British Sixth Rate post ship 'Cormorant' (1796)

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Ganges (74) 1782-1816
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1782)
Henry WickhamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1685-1693
Thomas CamelfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1799
John Clarke SearleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1811
Gunboat No. 7 (14) 1797-1802
British 14 Gun
Unrated Gunboat
1797 Renamed "Sparkler"
(1797)
Swinger (12) 1794-1802
British 12 Gun
Unrated Gun-brig
(1794)
Gunboat No. 23 (12) 1797-1802
British 12 Gun
Unrated Gunboat
1797 Renamed "Furious"
(1797)
Thomas HopperBritish
Marine
Service 1794-1802
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Sir John LawfordBritish
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Cormorant
Nominal Guns	20	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Previously	French corvette 'L'Etna' (1795) (16) 1795-1796 French 16 Gun Unrated Corvette
Named	27.12.1796	BWAS-1793
Captured	13.11.1796	BWAS-1793
First Commissioned	5.1797	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Honfleur - Normandy	E-WIKI
Ship Class	Etna Class (1794)
Designed by	Pierre-Alexander ForfaitFrench Designer Ship Builder Administrator Service 1773-1806	E-WIKI
Constructor	Andre-François NormandFrench Ship Builder	E-WIKI
Category	Sixth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Post Ship	BWAS-1793
Wrecked	20.5.1800	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck119' 4"Imperial Feet36.2765
Length of Keel98' 2 ½"Imperial Feet29.8831
Breadth32' 10 ½"Imperial Feet9.7663
Depth in Hold14' 9 ½"Imperial Feet4.2799
Burthen564 ⁴⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

27.12.1796Broadside Weight = 113 Imperial Pound ( 51.2455 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Upper Gun Deck18 British 9-Pounder

3 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
5.1797 - 1.1798CaptainBWAS-17931.1798 - 9.1799CaptainBWAS-17939.1799 - 20.5.1800CaptainBWAS-1793

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1799LieutenantTNC

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
30.9.1799 - 17.11.1800MasterADM 29-1

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
20.5.1800 - 1800MidshipmanNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
16.11.1796Arrived at Portsmouth
1797Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
25.7.1797Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £6838.0.0dBWAS-1793
2.1.1799Took the Packet off Malaga
19.3.1799Took the Brig
27.10.1799Took the Privateer
18.1.1800Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
24.2.1800Took the Privateer
20.5.1800Wrecked off Damietta in the Egyption coastNBD1849

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

E-WIKIVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Sunday 17th of December 2017 08:52

Circa Feb 1800 Lieut. Norman, late of the Cormorant20 Captain Courtnay Boyle, is appointed to the Arethusa38.

Posted by Tim Oakley on Saturday 31st of December 2016 16:39

10 Apr 1800 The corpse of Mr. Leddy, Surgeon's Mate of the Cormorant, who was drowned on Christmas Eve, at Portsmouth, was found in the harbour on the 10th instant. An inquest was held on the body, by Stephen Barney, Esq., Coroner for that Borough, and a verdict of accidental death returned

Posted by Tim Oakley on Tuesday 28th of August 2012 20:28

crew saved [ex French French Etna 18 13/11/96] ref Colledge

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Recent comments to other pages

Date posted	By	Page
Sunday 14th of June 2026 06:41	Rob Griffith	British Third Rate ship of the line 'Ganges' (1782) (74) 1782-1816 British 74 Gun 3rd Rate Ship of the Line
Sunday 14th of June 2026 04:20	Jon Miller	Henry WickhamBritish Naval Sailor Service 1685-1693
Sunday 14th of June 2026 04:14	Jon Miller	Thomas CamelfordBritish Naval Sailor Service 1797-1799
Sunday 14th of June 2026 04:12	Jon Miller	John Clarke SearleBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1811
Sunday 14th of June 2026 04:09	Jon Miller	British gunboat 'Gunboat No. 7' (1797) (14) 1797-1802 British 14 Gun Unrated Gunboat 1797 Renamed "Sparkler"

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