British Sixth Rate post ship 'Squirrel' (1785)

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Squirrel

6882
Nominal Guns24BWAS-1793
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered27.11.1782BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down3.1783BWAS-1793
Launched9.5.1785BWAS-1793
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1793
ShipyardLiverpool - Lancashire BWAS-1793
Designed by
Edward HuntBritish
Ship Builder
Administrator
Dockyard Staff
Service 1757-1809
BWAS-1793
Constructor
John BartonBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1782-1813
BWAS-1793
CategorySixth RateBWAS-1793
Ship TypePost ShipBWAS-1793
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1793
Sold6.3.1817BWAS-1793

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck119' 0"Imperial Feet36.2712 
Length of Keel98' 9 ¼"Imperial Feet29.8768 
Breadth32' 9"Imperial Feet9.8679 
Depth in Hold10' 3"Imperial Feet3.1242 
Draught Forward8' 10"Imperial Feet2.4384 
Draught Aft12' 3"Imperial Feet3.6957 
Burthen563 46⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


9.1787Broadside Weight = 364 Imperial Pound ( 165.074 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck22 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck2 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

12 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
25.9.1787 - 11.12.1789Captain
John DrewBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1777-1793
ADM 6/23/417BWAS-171412.12.1789 - 23.11.1791Captain
William O'Bryen DruryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1811
ADM 6/24/12BWAS-171424.11.1791 - 3.10.1793Captain
William O'Bryen DruryBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1811
ADM 6/24/147ADM 6/243.10.1793 - 30.6.1794Captain
Israel PellewBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1814
Transfered ADM 6/24/271BWAS-17146.1795 - 1797Captain
George ParkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1837
BWAS-171410.7.1797 - 1798Commander
Thomas Masterman HardyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1837
BWAS-17141798 - 1801Captain
John HamsteadBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1801
BWAS-17145.1803 - 1804Captain
Ernest BrownBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1803-1804
†BWAS-17146.8.1805 - 1808Captain
John ShortlandBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1810
BWAS-17142.6.1809 - 10.1809Captain
James TownshendBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1806-1813
BWAS-171410.1809 - 1812Captain
Lord William FitzroyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1837
BWAS-17141812Captain
John EveleighBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795-1814
BWAS-1714

11 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
1.4.1791 - 25.10.1792First Lieutenant
Daniel BurdwoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1802
Transfered ADM 6/24/114ADM 6/241.4.1791 - 23.11.1791Second Lieutenant
Charles WelchBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1793
ADM 6/24/114ADM 6/2415.9.1791 - 23.11.1791First Lieutenant
Robert Dudley OliverBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1814
ADM 6/24/135ADM 6/2424.11.1791 - 23.1.1793First Lieutenant
Robert Dudley OliverBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1814
Transfered ADM 6/24/147ADM 6/2424.11.1791 - 25.10.1792Second Lieutenant
Charles WelchBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1793
ADM 6/24/147ADM 6/2423.10.1792 - 27.2.1793Second Lieutenant
James ThresherBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1794
Transfered ADM 6/24/177ADM 626.10.1792 - 25.9.1793First Lieutenant
Edward GriffithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1821
Transfered ADM 6/24/179ADM 620.3.1793 - 7.10.1793Second Lieutenant
John ChildBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1802
ADM 6/24/222ADM 6/248.10.1793 - 14.10.1793Second Lieutenant
John ChildBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1802
ADM 6/24/272ADM 6/2415.10.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant
John ChildBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1802
ADM 6/24/275ADM 6/2415.10.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant
Henry ProbynBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1791-1809
ADM 6/24/275ADM 6/24

4 Warrant Officers


DatesRankNameSource
14.10.1779 - 17.7.1782Acting Master
Alexander CarrBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1799
ADM 29-125.10.1787 - 4.9.1788Master
Andrew PetersonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1815
ADM 29-15.9.1788 - 16.8.1791Master
John TomlinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1805
ADM 29-118.1.1797 - 25.9.1798Master
James RusselBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1802
ADM 29-1

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
6.1803 - 8.1805Midshipman
John WillisonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1800-1816
NBD1849

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
26.12.1805 - 5.18091st Class Volunteer
James Richard AuchinleckBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1805-1826
NBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource
3.1783Began building at Liverpool - Lancashire BWAS-1714
9.5.1785Completed building at Liverpool - Lancashire at a cost of £7411.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1785Began fitting for ordinary at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
8.1785Completed fitting for ordinary at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
7.1787Began fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
11.1787Completed fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £1984.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.1789Began refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
2.1790Completed refitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £2651.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.1791RecommissionedBWAS-1714
11.1791fitting at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1714
8.1793Took the Privateer
Le Patriote (12) 1793-1793
French 12 Gun
Privateer Unknown

1799Took the Privateer
Neptuno (4) 1799-1799
Spanish 4 Gun
Privateer Unknown

2.1799Took the Privateer
Peñada (14) 1799-1799
Spanish 14 Gun
Privateer Unknown

11.1799Began refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1800Completed refitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £10829.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.2.1801

The Danish government alleged Squirrel had taken certain Swedish ships in the Norwegian port of Oster-Risoer.

ref:521
5.1803RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1804On the African coastBWAS-1714
1806On the Halifax StationBWAS-1714
1807On the Halifax StationBWAS-1714
7.1812Refitted as a Other Vessels Receiving Ship
6.3.1817Sold to Joshua Crystall for £1,110BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Elwin on Friday 13th of June 2025 08:11

The Capt T Hardy in command of Squirrel was Cmdr (Charles) Temple Hardy, not Thomas Masterman Hardy. Cmdr "Kiss Me" Hardy was in command of the brig Mutine at the time.

Posted by Paul McKee on Friday 20th of May 2022 12:42

John Childe was on this ship from feb 1793 - sep 1793 as a Second Lieutenant.

Posted by Tim Oakley on Friday 13th of July 2012 18:42

9 Feb 1790 Squirrel 24 cap William O'Bryen Drury sails for Cork to takes up his appointment as C in C. Squadron include Perseus 20, Swallow brig, Fortune brig and Spider cutter
18 Dec 1790 Fame and Squirrel 24 cap Drury sails for Plymouth from Cork arriving on the 21st Dec

Posted by Tim Oakley on Friday 13th of July 2012 18:32

17 Jan 1790 Squirrel 24 cap William O'Bryen Drury takes up his appointment

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