British fireship 'Infernal' (1778)

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Infernal
Nominal Guns	8	BWAS-1714
Nationality	Great Britain
Operator	Royal Navy
Acquired	6.11.1778	BWAS-1714
First Commissioned	13.11.1778	BWAS-1714
How acquired	Purchased on the Stocks	BWAS-1714
Shipyard	Blackwall Yard - Blackwall	BWAS-1714
Constructor	John PerryBritish Ship Builder Service 1775-1810	BWAS-1714
Category	Unrated	BWAS-1714
Ship Type	Fireship	BWAS-1714
Sold	21.3.1783	BWAS-1714

Dimensions

DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck97' 6"Imperial Feet29.5874
Length of Keel79' 6 ¾"Imperial Feet24.0983
Breadth26' 11"Imperial Feet7.929
Depth in Hold13' 9"Imperial Feet4.0386
Burthen306 ³⁷⁄₉₄Tons BM

Armament

11.1778Broadside Weight = 18 Imperial Pound ( 8.1632 kg)BWAS-1714
Gun Deck8 British 4-Pounder
Gun Deck8 British 1/2-Pound Swivel

Crew Complement

Date# of MenNotesSource
11.177845 BWAS-1714

5 Ship Commanders

DatesRankNameSource
13.11.1778 - 22.12.1779Commander ADM 6/21/474BWAS-17147.6.1780 - 1.1.1781Commander ADM 6/22/140BWAS-17141.1.1781 - 16.4.1781Commander ADM 6/22/219BWAS-171427.4.1781 - 24.9.1781Commander ADM 6/22/304
Issued by , Portugal - Iberian Peninsula
Confirmed 27.6.1781ADM 6/2224.9.1781 - 3.3.1783Commander ADM 6/22/435BWAS-1714

Service History

DateEventSource
6.11.1778building at Blackwall - London at a cost of £3505.1.10dBWAS-1714
6.11.1778Began fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
8.4.1779Completed fitting at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £2625.17.11dBWAS-1714
22.12.1779Paid offADM 51
6.1780Began coppering and fitting at UnknownBWAS-1714
7.1780Completed coppering and fitting at a cost of £1320.16.4dBWAS-1714
16.4.1781Battle of Porto Praya
16.4.1781Taken by the French Porto Praya
16.4.1781Taken by the British Porto Praya
3.3.1783

Paid off

ADM 51
21.3.1783Sold at Woolwich for £2,895BWAS-1714

Sources

IDNameAuthorType

ADM 51 Archive

ADM 6/22 Archive

BWAS-1714Rif Winfield, Book

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Date posted	By	Page
Saturday 25th of July 2026 07:16	Jon Miller	British Merchant east indiaman 'Princess Mary' (1796) (Unknown) 1796-1805 British Unknown Gun Merchant East Indiaman
Saturday 25th of July 2026 07:15	Jon Miller	British Merchant 'Indian Chief' (1800) (Unknown) 1800-1801 British Unknown Gun Merchant Unknown
Saturday 25th of July 2026 07:14	Jon Miller	British Second Rate ship of the line 'London' (1766) (90) 1766-1811 British 90 Gun 2nd Rate Ship of the Line
Saturday 25th of July 2026 07:11	Jon Miller	Edward Jekyll CanesBritish Naval Sailor Service 1780-1793
Saturday 25th of July 2026 07:10	Jon Miller	Sir Adam DrummondBritish Naval Sailor Service 1795-9990

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