British fireship 'Alecto' (1781)

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Recent Comments

Minotaur (74) 1793-1810
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1793)
James RussellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1801
John Miller GarnierBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1795-1801
Bernard HaleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1794
Alonzo (16) 1801-1842
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(1801)
Countess of Sutherland (Unknown) 1800-1803
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3rd Rate Ship of the Line
(1797)
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Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1814
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(1794)
Mahonesa (34) 1789-1796
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Alecto			2977
Nominal Guns	12
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	1780
Keel Laid Down	3.1780
Launched	26.5.1781
First Commissioned	22.6.1781
How acquired	Purpose built
Shipyard	Dover - Kent
Ship Class	Tisiphone Class (1779)
Constructor	Thomas KingBritish Ship Builder Service 1778-1779
Category	Unrated
Ship Type	Fireship
Sold	1802

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck108' 9"Imperial Feet32.947
Length of Keel90' 6 ¾"Imperial Feet27.4511
Breadth29' 7 ½"Imperial Feet8.8519
Depth in Hold9' 0"Imperial Feet2.7432
Draught Forward7' 6"Imperial Feet2.286
Draught Aft10' 6"Imperial Feet3.2004
Burthen422 ⁷²⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

26.5.1781Broadside Weight = 48 Imperial Pound ( 21.768 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 12-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
177955Design Complement

17 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
22.6.1781 - 9.2.1782Commander ADM 6/22/303BWAS-17939.2.1782 - 22.4.1782Commander ADM 6/22/408BWAS-179322.4.1782 - 20.6.1783Commander ADM 6/23/81
Issued by , Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 9.6.1783BWAS-179326.8.1789 - 27.3.1790Commander Transfered ADM 6/23/541ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 21.11.1790Commander ADM 6/24/69ADM 6/2422.11.1790 - 23.5.1792Commander Transfered ADM 6/24/89ADM 6/245.7.1794Commander ADM 6/25/56ADM 6/256.7.1794Commander ADM 6/25/56ADM 6/256.7.1794Commander ADM 6/25/56ADM 6/258.5.1798 - 20.12.1798Commander Transfered ADM 196/3/5BWAS-17937.12.1798 - 4.1.1799CommanderNAO2.1799 - 6.1799CommanderNAO7.1799 - 10.1799CommanderBWAS-179310.1799 - 5.1800CommanderBWAS-17935.1800 - 11.8.1800CommanderBWAS-179326.8.1800 - 9.1801CommanderBWAS-17939.1801 - 1802CommanderBWAS-1793

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
8.7.1799 - 1799LieutenantRNB1823

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
1.9.1790 - 30.9.1790Able SeamanADM 29/8

Service History

DateEventSource
3.1780Began building at Dover - Kent BWAS-1714
26.5.1781Completed building at Dover - Kent at a cost of £9700.15.1dBWAS-1714
6.1781Commissioned for the ChannelBWAS-1714
13.6.1781fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
11.2.1782Sailed for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
12.4.1782Battle of the Saintes
19.4.1782Battle of the Mona Passage
4.1783Returned homeBWAS-1714
5.1783Paid off and laid up at PortsmouthBWAS-1714
4.1798fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £5632.0.0dBWAS-1714
5.1798RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1.1799Guard ship at LymingtonBWAS-1714
6.3.1802Refitted as a 16 gun Unrated Floating Battery

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Sunday 12th of July 2026 18:37

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]

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