British Sixth Rate ship 'Sphinx' (1748)

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Sphinx

6841
Nominal Guns24BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered26.9.1747BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down11.1747BWAS-1714
Named31.10.1747BWAS-1714
Launched10.12.1748BWAS-1714
First Commissioned30.9.1748BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship Class1745 Establishment 24-GunnerBWAS-1714
ConstructorJohn AllenBWAS-1714
CategorySixth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShip BWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sold28.8.1770BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck113' 8"Imperial Feet34.458 
Length of Keel93' 6"Imperial Feet28.3972 
Breadth32' 4 ½"Imperial Feet9.7663 
Depth in Hold11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528 
Burthen520 57⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


10.12.1748Broadside Weight = 102 Imperial Pound ( 46.257 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck2 British 9-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck2 British 3-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1745160Design Complement

8 Commanding Officers


DatesRankNameSource
30.9.1748 - 11.9.1751CaptainWilliam Lloyd (1725-1796) ADM 6/17/387BWAS-171411.9.1751 - 6.11.1754CaptainEdward Wheeler (d.1761) ADM 6/18/12BWAS-171419.4.1755 - 17.8.1756CaptainJames Gambier (1723-1789) ADM 6/18/157BWAS-171426.2.1756 - 11.1.1757CaptainHenry Dennis (d.1757) ADM 6/18/439
Issued by Thomas Coates (1712-1767), Jamaica - Greater Antilles
Commission confirmed 21.9.1757ADM 6/1811.1.1757 - 18.10.1758CaptainWilliam Tucker (c.1729-1772) ADM 6/18/342BWAS-171418.10.1758 - 10.1.1759CaptainWilliam Williamson (c.1720-1771) ADM 6/18/548ADM 6/1810.1.1759 - 5.2.1759CaptainSir William Hewett (5th Baronet of Headley Hall) (c.1724-1761) ADM 6/19/21ADM 6/1926.5.1768CaptainHenry Davis (c.1732-1776) ADM 6/20/203ADM 6/20

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
18.3.1749/50 - 18.3.1751/52MidshipmanTimothy Edwards (1731-1780) ADM 107/4/237ADM 107/4

Service History


DateEventSource
11.1747Began building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
11.1747Began fitting at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
9.1748Commissioned for Nova ScotiaBWAS-1714
10.12.1748Completed building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £4381.10.0dBWAS-1714
6.2.1748/49Completed fitting at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
1750Sailed to the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
3.1749/50Began refitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
4.1750Completed refitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £2331.12.5dBWAS-1714
1751On the Irish coastBWAS-1714
12.1751Sailed to the African coast and on to JamaicaBWAS-1714
6.11.1754Paid offADM 51
13.1.1755SurveyedBWAS-1714
3.1755Began small repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
4.1755RecommissionedBWAS-1714
5.1755Completed small repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3117.1.11dBWAS-1714
5.7.1756Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
1757At JamaicaBWAS-1714
10.1758Ordered home to pay offBWAS-1714
4.2.1759Paid offADM 51
4.10.1759SurveyedBWAS-1714
30.10.1764SurveyedBWAS-1714
9.5.1770SurveyedBWAS-1714
6.6.1770Ordered to be soldBWAS-1714
28.8.1770Sold at Plymouth for £265BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Cy on Tuesday 14th of July 2020 14:44

Generally being commissioned is simply the act of havinmg a captain issued a commission to caommand the ship, although they didn't always, even usually, take command from the day of the commission. There sometimes being gaps of several weeks between the date of commission and them actually taking command.
All new ships would have their captain and senior officers appointed around the date of launch, occasionally before. There was a lot to do and the captain and officers job was to oversee the adding of masts, rigging, ballast, boats, armament and other stores, recuiting a crew etc.

Posted by Cory Taylor on Tuesday 14th of July 2020 12:48

What does it mean for a ship to be commissioned? How common was it for the British sips to be commissioned before they were finished being built, around 1748? Are there many examples? What would the reasoning be for commissioning a ship before it was deemed sea worthy?

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