British Fifth Rate frigate 'Phoenix' (1783)

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Phoenix	5796
Nominal Guns	36	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	20.6.1781	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	8.1781	BWAS-1714
Launched	15.7.1783	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	10.1787	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Bursledon - Hampshire	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Perseverance Class (1779)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	Edward HuntBritish Ship Builder Administrator Dockyard Staff Service 1757-1809	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John ParsonsBritish Ship Builder Service 1779	BWAS-1714
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Wrecked	20.2.1816	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck137' 1"Imperial Feet41.7583
Length of Keel113' 2 ⅞"Imperial Feet34.4646
Breadth38' 3 ¾"Imperial Feet11.6015
Depth in Hold13' 5"Imperial Feet4.0047
Draught Forward10' 2"Imperial Feet3.0988
Draught Aft15' 1"Imperial Feet4.5771
Burthen884 ¹⁰⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

15.7.1783Broadside Weight = 354.5 Imperial Pound ( 160.7661 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 18-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder
Quarterdeck/Forecastle14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
1779260Design Complement

9 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
1.10.1787 - 9.10.1788Captain ADM 6/23/421BWAS-17149.10.1788 - 1.10.1791Captain ADM 6/23/481BWAS-17141.10.1791 - 8.1793Captain ADM 6/25/20
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 17.3.1794BWAS-171410.1795 - 6.1802CaptainBWAS-17144.1803 - 12.1805CaptainBWAS-171412.1805 - 2.1810CaptainBWAS-17142.1810 - 1812CaptainBWAS-17141813 - 9.1814CaptainBWAS-17149.1814 - 20.2.1816CaptainNBD1849

9 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
12.3.1789 - 26.4.1790Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/113
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 28.3.1791ADM 6/2427.4.1790 - 1790Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/107
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 10.2.1791ADM 6/2414.9.1790 - 21.1.1793Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/149
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 6.12.1791ADM 6/2425.10.1790 - 28.12.1792Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/150
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 9.12.1791ADM 6/248.1.1792 - 18.4.1794First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/293
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 23.12.1793ADM 6/248.1.1792 - 10.4.1794Third Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/171
Issued by , East Indies - Asia ADM 6/242.2.1796 - 10.1796Lieutenantref:6161805 - 10.8.1805Lieutenant†BG30.1.1805 - 5.11.1805First LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
20.5.1803 - 29.9.1805MasterADM 29-1

3 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
1788 - 1792MidshipmanNBD184928.8.1790 - 1791Midshipmanref:61611.1805 - 10.1808MidshipmanNBD1849

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
15.11.1788 - 28.8.1790Able Seamanref:61627.11.1788 - 30.1.1794Able SeamanPMD

Service History

DateEventSource
15.7.1783building at Bursledon - Hampshire at a cost of £15813.5.9dBWAS-1714
5.1784Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
8.1784Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £2553.15.8dBWAS-1714
12.1787Paid offBWAS-1714
10.1788RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.12.1788fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1961.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.2.1789Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
11.1791Phoenix vs Resolue
8.1793Returned homeBWAS-1714
8.1794Began great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
10.1795RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1796Completed great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £25236.0.0dBWAS-1714
12.5.1796Took the Frigate in the North Sea
12.2.1797Took the Cutter in the ChannelBG
3.1797Joined the Channel FleetBWAS-1714
18.5.1797Took the Lugger
24.4.1798Took the Corvette off Cape Clear
31.5.1798Took the Privateer in Lat. 49 Deg. 02 Min. N. Long. 15 Deg. 38 Min. W.BG
23.1.1799Took the Corvette
25.4.1799

Arrived at Plymouth

TNC
11.2.1800Took the Privateer
3.6.1800Took the Tartane
17.6.1800Took the Unrated in Hyères Bay Hythe BG
3.8.1801Took the Frigate off Elba
2.9.1801Action of 1801-09-02
2.9.1801Took the Frigate
6.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
7.1802Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
4.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1803Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £7925.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.8.1805Phoenix vs Didon
4.11.1805Battle of Cape Ortegal
9.1808Began repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
2.1809Paid off and RecommissionedBWAS-1714
4.1809Completed repairs at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
29.1.1810Took the Privateer
11.5.1810Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
20.2.1816Wrecked off IzmirBWAS-1714
2.3.1816Remains burntBWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 6/24 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

PMD Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

ref:616Nicholas Tracy, Book

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 13th of June 2026 05:09

The following persons concerned in the mutiny on board the Grampus, have been executed at Spithead: James Smart, John Preston, and Joseph Croshall, on board the Grampus; and Colin Brown, on board the Phoenix. [Hampshire Chronicle, 22 July 1797]

Posted by Tim Oakley on Wednesday 15th of November 2017 19:59

8 Aug 1801 the frigates Phœnix, Pomone, and Pearl, captured the Carrère, a Venetian-built frigate of 1013 tons sailing under French colours, which was added to the British navy as an 18-pounder 36-gun frigate.
Killed. Thomas Cook, Boatswain ; Samuel Herring, Quarter-Master.
Wounded. Charles Douglas, Lieutenant of Marines, since dead ; John Cox, able seaman, since dead ; John Brown, able seaman ; John Boyd, able seaman

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