British Fifth Rate frigate 'Active' (1799)

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Active ➡ 1833 Argo	2881
Nominal Guns	38	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	27.4.1796	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	7.1798	BWAS-1793
Launched	14.12.1799	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Chatham Dockyard - Chatham	BWAS-1793
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1801	BWAS-1793
Constructor	Edward SisonBritish Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1780-1795	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Broken Up	24.10.1860	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck150' 0"Imperial Feet45.72
Length of Keel125' 2 ⅞"Imperial Feet38.1222
Breadth39' 9"Imperial Feet11.9126
Depth in Hold13' 9"Imperial Feet4.0386
Draught Forward10' 10"Imperial Feet3.048
Draught Aft15' 3"Imperial Feet4.572
Burthen1,052 ⁵⁵⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

12.1799Broadside 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
12.1799284Establishment (later increased to 315)BWAS-1793

12 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
12.1799 - 9.1801CaptainBWAS-17939.1801 - 10.1801CaptainBWAS-179310.1801CommanderBWAS-179310.1801 - 1803CaptainNMMWH8.1804 - 8.1808CaptainBWAS-17938.1808CaptainBWAS-17936.1809 - 6.1812CaptainBWAS-17931815 - 10.1815CaptainBWAS-179319.11.1815 - 9.10.1817Captainref:6161.1819 - 12.1821CaptainBWAS-179324.12.1821 - 9.1824CaptainBWAS-17939.1824 - 10.1825CaptainBWAS-1793

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
21.12.1807 - 12.1808LieutenantNBD18491811LieutenantBWAS-17931811LieutenantBWAS-17931811 - 28.10.1811LieutenantBWAS-179328.10.1811 - 1811LieutenantBWAS-179323.1.1814 - 1821First LieutenantNBD184910.6.1816 - 6.8.1819LieutenantTGM6.7.1822 - 1.12.1823LieutenantBWAS-17148.11.1823 - 1824LieutenantNBD1849

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1.7.1820 - 21.12.1821Masterref:18716.7.1823 - 19.12.1823Masterref:1871

10 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
10.1803 - 22.5.1806MidshipmanNL186510.1804 - 1807MidshipmanNBD18499.1809 - 6.1812MidshipmanBWAS-17146.1810 - 6.1812MidshipmanNBD18491811MidshipmanBWAS-17931811MidshipmanBWAS-179328.10.1811 - 1811MidshipmanBWAS-17934.1819 - 1819MidshipmanNL186520.4.1820 - 1820MidshipmanNBD18494.1822 - 11.1825MidshipmanNL1865

4 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
5.1801 - 1805Able SeamanNBD18498.1808 - 7.5.18093rd Class BoyNBD18492.1819 - 7.18211st Class VolunteerNBD18494.1819 - 20.4.18201st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
7.1798Began building at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
14.12.1799Completed building at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £28610.0.0dBWAS-1793
14.12.1799Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
1800Sailed to the West Indies with a convoyBWAS-1793
4.2.1800Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
29.10.1800Sailed on a cruiseSOTON
9.11.1800Returned to portBWAS-1793
12.1800Cruising off L'HavreBWAS-1793
26.1.1801Took the Cutter BG
26.1.1801Took the Cutter in the Channel
25.5.1801Sailed for Egypt in company with as convoy escortBWAS-1603
27.3.1802Arrived a LisbonSOTON
13.7.1802Returned to PortsmouthSOTON
3.1803At MaltaSOTON
31.3.1803Spotted the French Fleet leaving Toulon for the West Indies and followed them until nightfallSOTON
1804Took the Unrated in the Channel
3.1804Completed middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
18.1.1805In company with was chased by the French fleetBWAS-1603
1806On the Irish stationBWAS-1793
2.1807In Sir Thomas Louis' squadron for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
19.2.1807At the DardanellesBWAS-1793
19.2.1807Engaged and drove ashore a Turkish frigate. She was blown up by boats from the ActiveBWAS-1793
19.2.1807Forcing the Dardanelles
1.3.1807Passage of the Dardanelles
3.3.1807Hit by a Granite shot weighing 800 pounds and measuring 6' 6", no one was injuredSOTON
27.4.1807Captured the French privateer **Amis** (4)BWAS-1793
26.3.1808Took the Brig-Corvette
26.6.1808Took the Gunboat off Corfu
1809Escorted a fleet of merchantmen to England and paid off in MaySOTON
5.1809Began a refit at ChathamSOTON
6.1809RecommissionedBWAS-1793
9.1809Completed refit at ChathamSOTON
2.2.1811Boats form the Active took part in taking four Venetian trabaccolos from the port of PestichiSOTON
13.3.1811Battle of Lissa
29.7.1811Active's boats attacked a convoy in a creek. 3 gunboats and 18 vessels were taken, 10 were destroyedSOTON
28.11.1811Left Port St George on Lissa in company with and to encounter a French squadron of three frigates off the island of Augusta. The took the Persanne, and the Active and took the Pomone after a long chase, the Pauline escapedBWAS-1603
29.11.1811Action of 1811-11-29
29.11.1811Took the Frigate near Corfu
6.1812Paid off and placed in ordinary at Sheerness and then at WoolwichBWAS-1793
6.1813Began middling repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
1815Recommissioned for the Jamaica stationSOTON
11.1815Started fitting at SheernessSOTON
4.1816Completed fittingSOTON
1817Jamaica station, returning to England laterBWAS-1793
1818In ordinary at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
1.1819Recommissioned at Portsmouth for the Halifax StationBWAS-1793
1821Paid off after attending on George IV during his visit to IrelandBWAS-1793
12.1821In Portsmouth commissioning for the MediterraneanSOTON
9.1824Returned to EnglandSOTON
10.1825Began fitting as a Receiving Ship at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
2.1826Completed fitting as a Receiving Ship at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
15.11.1833Renamed ArgoBWAS-1793
24.10.1860Breaking up completed at PortsmouthBWAS-1793

Notes on Ship

In the Battle of Lissa the Active lost 15 killed, another five were lost fighting the fire onboard the prize Bellona.

In the action of 28 November 1811, Active lost 8 killed, including midshipman George Osborne and 27 wounded, including captain Gordon who lost a leg, and the first lieutenant William Bateman Dashwood who lost an arm.

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