWAS-160318.2.1672/73 - 9.10.1673CaptainJohn RogersBWAS-160312.4.1678 - 28.5.1678CaptainWilliam HoldenB05128.5.1678 - 1678CaptainLawrence WrightBWAS-16031.7.1679 - 3.8.1679CaptainAnthony YoungBWAS-1603

3 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
7.8.1649 - 1649LieutenantEdward MawdittSPD-16491664LieutenantWilliam Burstow (d.1675)B0511673Second LieutenantWilliam GodfreyB051

7 Warrant Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
21.1.1633/34 - 1634GunnerHenry Youngref:107021.1.1633/34 - 1634PurserAugustine Boate (d.1643)ref:107021.1.1634 - 1634CarpenterJohn Westallref:10701649 - 3.5.1649PurserEdward MarstonSPD-16493.5.1649 - 1649PurserEdward VicarsSPD-164926.5.1649 - 1649PurserArthur OdwaySPD-164920.7.1649 - 1649MasterRobert ConstableSPD-1649

Service History

DateEventSource
1634Completed at Woolwich Dockyard at a cost of £8030.0.0dBWAS-1603
1636Service in the ChannelBWAS-1603
1646Service in the ChannelBWAS-1603
1647At PortsmouthBWAS-1603
9.1648In the DownsBWAS-1603
1653At Saint Helens for the WinterBWAS-1603
31.7.1653Battle of Scheveningen
1654In the MediterraneanBWAS-1603
4.4.1655Battle of Porto Farina
7.1656Sailed home to repairBWAS-1603
20.4.1657Battle of Santa Cruz
3.6.1665Battle of Lowestoft
17.11.1665

Came up the river at Chatham in company with the Saint Andrew and the Vanguard

BG
1.6.1666Four Days Battle
25.7.1666St James Day Battle
12.6.1667At ChathamBWAS-1603
28.5.1672Battle of Solebay
28.5.1673First Battle of Schooneveld
4.6.1673Second Battle of Schooneveld
11.8.1673Battle of Texel
1677Reclassed as a third rate, and possibly cut down to a 2-deckerBWAS-1603
5.1678In the ChannelBWAS-1603
6.12.1678Guard ship at ChathamBWAS-1603
1679Guard ship at ChathamBWAS-1603
27.1.1687/88Sold for £308BWAS-1603

Fleets
From	Until	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
1642	1642	Summer Guard of 1642	Sir John Pennington (d.1646)
1659	1659	British Baltic Fleet 1659	Edward Montagu (d.1672)

Sources

IDDescriptionAuthorType

B028J. J. ColledgeBook

DB002Joseph E. GarlandDigital Book

BWAS-1603Rif WinfieldBook

SPD-1649Mary Anne Everett Green (editor)Book

ref:1059 Digital Book

B051John CharnockDigital Book

BWAS-1714Rif WinfieldBook

ref:1070 Book

BGOfficialWeb Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Cy on Wednesday 6th of February 2019 08:40

Hi
It's very unlikely. Your Unicorne is probably a merchant vessel, this one is a warship and is more than twice the tunnage at 700bm

Posted by Mike Martin on Tuesday 5th of February 2019 23:14

Could this be the same ship "Unicorne" that sailed from Bristol, England for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1685 listed as some 300 tons. Sailing with immigrants to William Penn's colony in America.

Make a comment about this page

Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Saturday 20th of April 2019 21:41	Terry Sharpe	Robert Keen (d.1835)
Saturday 20th of April 2019 18:56	Gregorio Alburquerque Ros	British Sixth Rate frigate 'Gibraltar' (1727) (20)
Friday 19th of April 2019 20:10	Stephen J F Plowman	British Second Rate ship of the line 'Barfleur' (1768) (90)
Wednesday 17th of April 2019 02:05	Dr Mark Pinner	Spanish Fifth Rate corvette 'Ferrolana' (1848) (30)
Saturday 13th of April 2019 17:20	Peter Evans	Peter Butt

GDPR Statement