British Sixth Rate frigate 'Cerberus' (1758)

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Cerberus

3529
Nominal Guns28BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered6.5.1757BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down13.9.1757BWAS-1714
Launched5.9.1758BWAS-1714
First Commissioned22.5.1758BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardEast Cowes - Isle of Wight BWAS-1714
Ship ClassCoventry Class (1756)BWAS-1714
Designed by
Sir Thomas SladeBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1744-1783
BWAS-1714
Constructor
Pleasant FennBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategorySixth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeFrigateBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Burnt to avoid capture7.8.1778BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck118' 7 ½"Imperial Feet35.9791 
Length of Keel97' 2 ⅛"Imperial Feet29.5688 
Breadth33' 10 ½"Imperial Feet10.0711 
Depth in Hold10' 6"Imperial Feet3.2004 
Burthen593 14⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


5.9.1758Broadside Weight = 117 Imperial Pound ( 53.0598 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck24 British 9-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 3-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
1756200Design Complement

7 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
22.5.1758 - 13.9.1763Captain
Charles WebberBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1780
ADM 6/18/516BWAS-171413.9.1763 - 27.9.1763Captain
Charles WebberBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1780
ADM 6/19/537ADM 6/1926.5.1768 - 25.9.1770Captain
William GreenwoodBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1770
ADM 6/20/206ADM 6/2025.9.1770 - 5.10.1772Captain
John BrisbaneBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1757-1805
ADM 6/20/293BWAS-17145.10.1772 - 3.12.1774Captain
Hugh DalrympleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1744-1779
ADM 6/20/458BWAS-17143.12.1774 - 25.7.1775Captain
James ChadsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1740-1776
Transfered ADM 6/21/61BWAS-171425.7.1775 - 7.8.1778Captain
John SymonsBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1799
ADM 6/20/107BWAS-1714

3 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
22.5.1758 - 4.12.1758First Lieutenant
John BoydBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1738-1762
Transfered ADM 6/18/516ADM 6/1822.5.1758 - 4.12.1758Second Lieutenant
Trevelyan LisleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1760
ADM 6/18/516ADM 6/184.12.1758 - 12.6.1760First Lieutenant
Trevelyan LisleBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1746-1760
ADM 6/19/10ADM 6/18

Service History


DateEventSource
5.9.1758building at East Cowes - Isle of Wight at a cost of £5276.17.5dBWAS-1714
11.9.1758Began fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1714
11.11.1758Completed fitting at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth at a cost of £4227.3.6dBWAS-1714
18.2.1759Sailed for JamaicaBWAS-1714
29.11.1760Took the Privateer
L'Hirondelle (Unknown) 1760-1760
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown

19.2.1761Took the Sloop
Le Deal Castle (24) 1760-1761
French 24 Gun
Privateer Sloop

26.1.1762Took the Privateer
La Floride (Unknown) 1762-1762
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown

26.1.1762Took the Privateer
La Souris (Unknown) 1762-1762
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown

6.6.1762Operations against Havana
27.9.1763

Paid off

ADM 33
1.5.1764SurveyedBWAS-1714
3.1769Began great repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
23.3.1769SurveyedBWAS-1714
10.1769Completed great repair at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £6551.7.11dBWAS-1714
10.1770Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
11.1770Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £1137.18.10dBWAS-1714
1772In the ChannelBWAS-1714
20.4.1775Sailed from Portsmouth for Boston with generals Howe, Clinton and Burgoyne on boardTRv1
7.8.1775Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
6.12.1776Occupation of Rhode Island
5.8.1778Burnt to avoid capture at Rhode IslandBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Tony Pratt on Thursday 17th of April 2025 07:49

Cerberus returned to England in July 1775, bearing despatches from Hon. Lieut. Gen. Gage that informed the country of the action now known as Bunker Hill, Chad (spelt Chadds in the Gazette report) arrived in London July 25 1775 [The Ipswich Journal, 29 July 1775, account dated 'Whitehall, July 25'] The August 'sailed to North America' above was the date of her return to station. She appears to have arrived in Boston the first time around June 10 1775 from Ireland ['Extract of a Letter from Boston June 25', Jackson's Oxford Journal, 20 July 1775]

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