British Fifth Rate ship 'Argo' (1781)

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Argo

3111
Nominal Guns44BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered26.2.1779BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down18.8.1779BWAS-1714
Launched7.6.1781BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardHowden Pans - Newcastle upon Tyne - River Tyne BWAS-1714
Ship ClassRoebuck Class (1769)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Sir Thomas SladeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1744-1783
BWAS-1714
Constructor
John BakerBritish
Ship Builder
Service 1778
BWAS-1714
CategoryFifth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeShipBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Sold11.1.1816BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck140' 8"Imperial Feet42.6771 
Length of Keel115' 9 ⅜"Imperial Feet35.0615 
Breadth38' 0 ¾"Imperial Feet11.6015 
Depth in Hold16' 4 ½"Imperial Feet4.8895 
Burthen892 21⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


7.6.1781Broadside Weight = 285 Imperial Pound ( 129.2475 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

4.1793Broadside Weight = 456 Imperial Pound ( 206.796 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck22 British 24-Pound Carronade
Upper Gun Deck20 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade

11.1793Broadside Weight = 390 Imperial Pound ( 176.865 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck22 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck20 British 12-Pounder
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade

5.1808Broadside Weight = 285 Imperial Pound ( 129.2475 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 18-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck22 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

9.1809Broadside Weight = 582 Imperial Pound ( 263.937 kg)BWAS-1714
Lower Gun Deck20 British 24-Pounder (Gover)
Upper Gun Deck22 British 24-Pounder (Gover)
Quarterdeck4 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 24-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1769280Design Complement

20 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
31.5.1781 - 20.3.1783Captain
John ButchartBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1760-1784
ADM 6/22/293BWAS-171420.3.1783 - 7.5.1783Captain
Alexander John BallBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1772-1783
ADM 6/23/158
Issued by
Hugh PigotBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1787
, Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 30.10.1783ADM 6/237.5.1783 - 2.4.1784Captain
James DouglasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1775-1825
ADM 6/23/212
Confirmed 17.5.1784ADM 6/2321.9.1790 - 15.2.1791Captain
James DundasBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1808
ADM 6/24/68ADM 6/2423.10.1790 - 22.11.1790Commander
Richard Runwa BowyerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1798
Transfered ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/2412.2.1791 - 6.1.1792Commander
Sandford TathamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1776-1813
: on board from 15.2.1791 ADM 6/24/107BWAS-17141.5.1793 - 31.5.1794Captain
William ClarkBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1796
: on board from 5.5.1793 ADM 6/24/234BWAS-17141.8.1794 - 2.1.1795Captain
Richard Rundle BurgessBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1795
W0052.1795 - 6.1696Captain
Richard Rundle BurgessBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1795
BWAS-17146.1796 - 3.1798Captain
John Stevens HallBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1777-1812
BWAS-17143.1798 - 1801Captain
James BowenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1781-1825
BWAS-17149.1802 - 6.1804Captain
Benjamin HallowellBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1783-1830
BWAS-17146.1804 - 8.1804Captain
Thomas Le Marchant GosselinBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1787-1841
BWAS-17148.1804 - 6.1805Captain
George ParkerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1837
BWAS-17146.1805 - 7.1805Captain
George AldhamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1791-1806
BWAS-17147.1805Captain
Tristram Roberts RickettsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1815
BWAS-17147.1806 - 1809Captain
Stephen Thomas DigbyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1796-1813
BWAS-171410.1812 - 4.1813Captain
Cornelius QuintonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1794-1813
BWAS-17144.1813 - 4.1815Captain
William FothergillBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1800-1815
BWAS-17144.1815 - 1816Captain
Donald M'LeodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1801-1816
BWAS-1714

3 Flag Officers


DatesRankNameSource
10.1812 - 4.1813Vice-Admiral of the White
Charles StirlingBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1813
BWAS-17144.1813 - 4.1815Rear-Admiral of the White
William BrownBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1788-1815
BWAS-17144.1815 - 1816Rear-Admiral of the Red
Mathew Henry ScottBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1787-1816
BWAS-1714

9 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
23.10.1790 - 11.2.1791First Lieutenant
Edward RamageBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1797
ADM 6/24/82ADM 6/243.11.1790 - 11.2.1791Second Lieutenant
Henry BlackwoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1830
ADM 6/24/84ADM 6/2412.2.1791 - 5.2.1793First Lieutenant
Samuel WarrenBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1815
Transfered ADM 6/24/107ADM 6/2412.2.1791 - 23.12.1792Second Lieutenant
Robert BustardBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1790-1797
Transfered ADM 6/24/107ADM 6/246.5.1793 - 1793First Lieutenant
William MillerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1780-1814
ADM 6/24/236ADM 6/249.5.1793 - 1793Second Lieutenant
Owen WilliamsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1782-1793
ADM 6/24/236ADM 6/2418.7.1793 - 1793Third Lieutenant
Charles JonesBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1814
ADM 6/24/256ADM 6/2415.3.1797 - 29.4.1802First Lieutenant
Thomas LyneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1786-1840
NBD184927.12.1808 - 10.1.1810Lieutenant
Thomas ArcherBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1801-1815
NL1865

2 Warrant Officers


DatesRankNameSource
3.5.1783 - 2.1.1794Second Surgeons' Mate
James RobBritish
Naval Sailor
Medic
Service 1783-1794
ref:198118.2.1791 - bef.11.7.1793Surgeon
John WadeBritish
Naval Sailor
Medic
Service 1791-1793
ref:1981

6 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
1.5.1798 - 1801Midshipman
Samuel WaltersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1815
ref:5741801 - 28.7.1801Master's Mate
Samuel WaltersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1815
ref:57428.7.1801 - 4.1802Midshipman
Samuel WaltersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1815
ref:5747.1802 - 9.1803Midshipman
The Hon. Arthur Richard TurnourBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1799-1816
NBD18491804 - 10.1806Midshipman
Francis Charles AnnesleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1815
NBD184912.1812 - 1813Midshipman
Jonathon ButcherBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1803-1842
NBD1849

2 Crewmen


DatesRatingNameSource
12.8.1793 - 1794Able Seaman
John BurnBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1793-1833
NBD184919.4.1798 - 1.5.1798Able Seaman
Samuel WaltersBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1798-1815
ref:574

Service History


DateEventSource
7.6.1781building at a cost of £19356.4.3dBWAS-1714
11.9.1781Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
15.10.1781Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
6.2.1782Sailed with African convoy and on to the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
17.2.1783Action of 1783-02-17
20.2.1783Retaken by
Invincible (74) 1765-1801
British 74 Gun
3rd Rate Ship of the Line
BWAS-1714
2.4.1784

Paid off

BWAS-1714
7.1785Began middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1714
10.1786Completed middling repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £12957.0.0dBWAS-1714
6.1790Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
2.1791RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1791Refitted as a 22 gun Unrated Troop Ship
4.1791Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4441.0.0dBWAS-1714
11.5.1791Sailed for Halifax with troopsBWAS-1714
6.1.1792

Paid off

BWAS-1714
5.1793RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1795Escorted home a Levant convoyBWAS-1714
7.10.1795Action of 1795-10-07
10.1798Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
14.11.1798Took the Sloop
Peterel (16) 1794-1827
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop

15.11.1798Recaptured the
Peterel (16) 1794-1827
British 16 Gun
Unrated Sloop
BWAS-1714
8.2.1799Took the Frigate
Santa Teresa (34) 1787-1799
Spanish 34 Gun
5th Rate Frigate
off Majorca
6.8.1799Took the Unrated
Infanta Amalia (12) 1799-1799
Spanish 12 Gun
Unrated Unknown

21.10.1800Took the Unrated
San Fernando (12) 1800-1800
Spanish 12 Gun
Unrated Unknown

8.1802Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
9.1802RecommissionedBWAS-1714
10.1802Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
11.1802Sailed for the African coastBWAS-1714
21.6.1803Capture of St. Lucia and Tobago
7.1803In the Leeward islandsBWAS-1714
12.9.1803Took the Schooner
L'Oiseau (12) 1803-1803
French 12 Gun
Privateer Schooner
BG
2.1804Sailed for the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
6.1804Returned from the MediterraneanBWAS-1714
9.1805Began large repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
6.1806Completed large repair at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1714
7.1806RecommissionedBWAS-1714
1808On the Jamaica stationBWAS-1714
1809On the Jamaica stationBWAS-1714
10.3.1809Took the Felucca
Joseph (Unknown) 1809-1809
Spanish Unknown Gun
Unrated Felucca
San Domingo
5.1.1810Sailed to meet the East India shipsBWAS-1714
6.4.1812Sailed for ConstantinopleBWAS-1714
22.1.1813Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
4.1813Flagship at JamaicaBWAS-1714
4.1815Flagship on the Downs stationBWAS-1714
11.1.1816Sold at Sheerness? for £2,600BWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Friday 24th of July 2026 06:49

Prize Money: Argo – Will be paid for the Madona del Rosaria, Santa Theresa, and Infanta Amelia, on board. Recall, White Lion, Wych-street, London. [Portsmouth Telegraph, 30 December 1799]

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 21st of July 2026 16:27

Prize Money: Argo – Account of the proceeds of the Madona de Rosario will be deposited in the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty. [Portsmouth Telegraph, 16 December 1799]

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 18th of July 2026 15:54

Portsmouth, 13 June 1801: On Wednesday the Purser of the Lord Nelson announced the arrival of the following China ships off this port, under the convoy of the Argo, of 44 guns, Capt Bowen: - the Cirencester, Ceres, Brunswick, Arniston, Walthamstow, Earl St Vincent, Marquis Wellesley, Canton, Lord Nelson, Carron (extra ship), Triumphoze (Portuguese). They left China 16th January, arrived at St Helena 15th April, sailed from thence 22d April. The whole of the convoy are arrived at Deal. [Hampshire Telegraph, 15 June 1801]

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