British Sixth Rate frigate 'Vestal' (1779)

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Vestal	6691
Nominal Guns	28	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	18.3.1778	BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down	1.5.1778	BWAS-1714
Launched	24.12.1779	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purpose built	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Batson's Yard - Limehouse Hole	BWAS-1714
Ship Class	Enterprise Class (1771)	BWAS-1714
Designed by	John WilliamsBritish Designer Ship Builder Service 1762-1784	BWAS-1714
Constructor	Robert BatsonBritish Ship Builder Service 1751-1800	BWAS-1714
Category	Sixth Rate	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1714
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1714
Sold	2.1816	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck120' 6"Imperial Feet36.5836
Length of Keel99' 6"Imperial Feet30.1921
Breadth33' 6"Imperial Feet10.1092
Depth in Hold11' 0"Imperial Feet3.3528
Burthen593 ⁸⁹⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

24.12.1779Broadside Weight = 117 Imperial Pound ( 53.0598 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck24 British 9-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 3-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
3.1.1771200Design Complement

17 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
26.11.1779 - 4.10.1780Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/53BWAS-171415.9.1780 - 11.1.1782Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/182
Issued by , Newfoundland - Canada
Confirmed 12.10.1780BWAS-171411.1.1782 - 25.4.1783Captain Transfered ADM 6/22/397BWAS-171425.4.1783 - 6.3.1784Captain ADM 6/23/247
Issued by , North America
Confirmed 8.10.1784BWAS-17149.8.1787 - 1.10.1791Captain ADM 6/23/408BWAS-17141.10.1791 - 26.3.1793Captain ADM 6/24/170
Issued by , East Indies - Asia
Confirmed 1.7.1792BWAS-171426.3.1793 - 30.7.1794Captain Transfered ADM 6/24/223BWAS-17141.8.1794 - 8.1795Captain ADM 6/25/69BWAS-17148.1795 - 12.1799CaptainBWAS-17142.1800 - 4.1802CommanderBWAS-17141805 - 7.1806CaptainBWAS-17147.1806 - 1809CaptainBWAS-17147.1810 - 12.1810Commander†ref:198819.12.1810 - 11.1811CommanderNBD184911.1811 - 7.6.1814CommanderBWAS-17147.6.1814 - 1815CaptainBWAS-17147.1815 - 8.1815MasterBWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
6.1814Rear-Admiral of the RedBWAS-1714

6 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
26.3.1793 - 2.4.1793First Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/223ADM 6/2426.3.1793 - 22.8.1793Second Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/223ADM 6/2426.3.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant ADM 6/24/223ADM 6/243.4.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant ADM 6/24/226ADM 6/2429.8.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant ADM 6/24/264ADM 6/2425.4.1800 - 31.5.1800Acting LieutenantNAO

2 Warrant Officers

DatesRankNameSource
1794 - bef.9.8.1794Surgeonref:198130.4.1806 - 30.4.1810ArmourerADM 29/8

1 Petty Officer

DatesRatingNameSource
1804 - 10.1806MidshipmanNBD1849

4 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
1.1780 - 9.1780Captain's ServantNBD18491782 - 1.4.1783Captain's Servantref:61621.2.1798 - 17981st Class VolunteerNBD184930.4.1805 - 29.4.1806Ordinary SeamanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
24.12.1779building at Limehouse - London at a cost of £6875.12.11dBWAS-1714
24.12.1779Began coppering and fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
25.2.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £7241.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.4.1780Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
7.11.1780Took the Privateer
11.3.1781Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
14.8.1781Took the Privateer
2.9.1781Took the Frigate
16.9.1781Took the Brig
2.1782Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
4.1782Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £3617.15.11dBWAS-1714
17.4.1782Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
12.9.1782Took the Ship BG
15.3.1783Took the Ship
6.3.1784

Paid off

BWAS-1714
1.1786Began great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
8.1787RecommissionedBWAS-1714
9.1787Completed great repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £10016.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.1789refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £3019.0.0dBWAS-1714
29.8.1789Sailed for the East IndiesBWAS-1714
2.1793Began small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1793Completed small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £7531.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
22.8.1795Action of 1795-08-22
11.3.1797Took the Schooner Flamborough Head bearing about W. by S. 7 leaguesBG
13.5.1797Took the Sloop in the North SeaBG
22.8.1798Took the Frigate in the North Sea
12.1799Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1800RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1800Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Troop Ship
28.3.1800Embarked elements of the 40th Regiment of Foot at MargateJF1800
29.3.1800Anchored off DealJF1800
7.4.1800Put to seaJF1800
12.4.1800Put into TorbayJF1800
1802Egypt operationsBWAS-1714
4.1802Paid offBWAS-1714
9.1803Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
10.1803Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1804Began repairs at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
2.1805Completed repairs at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £8791.0.0dBWAS-1714
2.1805Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
3.1805Refitted as a 28 gun Sixth Rate Frigate
3.1805Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
17.7.1805Action off Calais
7.1810RecommissionedBWAS-1714
7.1810Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Troop Ship
7.1810Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1810Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
4.1814Refitted as a Other Vessels Prison Ship
8.1815Paid offBWAS-1714
2.1816Sold at BarbadosBWAS-1714

Fleets
Dates	Fleet	Fleet Commander	Source
14.5.1798-20.5.1798	Raid on Ostend	Home Riggs PophamBritish Naval Sailor Service 1783-1820

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tim Oakley on Saturday 28th of March 2020 06:15

18/19 Feb 1808 Vestal 28 Captain Edwards Lloyd Graham blown off Dungeness, forced to anchor 3 miles off Diepee rescues a merchant ship from being driven ashore
10 Jun 1808 Vestal 28 Captain Edwards Lloyd Graham saild for Newfoundland from Spithead via the Azores
22 Jun 1808 Vestal 28 Captain Edwards Lloyd Graham on route for Newfoundland arrived St Michael, Azores

Posted by Tim Oakley on Saturday 21st of March 2020 08:31

3 Sept 1780 Vestal intercepted American Lieutenant Colonel John Laurens onboard continental packet Mercury, off the banks of Newfoundland. Although his dispatches were tossed in the water, they were retrieved by the British, who discovered the draft of a possible U.S.-Dutch treaty This prompted Britain to declare the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War.

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