British bomb vessel 'Terror' (1779)

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Terror

7103
Nominal Guns8BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered13.11.1778BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down12.1778BWAS-1714
Launched2.6.1779BWAS-1714
First Commissioned4.6.1779BWAS-1714
How acquiredBuilt by ContractBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship ClassEtna Class (1776)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Sir Thomas SladeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1744-1783
BWAS-1714
Constructor
John RandallBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Service 1780-1802
BWAS-1714
CategoryUnratedBWAS-1714
Ship TypeBomb VesselBWAS-1714
Sold13.8.1812BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck92' 1"Imperial Feet28.0543 
Length of Keel74' 7"Imperial Feet22.5997 
Breadth27' 10"Imperial Feet8.2296 
Depth in Hold12' 0 ½"Imperial Feet3.6703 
Draught Forward7' 9"Imperial Feet2.3622 
Draught Aft10' 0"Imperial Feet3.048 
Burthen307 31⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


2.6.1779Broadside Weight = 27.5 Imperial Pound ( 12.4716 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 6-Pounder
Gun Deck14 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Gun Deck1 British 13" Mortar
Gun Deck1 British 10" Mortar

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
2.177660Design Complement

19 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
4.6.1779 - 16.4.1781Commander
Charles WoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1748-1782
Transfered ADM 6/21/564BWAS-171416.4.1781 - 23.7.1781Commander
John WickeyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1831
ADM 6/22/361
Issued by
George JohnstonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1787

Confirmed 9.11.1781BWAS-171423.7.1781 - 12.8.1782Commander
The Hon. Charles CarpenterBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1775-1802
ADM 6/22/361
Issued by
George JohnstonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1787

Confirmed 8.11.1781BWAS-171412.8.1782 - 25.8.1782Lieutenant
John GalbraithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1783
BWAS-17141.12.1787 - 11.9.1788Commander
Maurice DelgarnoBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1767-1796
Transfered ADM 6/23/440ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 22.10.1790Commander
William GrosvenorBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1770-1799
Transfered ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 24.3.1791Commander
Anthony HuntBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1789-1796
Transfered ADM 6/24/89ADM 6/2411.5.1791 - 8.9.1791Commander
Richard HillBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1791
BWAS-17148.8.1793 - 21.10.1794Commander
Amherst MorrisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1796
Transfered ADM 6/24/260BWAS-171421.10.1794 - 1794Commander
Robert Dudley OliverBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1814
ADM 6/25/98ADM 6/252.1795 - 4.1795Commander
George LukeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1803
BWAS-17144.1795 - 10.1795Commander
James WalkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1821
BWAS-171410.1795 - 3.1796Commander
David HotchkisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1779-1797
BWAS-17143.1796 - 29.10.1796Commander
The Hon. Dunbar DouglasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1794
† Discharged Dead ADM 6/24/116BWAS-17143.1797 - 5.1798Commander
Joseph WestbeachBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1806
BWAS-17145.1798 - 8.1798Commander
Thomas CamelfordBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1799
BWAS-17144.1799 - 1801Commander
Samuel Campbell RowleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1821
BWAS-17143.1803 - 2.1804Commander
George Nicholas HardingeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1800-1808
BWAS-17142.1804 - 12.1807Lieutenant
Thomas W WhitakerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1801-1807
BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer


DatesRankNameSource
10.1794Vice-Admiral of the Red
Joseph PeytonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1799
ADM 107/3/26BWAS-1714

7 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
22.11.1790 - 19.4.1791Lieutenant
John ChildBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1802
ADM 6/24/91ADM 6/2420.4.1791 - 24.3.1793First Lieutenant
Charles WebbBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1811
Transfered ADM 6/24/119ADM 6/2420.4.1791 - 29.7.1791Second Lieutenant
John TuckerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1794
Transfered ADM 6/24/119ADM 6/2430.7.1791 - 27.2.1793Second Lieutenant
Jeremiah EdwardsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1796
Transfered ADM 6/24/128ADM 6/2424.8.1793 - 28.8.1793Lieutenant
George SayerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1810
Transfered ADM 6/24/262ADM 6/2429.8.1793 - 1793Lieutenant
John SmithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793
ADM 6/24/264ADM 6/2424.3.1794 - 1794Lieutenant
Seth SkillBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794
ADM 6/25/023ADM 6/25

1 Warrant Officer


DatesRankNameSource
1792 - 25.3.1792Purser
Thomas Richards SpearmanBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1827
Transfered ADM 6/24/159ADM 6/24

1 Petty Officer


DatesRatingNameSource
4.1803 - 8.3.1809Midshipman
George Hubert RyeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1847
NBD1849

1 Crewman


DatesRatingNameSource
5.11.1797 - 12.18001st Class Volunteer
Thomas BevisBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1797-1829
NBD1849

Service History


DateEventSource
12.1778Began building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
6.1779Commissioned for the ChannelBWAS-1714
2.6.1779Completed building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £3287.16.0dBWAS-1714
18.6.1779Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
18.8.1779Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £2665.3.4dBWAS-1714
6.1780Began coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
9.1780Completed coppering and fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £1274.0.3dBWAS-1714
31.3.1781Sailed for the Cape of Good HopeBWAS-1714
16.4.1781Battle of Porto Praya
25.8.1782

Paid off

BWAS-1714
2.1784Began small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
7.1784Laid up at WoolwichBWAS-1714
7.1784Completed small repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4777.0.0dBWAS-1714
3.1791Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
4.1791RecommissionedBWAS-1714
6.1791Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £3040.0.0dBWAS-1714
8.9.1791

Paid off

BWAS-1714
9.1793fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £4460.0.0dBWAS-1714
10.1794At YarmouthBWAS-1714
3.1796Commissioned for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
16.2.1797Capture of Trinidad
14.5.1798

Paid off

BWAS-1714
8.1798Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
6.1799Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £5470.0.0dBWAS-1714
2.4.1801Battle of Copenhagen
2.1804At SouthendBWAS-1714
2.1804Refitted as a 8 gun Unrated Floating Battery
20.3.1810Paid offADM 51
13.8.1812Sold at WoolwichBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Sunday 12th of July 2026 18:39

Prize Money: To the crews of the Otter, Discovery and Alecto, and also the Fury and Terror gun-brigs, and the Duke of Clarence hired armed cutter, for the re-capture of the brig Padstow, will be paid on heir arrival in port. [Hampshire Chronicle, 23 March 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 11th of June 2026 20:54

Lieut Fowell is promoted to a master and commander, and appointed to the Terror. [Hampshire Chronicle, 1 April 1797]

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