British Fifth Rate frigate 'Endymion' (1797)

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Endymion	4106
Nominal Guns	44	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.4.1795	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	11.1795	BWAS-1793
Named	14.11.1795	BWAS-1793
Launched	29.3.1797	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Built by Contract	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Rotherhithe - London - Surrey	BWAS-1793
Ship Class	Endymion Class (1795)	BWAS-1793
Constructor	John RandallBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1780-1802	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Broken Up	18.8.1868	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck159' 3 ⅜"Imperial Feet48.4727
Length of Keel132' 3"Imperial Feet40.236
Breadth42' 7 ⅜"Imperial Feet12.8111
Depth in Hold12' 4"Imperial Feet3.7084
Burthen1,277 ⁴⁵⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1797Broadside Weight = 609 Imperial Pound ( 276.1815 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck26 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck14 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle4 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.1797340 BWAS-1793

10 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
4.1797 - 1.1800CaptainBWAS-17931.1800 - 5.1802CaptainBWAS-17935.1802 - 4.1803CaptainBWAS-17934.1803 - 4.1805CaptainBWAS-17934.1805 - 1806CaptainBWAS-17931806 - 1810CaptainBWAS-17931810 - 9.3.1812CaptainBWAS-17935.1813 - 1815CaptainBWAS-179330.10.1840 - 1843CaptainBWAS-17938.12.1845 - 23.1.1847CaptainNBD1849

5 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
16.2.1799 - 1799LieutenantNBD18496.3.1801 - 1802LieutenantE-WIKI4.1803 - 1803LieutenantNBD18495.2.1806 - 2.1807LieutenantNBD184918.2.1815 - 9.1815LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
21.4.1797 - 1.5.1802MasterADM 29-1

8 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
4.1797 - 13.12.1797MidshipmanNBD184927.1.1799 - 1799MidshipmanNBD18491800 - 4.1802MidshipmanNBD18491.1800 - 1.1803MidshipmanNBD18492.4.1802 - 1803MidshipmanNBD18492.1807 - 1807MidshipmanNBD184914.2.1807 - 1809MidshipmanNBD18491814 - 18.2.1815Master's MateNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
27.2.1801 - 19.4.1802Able SeamanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
11.1795Began building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1793
29.3.1797Completed building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £18012.0.0dBWAS-1793
29.3.1797Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
12.6.1797Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £11652.0.0dBWAS-1793
30.4.1798Took the Privateer on the Irish StationBG
5.1798Took the Lugger on the Irish StationBG
5.1798Took the Packet on the Irish StationBG
10.5.1798Took the Corvette on the Irish StationBG
9.1798Took the Privateer on the Irish Station before the 05/09/1798 date of the letter of London GazetteBG
1.1799Took the Privateer on the Irish StationTNC
1.1799Took the Schooner on the Irish StationTNC
13.4.1800Took the Privateer ref:631
5.1800Took the Privateer
5.1800Took the Privateer
5.1800Took the Privateer
18.6.1803Took the Brig off Ushant
25.6.1803Capture of the Bacchante
25.6.1803Took the Corvette near the Azores
16.7.1803Took the Corvette in the AtlanticBG
16.8.1803Took the Privateer
12.1803Began making good defects at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
5.1804Completed making good defects at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £9619.0.0dBWAS-1793
19.2.1807Forcing the Dardanelles
1.3.1807Passage of the Dardanelles
5.1808Began small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1793
10.1808Completed small repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £13834.0.0dBWAS-1793
1.1809Evacuation at Corunna
21.3.1809Sailed with a convoy to Cape St VincentBWAS-1793
11.11.1810Took the Privateer
9.3.1812Paid off at PlymouthBWAS-1793
5.1812Began middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
5.1813Recommissioned for North AmericaBWAS-1793
7.1813Completed middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £35809.0.0dBWAS-1793
18.1.1814Took the Schooner
7.3.1814Took the Schooner
15.8.1814Took the Schooner
16.8.1814Took the Privateer ref:720
1815In Ordinary at PlymouthBWAS-1793
15.1.1815Capture of the President
15.1.1815Took the Frigate
2.1817Refitted as a 50 gun Fourth Rate Frigate
1.1820Began middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
2.1822Completed middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £31090.0.0dBWAS-1793
1833In the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
6.1833Began fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
9.1833Completed fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
1834In the MediterraneanBWAS-1793
1.1834Began fitting as a Flagship at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
2.1834Completed fitting as a Flagship at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
5.1837Began fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
2.1839Refitted as a 44 gun Fifth Rate Frigate
1840Deployed to the East Indies and ChinaBWAS-1793
2.1841Completed fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £15271.0.0dBWAS-1793
7.1842Yangtzee operationsBWAS-1793
9.1845Began fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
12.1845Completed fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £6261.0.0dBWAS-1793
1.1848Placed in ordinary at PlymouthBWAS-1793
1859Receiving ship at DevonportBWAS-1793
6.3.1868Ordered to be broken upBWAS-1793
18.8.1868Breaking up completed at PlymouthBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 29/8 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

E-WIKIVarious, Web Site

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

ref:631 Web Site

ref:720 Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 13th of June 2026 18:09

John Carpenter, Esq, who was First Lieutenant of the Endymion frigate, when she so gallantly attacked the Dutch 74-gun ship, is promoted to the rank of captain. [Hampshire Chronicle, 11 November 1797]

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 30th of May 2026 15:23

The following ships had arrived at the Cape previous to he sailing of the fleet under the convoy of the Endymion:-
The Porcher; Admiral Rayner; and Cornwall, Bligh, from London. Alexander (an American), from China; Prince William Henry, Basket; Thetis; Sir Edward Hughes; and Castle Eden, from Madras. Lucy Maria, from Bengal; Union, from Bencoolen; and Surat Castle, and Hope, from Bombay. [London Courier, 24 October 1801]

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