British Fifth Rate frigate 'Boston' (1762)

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Boston

3381
Nominal Guns32BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered24.3.1761BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down5.5.1761BWAS-1714
Named5.11.1761BWAS-1714
Launched11.5.1762BWAS-1714
First Commissioned24.5.1762BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship ClassRichmond Class (1756)BWAS-1714
Designed by
William BatelyBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1741-1755
BWAS-1714
Constructor
Robert InwoodBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategoryFifth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeFrigateBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Broken Up5.1811BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck127' 5"Imperial Feet38.7143 
Length of Keel107' 8"Imperial Feet32.6426 
Breadth34' 4 ½"Imperial Feet10.3759 
Depth in Hold12' 0 ½"Imperial Feet3.6703 
Draught Forward8' 10"Imperial Feet2.4384 
Draught Aft12' 7"Imperial Feet3.7465 
Burthen676 67⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


11.5.1762Broadside 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

25.12.1779Broadside Weight = 231 Imperial Pound ( 104.7588 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

19.11.1794Broadside Weight = 249 Imperial Pound ( 112.9218 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
12.3.1756210Design Complement

10 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
24.5.1762 - 26.3.1763Captain
Sir Thomas Adams (6th Baronet of London)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1770
ADM 6/19/412BWAS-171423.8.1769 - 12.4.1770Captain
Sir Thomas Adams (6th Baronet of London)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1770
† Discharged Dead ADM 6/20/247BWAS-171415.9.1770 - 9.7.1772Captain
Hyde ParkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1751-1805
ADM 6/20/468
Issued by
Samuel HoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1741-1793

Confirmed 2.12.1772BWAS-171419.9.1777 - 18.7.1782Captain
William DuddingstonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1752-1794
ADM 6/21/314BWAS-171421.9.1790 - 22.11.1790Captain
James NormanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1795
ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 3.12.1792Captain
William MitchellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1814
ADM 6/24/88ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 31.7.1793Captain
George William Augustus CourtenayBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1793
† Discharged Dead ADM 6/24/183BWAS-17147.10.1793 - 8.1797Captain
James Nicoll MorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1825
ADM 6/25/5
Issued by
Sir Richard King (1st Baronet of Bellevue)British
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1805
, Newfoundland - Canada
Confirmed 15.1.1794BWAS-17148.1797 - 2.1798Captain
d'Arcy PrestonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1896
BWAS-17142.1798 - 12.1804Captain
John Erskine DouglasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1838
BWAS-1714

15 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
4.11.1762 - 26.3.1763First Lieutenant
Robert WalterBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1781
ADM 6/19/447ADM 6/1923.8.1769 - 15.1.1771First Lieutenant
James GlasfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1750-1792
Transfered ADM 6/20/246ADM 6/2027.11.1770 - 9.7.1772Second Lieutenant
George BayneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1767-1794
ADM 6/20/318ADM 6/2019.9.1777 - 8.1.1780Second Lieutenant
George MorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1777-1812
ADM 6/21/314ADM 6/218.1.1780 - 18.7.1782First Lieutenant
George MorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1777-1812
ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/214.11.1790 - 21.11.1790First Lieutenant
James CarthewBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1811
ADM 6/24/87ADM 6/244.11.1790 - 1.5.1792Second Lieutenant
John Tremayne RoddBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1825
Transfered ADM 6/24/87ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 2.12.1792First Lieutenant
John GascoyneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1806
ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 2.12.1792Second Lieutenant
Charles LockBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1793
ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 4.4.1793First Lieutenant
Henry JenkinsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1799
Transfered ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 10.3.1794Second Lieutenant
John EdwardsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1813
Transfered ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/243.12.1792 - 10.3.1794Third Lieutenant
Alexander Robert KerrBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1815
ADM 6/24/183ADM 6/2411.3.1794 - 1794First Lieutenant
Alexander Robert KerrBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1815
ADM 6/25/19ADM 6/2511.3.1794 - 1794Second Lieutenant
Richard LawryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1794
ADM 6/25/19ADM 6/2528.6.1800 - 12.1804Lieutenant
Augustus BaldwinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1846
NBD1849

1 Warrant Officer


DatesRankNameSource
1793Master
John LuckeyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1801
PROB11

3 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
12.1792 - 31.3.1793Midshipman
Daniel Oliver GuionBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1792-1797
PMD1794 - 8.1797Midshipman
David BoydBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1815
NBD18495.1794 - 28.6.1800Midshipman
Augustus BaldwinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1846
NBD1849

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
13.1.1793 - 17941st Class Volunteer
David BoydBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1815
NBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource

11.5.1762building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £6703.13.0dBWAS-1714
16.7.1762fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £4080.9.4dBWAS-1714
29.11.1762Took the Privateer
Pacto de Familia (10) 1762-1762
Spanish 10 Gun
Privateer Unknown

26.3.1763

Paid off

BWAS-1714
5.1769Began small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
8.1769RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1769Completed small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £4807.5.2dBWAS-1714
29.12.1769Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
9.7.1772

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1777Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1777RecommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1777Refitted as a 28 gun Sixth Rate Frigate
10.1777Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £5639.0.7dBWAS-1714
11.1779Refitted as a 32 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
11.1779Began coppering and fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
2.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £4492.17.3dBWAS-1714
18.7.1782

Paid off

BWAS-1714
1.1783Began great repairBWAS-1714
6.1784Completed great repair at a cost of £17963.16.1dBWAS-1714
6.1790Began great repair at Deptford - London BWAS-1714
10.1791Completed great repair at Deptford - London at a cost of £14453.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.1792Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
12.1792RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1793Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7454.0.0dBWAS-1714
20.3.1793Took the Privateer
L'Hirondelle (16) 1793-1793
French 16 Gun
Privateer Unknown
in the North SeaBWAS-1714
11.4.1793Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
31.7.1793Boston vs Embuscade
22.2.1796Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
16.4.1797Took the Privateer
L'Enfant de la Patrie (16) 1796-1797
French 16 Gun
Privateer Unknown
Cape Finisterre bearing S. S. W. 18 LeaguesBG
4.6.1797Took the Privateer
Principe de la Paz (20) 1797-1797
Spanish 20 Gun
Privateer Unknown

16.6.1797Took the Privateer
San Bernardo (12) 1797-1797
Spanish 12 Gun
Privateer Unknown
BG
30.7.1797Took the Lugger
Le Hazard (8) 1797-1797
French 8 Gun
Privateer Lugger
off Cape FinisterreBG
7.4.1799

Sailed from Portsmouth with a convoy for Halifax

TNC
13.4.1799

Sailed from Plymouth for America with a convoy

TNC
11.1804Laid up at PlymouthBWAS-1714
12.1804Paid offBWAS-1714
5.1811Broken up at PlymouthBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:18

Captain Morris, in his Majesty’s ship the Boston, has captured, off Vigo, el Principe de Paz, Spanish brig-privateer, of 20 guns and 100 men; and el Enfante Spanish packet from Corunna. The only shot that took effect killed Mr Mainwaring, midshipman, an amiable young gentleman, and officer of great promise. [Hampshire Chronicle, 15 July 1797]

Posted by Hans Weebers on Saturday 11th of October 2014 01:18

Boston - Petty officer 1792/12 - 1793/07/31 Daniel Oliver Guion, midshipman. See Royal Naval Biography Supplement: Or, Memoirs of the Services of All the ... - John Marshall. Supplement 1 Alexander Robert Kerr, page 36

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Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:20Jon Miller
French Privateer 'L'Enfant de la Patrie' (1796) (16) 1796-1797
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Privateer Unknown
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:19Jon Miller
Spanish Privateer 'Principe de la Paz' (1797) (20) 1797-1797
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Privateer Unknown
Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:18Jon Miller
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Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:15Jon Miller
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Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:15Jon Miller
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