British Fifth Rate frigate 'Cambrian' (1797)

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Cambrian	3475
Nominal Guns	40	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	30.4.1795	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	9.1795	BWAS-1793
Launched	13.2.1797	BWAS-1793
First Commissioned	6.4.1797	ADM 51
How acquired	Built by Contract	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Bursledon - Hampshire	BWAS-1793
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1805	BWAS-1793
Constructor	George ParsonsBritish Ship Builder Service 1795-1801	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Wrecked	31.1.1828	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck154' 0"Imperial Feet46.9392
Length of Keel128' 3 ½"Imperial Feet39.0271
Breadth41' 3"Imperial Feet12.573
Depth in Hold14' 0"Imperial Feet4.2672
Draught Forward10' 9"Imperial Feet3.2766
Draught Aft15' 10"Imperial Feet4.572
Burthen1.161 ¹⁴⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.1797Broadside Weight = 518 Imperial Pound ( 234.913 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

1799Broadside Weight = 587 Imperial Pound ( 266.2045 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 24-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck2 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

1805Broadside Weight = 503 Imperial Pound ( 228.1105 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck28 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck12 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck2 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle4 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
4.1797320 BWAS-1793

8 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
6.4.1797 - 5.1797CaptainBWAS-17935.1797 - 1801CaptainBWAS-17935.1802 - 10.1804CaptainBWAS-179310.1804 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17931807 - 1810CaptainBWAS-17931810 - 13.12.1810CaptainBWAS-17931.1.1811 - 10.12.1811CaptainNBD184914.8.1820 - 31.1.1828CaptainBWAS-1793

2 Flag Officers

DatesRankNameSource
c.25.4.1802 - c.30.5.1802Admiral of the White DischargedBWAS-17937.1802 - 3.1803Vice-Admiral of the WhiteBWAS-1793

11 Commissioned Officers

DatesRankNameSource
9.4.1791 - 12.3.1793Fifth Lieutenant Transfered ADM 6/24/116ADM 6/2423.4.1797 - 11.4.1798Third LieutenantNAO24.3.1798 - 6.5.1802Lieutenantref:61622.7.1803 - 30.8.1803Acting LieutenantNBD184930.8.1803 - 1804LieutenantNBD184923.4.1807 - 27.5.1808First LieutenantNBD18493.1809 - 2.1.1810Acting LieutenantNBD18492.1.1810 - 25.1.1812LieutenantNBD184912.6.1825 - 7.1825LieutenantNBD18497.12.1825 - 24.10.1827LieutenantW02510.1827 - 31.1.1828LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
15.8.1821 - 30.6.1826Masterref:1871

6 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
4.1797 - 2.1799MidshipmanNBD18492.1799 - 6.9.1799MidshipmanBWAS-17931805MidshipmanNBD18491808 - 8.1809MidshipmanNBD18491812 - 16.2.1815MidshipmanNBD18497.1827 - 31.1.1828MidshipmanNBD1849

1 Crewman

DatesRatingNameSource
6.1802 - 1.18041st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
9.1795Began building at Bursledon - Hampshire BWAS-1793
13.2.1797Completed building at Bursledon - Hampshire at a cost of £17592.0.0dBWAS-1793
13.2.1797Began fitting for sea at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
16.6.1797Completed fitting for sea at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £11974.0.0dBWAS-1793
4.1.1798Took the Privateer in the Channel
27.3.1798Took the Privateer in the Channel after a cruise of 35 days from BrestBG
30.3.1798Took the Privateer in the ChannelBG
19.10.1798Took the Privateer in the Channel
8.12.1798Took the Brig in the Channel
9.1.1799

Arrived at Plymouth from a cruise

TNC
5.5.1800Took the Brig-Corvette in the ChannelBG
6.4.1801Took the Privateer
2.1805In BermudaTRN5
13.6.1805Took the Privateer
3.7.1805Took the Schooner on the Floridan coast
25.4.1806Off New York with and when Leander fired the Leander fired twice at an American coaster, the Richard. The second shot struck the taffrail and drove a splinter upon the master's brother, John Pierce, killing him on the spot.TRN5
4.1807Began refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
6.1807Completed refitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £13483.0.0dBWAS-1793
10.1810Completed fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £7310.0.0dBWAS-1793
13.12.1810Landing at Palamos
10.12.1811Paid offADM 35
5.1813Began middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
9.1814Laid upBWAS-1793
9.1814Completed middling repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £33728.0.0dBWAS-1793
7.1820Began fitting for sea at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
20.10.1827Battle of Navarino
31.1.1828

Wrecked off Grabusa after a collision while in combat with pirate schooners

BWAS-1793
31.1.1828Action at Grabusa

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 18th of July 2026 06:02

The Spanish ship Santa Teresa, and brig Rosarie, laden with valuable cargoes, and captured on the 17th ult, by the Venerable and Superb, of 74 guns, and Cambrian frigate, arrived on the 28th, at Plymouth. [Hampshire Telegraph, 1 June 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 14th of July 2026 15:59

Cambrian, at Sea, 6 April 1801, from Captain Arthur K Legge to Captain S Hood – The vessel you sent me in chase of this morning, proved t be L’Audacieux, French lugger privateer, of 14 guns, and 50 men, commanded by S B Ant Candeau, belonging to Bourdeaux, which place she left the 30th March, and has since only detained one American.
The ship we re-captured yesterday, was the Nancy letter of marque, of London; she was taken on the 2d instant, in lat 50 deg 42 min N, and long 9 W, by Le Braave French privateer. [Hampshire Telegraph, 27 April 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 14th of July 2026 05:45

Portsmouth, 18 April 1801: The Cambrian, of 44 guns, Hon Captain Legge, has re-taken the Nancy letter of marque, of 16 guns, laden with logwood, ivory, 366 ounces of gold-dust, from Sierra Leone, which arrived on the 11th at Plymouth. [Hampshire Telegraph, 20 April 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Monday 15th of June 2026 04:16

Sunday morning arrived at Plymouth, the French brig privateer la Cantabia, of 14 guns, and 60 men, taken off Cape Penas, by his Majesty’s ship Cambrian, of 44 guns, the Hon Captain Legge. [Hampshire Chronicle, 24 December 1798]

Posted by Jon Miller on Saturday 30th of May 2026 04:02

Captain Towry is appointed to his Majesty’s ship Cambrian. London Courier, 9 October 1801]

Posted by Adam Quigley on Thursday 22nd of January 2015 11:43

May 1811. The Cambrian was the first british ship to fire on the french at the siege of Tarragona, Firing broadsides for 3 hours the ship came in so close to the beach that the hull scraped the bottom.
NA ADM 7/44 f320-325 letter Charles Bullen to Capitan Edward Codrington 8 may 1811.

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