British Fifth Rate frigate 'Dryad' (1795)

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Dryad	3996
Nominal Guns	36	BWAS-1793
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Ordered	24.5.1794	BWAS-1793
Keel Laid Down	6.1794	BWAS-1793
Named	26.2.1795	BWAS-1793
Launched	4.6.1795	BWAS-1793
How acquired	Built by Contract	BWAS-1793
Shipyard	Deptford - London	BWAS-1793
Ship Class	Phoebe Class (1794)	BWAS-1793
Designed by	Sir John HenslowBritish Designer Ship Builder Dockyard Staff Service 1761-1805	BWAS-1793
Constructor	William BarnardBritish Ship Builder Service 1763-1795	BWAS-1793
Category	Fifth Rate	BWAS-1793
Ship Type	Frigate	BWAS-1793
Sailing Rig	Ship Rigged	BWAS-1793
Broken Up	9.2.1860	BWAS-1793

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1793
Length of Gundeck142' 8"Imperial Feet43.2864
Length of Keel119' 0"Imperial Feet36.2712
Breadth38' 2 ½"Imperial Feet11.5951
Depth in Hold13' 5"Imperial Feet4.0047
Burthen924 ⁶⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

4.6.1795Broadside Weight = 439 Imperial Pound ( 199.0865 kg)BWAS-1793
Upper Gun Deck26 British 18-Pounder
Quarterdeck6 British 32-Pound Carronade
Quarterdeck8 British 9-Pounder
Forecastle4 British 32-Pound Carronade
Forecastle2 British 9-Pounder

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
29.5.1794264Design Complement

11 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
6.1795 - 7.12.1795Captain†BWAS-17937.12.1795 - 4.1796CaptainBWAS-17934.1796 - 6.1796CommanderBWAS-17936.1796 - 12.1798CaptainBWAS-179312.1798 - 1801CaptainBWAS-17931802 - 9.1802CaptainBWAS-17939.1802 - 1803CaptainBWAS-17931803 - 1804CaptainBWAS-17931.1805 - 1807CaptainBWAS-17931808CaptainBWAS-17931809 - 21.4.1814CaptainBWAS-1793

1 Flag Officer

DatesRankNameSource
1803Admiral of the BlueBWAS-1793

1 Commissioned Officer

DatesRankNameSource
15.8.1831 - 13.9.1832LieutenantNBD1849

1 Warrant Officer

DatesRankNameSource
31.7.1795 - 30.12.1800MasterADM 29-1

4 Petty Officers

DatesRatingNameSource
4.1795 - 1797MidshipmanNBD18491.1797 - 3.1799MidshipmanNBD184911.1825 - 1826MidshipmanNL18651826 - 6.1829Master's MateNL1865

2 Crewmen

DatesRatingNameSource
16.8.1802 - 2.18031st Class BoyNBD184910.1802 - 6.18041st Class VolunteerNBD1849

Service History

DateEventSource
6.1794Began building at Deptford - London BWAS-1793
6.1795Commissioned for the Irish StationBWAS-1793
4.6.1795Completed building at Deptford - London at a cost of £14027.0.0dBWAS-1793
5.6.1795Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1793
16.6.1795Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £1174.0.0dBWAS-1793
16.6.1795Began fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford BWAS-1793
15.8.1795Completed fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £8542.0.0dBWAS-1793
2.5.1796Took the Cutter off the Lizard
13.6.1796Took the Frigate
16.10.1796Took the Privateer
19.8.1797Took the Privateer
9.9.1797Sank the privateer BWAS-1793
9.9.1797Took the Brig and sunk .ref:692
10.10.1797Took the Privateer
4.2.1798Took the Privateer off Cape Clear
21.4.1799

Sailed for Jamaica with a convoy

TNC
5.3.1801Took the Corvette in lat 50 deg. 6 min. North, long. 12 deg. West
1803On the Irish StationBWAS-1793
22.3.1808Took the Brig in Lat. 47" N and Long. 11" W.BG
28.7.1809Expedition to the Scheldt
28.7.1809Walcheren Expedition
23.12.1812Destroyed a 22-gun brig off Ile d'YueBWAS-1793
1813Sailed to Newfoundland, then home to pay offBWAS-1793
7.1813Began large repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1793
25.2.1814Capture of the Clorinde
26.2.1814Took the Frigate off Ushant
21.4.1814Paid offADM 51
9.1815Completed large repair at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £25538.0.0dBWAS-1793
6.1819Waist was roofed overBWAS-1793
9.1825Began fitting for sea at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness BWAS-1793
10.1825Completed fitting for sea at Sheerness Dockyard - Sheerness at a cost of £6866.0.0dBWAS-1793
4.1826fitting for sea at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £11280.0.0dBWAS-1793
8.1829Began very small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth BWAS-1793
8.1830Completed very small repair at Plymouth Dockyard - Plymouth at a cost of £20620.0.0dBWAS-1793
8.1832Laid up at PortsmouthBWAS-1793
13.9.1832Paid offADM 51
8.1837Began fitting as a Receiving Ship at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
3.1838Completed fitting as a Receiving Ship at Portsmouth Dockyard - Portsmouth BWAS-1793
9.2.1860Breaking up completed at PortsmouthBWAS-1793

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 29-1 Document

ADM 51 Archive

BGOfficial, Web Site

BWAS-1793Rif Winfield, Book

NBD1849O'Brien, Digital Book

NL1865The Admiralty, Digital Book

TNCVarious, Periodical

ref:692Jean Jacques Salein, Web Site

Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Thursday 16th of July 2026 05:04

For sale by auction at the Dolphin Inn, Gosport, on Wednesday the 3d of June 1801, the anchors, cables, masts, yards, boats, standing and running rigging, carriage-guns, small arms, ammunition, and other stores, landed from the French privateer Le Premier Consul, captured by His Majesty’s Ship Dryad, C J M Mansfield, Esq, Captain. Matthias March, Jun, Broker, [Hampshire Telegraph, 25 May 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Monday 13th of July 2026 08:29

Portsmouth, 4 April 1801: On Monday an order was received here, by express, by Capt Mansfield of His Majesty’s ship Dryad, to put the Ulla Fersen, Swedish frigate, which he detained and brought into this port, under the command of the Swedish officers. [Hampshire Telegraph, 5 April 1801]

Posted by Jon Miller on Sunday 14th of June 2026 12:00

Letter from Lord A Beauclerk to Vice-Admiral Kingsmill on the Cork Station:-
Dryad, Cork Harbour, Feb 9: Sir, I have the honour to inform you that on the 4th instant at five AM, Cape Clear north east twenty leagues, I captured Le Mars, a stout fast-sailing privateer from Nantes, pierced for twenty guns, had mounted twelve twelves, two eighteens, and two twelve-pound carronades, with two hundred and twenty-two men; had been out forty-nine days, and not captured any thing. I am, Sir, &c, A Beauclerk. [Hampshire Chronicle, 24 February 1798, ex London Gazette]

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