British Sixth Rate ship 'Nightingale' (1746)

Three Decks' Forum

Come and ask, answer or inform.

Recent updates

Recent Comments



Nightingale

5553
Nominal Guns22BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Named2.10.1746BWAS-1714
Purchased6.10.1746BWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Constructor
Henry BirdBritish
Designer
Ship Owner
Ship Builder
Service 1758-1759
BWAS-1714
CategorySixth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShipBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sunk as Breakwater8.1783BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck113' 3"Imperial Feet34.4483 
Length of Keel94' 5"Imperial Feet28.683 
Breadth32' 2 3 /4"Imperial Feet9.7727 
Depth in Hold11' 1"Imperial Feet3.3782 
Draught Forward8' 0"Imperial Feet2.4384 
Draught Aft11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528 
Burthen521 62⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


10.1746Broadside Weight = 93 Imperial Pound ( 42.1755 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck20 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck2 British 3-Pounder

13 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
6.10.1746 - 5.10.1748Captain
John FergusonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1727-1763
ADM 6/17/160BWAS-17141.11.1748 - 9.11.1749Captain
The Hon. William FarmerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1749
: on board from 5.11.1748 ADM 6/17/398BWAS-171412.10.1749 - 7.12.1752Captain
Marriot ArbuthnotBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1726-1793
ADM 6/17/499BWAS-17142.10.1754 - 27.3.1756Captain
Dudley DiggesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1763
Transfered ADM 6/18/111BWAS-171427.3.1756 - 29.4.1756Captain
John DonkleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1729-1748
Transfered ADM 6/18/247ADM 6/1829.4.1756 - 7.2.1762Captain
James CampbellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1763
Transfered ADM 6/18/260BWAS-17147.2.1762 - 20.8.1762Captain
John BrisbaneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1757-1805
Transfered ADM 6/19/401
Issued by
George Brydges RodneyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1782
, Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 14.4.1762BWAS-171420.8.1762 - 19.7.1763Captain
Lord William CampbellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1775
: on board from 26.8.1762BWAS-171420.6.1765 - 30.7.1765Captain
James O'HaraBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1748-1776
Transfered ADM 6/20/78ADM 6/2026.5.1768 - 21.2.1769Captain
George GaytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1795
Transfered ADM 6/20/203ADM 6/208.11.1776 - 27.6.1777Lieutenant
Alexander BrownBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1777
ADM 6/21/229ADM 6/2127.6.1777 - 30.10.1777Lieutenant
Smith ChildBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1753-1810
ADM 6/21/296BWAS-171431.10.1777 - 1782Lieutenant
Thomas HerbertBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1765-1782
ADM 6/21/331BWAS-1714

2 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
9.10.1746 - 5.10.1748Lieutenant
Probert MorganBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1736-1754
ADM 6/17/161ADM 6/171.11.1748 - 22.11.1752Lieutenant
James StevensBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1745-1783
ADM 6/17/398ADM 6/17

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
1.3.1755 - 19.1.1756Master's Mate
William TeagueBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1763
Transfered ADM 107/5/2ADM 107/5

Service History


DateEventSource
16.6.1746

Purchased on the stocks

BWAS-1714
6.10.1746building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £4445.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.10.1746Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
19.12.1746Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £3293.5.2dBWAS-1714
4.10.1748

Paid off at Portsmouth Dockyard

ADM 33
11.1748Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
1.1749Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £2851.7.11dBWAS-1714
2.1749Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
7.12.1752

Paid off at Deptford Dockyard

ADM 33
6.4.1753SurveyedBWAS-1714
5.1754Began middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
10.1754RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1754Completed middling repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £4528.12.3dBWAS-1714
1.1755Sailed for VirginiaBWAS-1714
1756At New YorkBWAS-1714
3.9.1756

Arrived at Portsmouth from Virginia

TGM
29.12.1756

Arrived at Charleston from cruise, careened at Hobcaw

ref:1229
8.1757Louisbourg Expedition
2.1758

Arrived at Charleston from New York

ref:1227
6.1758

Arrived at Philadelphia from Charleston, covying 10 troop transports with HMS Port Mahon

ref:1228
6.6.1758The Siege of Louisbourg
11.1758

Arrived at Boston from Halifax

ref:1226
6.1759Seige of Quebec
12.7.1759Surveyed at SpitheadBWAS-1714
9.1759At PortsmouthBWAS-1714
24.4.1760Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
1761In the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
7.1.1762Operations against Martinique
7.1762Began refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
10.1762Completed refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4573.10.6dBWAS-1714
15.12.1762Sailed with a convoy to South CarolinaBWAS-1714
19.7.1763

Paid off

ADM 33
1.9.1763SurveyedBWAS-1714
9.1770Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
10.1770Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £800.19.1dBWAS-1714
4.1776Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
11.1776Refitted as a Unrated Hospital Ship
11.1776Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
2.1783Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
8.1783Sunk as breakwater at HarwichBWAS-1714
8.1783Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 12:15

Above entry dated 1750

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 12:15

Above entry dated 1750

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 12:15

Above entry dated 1750

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 12:15

Above entry dated 1750

Posted by Jon Miller on Wednesday 3rd of June 2026 12:13

Cadiz, 8 February: His Britannick Majesty’s ship the Nightingale, sailed from hence a few days ago, in order to protect the merchant ships from the insults of the Algerines. [Kentish Post, 28 February]

Make a comment about this page






Recent comments to other pages

Date postedByPage
Tuesday 28th of July 2026 17:37Paul Martinovich
Thomas BennettBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1838
Tuesday 28th of July 2026 16:07Jon Miller
British Merchant east indiaman 'Georgiana' (1791) (Unknown) 1791-1813
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Tuesday 28th of July 2026 16:06Jon Miller
British Merchant east indiaman 'United Kingdom' (1801) (Unknown) 1801-1809
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Tuesday 28th of July 2026 16:05Jon Miller
British Merchant east indiaman 'Walthamstow' (1799) (Unknown) 1799-1814
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Tuesday 28th of July 2026 16:03Jon Miller
British Merchant east indiaman 'Automatia' (1799) (Unknown) 1799-1803
British Unknown Gun
Merchant East Indiaman
Copyright © Cy Harrison 2010-2026, all rights reserved
GDPR Statement