British Fifth Rate frigate 'Lark' (1762)

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Lark

5033
Nominal Guns32BWAS-1714
NationalityGreat Britain
OperatorRoyal Navy
Ordered24.3.1761BWAS-1714
Keel Laid Down5.5.1761BWAS-1714
Launched10.5.1762BWAS-1714
First Commissioned14.5.1762BWAS-1714
How acquiredPurpose builtBWAS-1714
ShipyardRotherhithe - London - Surrey BWAS-1714
Ship ClassRichmond Class (1756)BWAS-1714
Designed by
William BatelyBritish
Designer
Ship Builder
Dockyard Staff
Service 1741-1755
BWAS-1714
Constructor
Elias BirdBritish
Ship Builder
BWAS-1714
CategoryFifth RateBWAS-1714
Ship TypeFrigateBWAS-1714
Sailing RigShip RiggedBWAS-1714
Burnt to avoid capture5.8.1778BWAS-1714

Dimensions


DimensionMeasurementTypeMetric EquivalentBWAS-1714
Length of Gundeck127' 2"Imperial Feet38.7115 
Length of Keel108' 0 ⅜"Imperial Feet32.9279 
Breadth34' 5"Imperial Feet10.395 
Depth in Hold12' 0 ½"Imperial Feet3.6703 
Burthen680 61⁄94Tons BM 

Armament


10.5.1762Broadside Weight = 177 Imperial Pound ( 80.2698 kg)BWAS-1714
Upper Gun Deck26 British 12-Pounder
Upper Gun Deck12 British 1/2-Pound Swivel
Quarterdeck4 British 6-Pounder
Forecastle2 British 6-Pounder

Crew Complement


Date# of MenNotesSource
12.3.1756210Design Complement

6 Ship Commanders


DatesRankNameSource
14.5.1762 - 26.3.1763Captain
Thomas ShirleyBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1755-1791
ADM 6/19/409BWAS-171427.3.1763 - 17.2.1766Captain
Samuel ThompsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1739-1788
: on board from 31.3.1763 ADM 6/19/474BWAS-171417.2.1766 - 16.8.1766Captain
Charles BucknerBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1808
ADM 6/20/107ADM 6/2016.8.1766 - 31.8.1769Captain
John FalkinghamBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1743-1771
ADM 6/20/206
Issued by
Thomas PyeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1783
, Barbados - Windward Islands - Barbados & the Leeward Islands
Confirmed 22.6.1768BWAS-171423.4.1773 - 14.5.1773Captain
Patrick DrummondBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1735-1776
ADM 6/20/490ADM 6/2020.2.1776 - 5.8.1778Captain
Richard SmithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1754-1793
ADM 6/21/160BWAS-1714

1 Flag Officer


DatesRankNameSource
17.2.1766 - 8.1767Vice-Admiral of the Blue
Thomas PyeBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1728-1783
TransferedBWAS-1714

4 Commissioned Officers


DatesRankNameSource
19.5.1762 - 28.3.1763First Lieutenant
Peter Van CourtBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1763
ADM 6/19/411ADM 6/1917.5.1763 - 4.3.1766First Lieutenant
Peter Van CourtBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1747-1763
ADM 6/19/498ADM 6/1928.4.1773 - 14.5.1773First Lieutenant
John GalbraithBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1749-1783
ADM 6/20/493ADM 6/2028.4.1773 - 14.5.1773Second Lieutenant
George LindsayBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1752-1797
ADM 6/20/493ADM 6/20

2 Petty Officers


DatesRatingNameSource
12.4.1764 - 26.3.1766Midshipman
William RichardsonBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1761-1767
IPC1778 - 5.8.1778Midshipman
Francis BrooksBritish
Naval Sailor
Service 1778-1791
ADM 6/21

Service History


DateEventSource
10.5.1762building at Rotherhithe - London - Surrey at a cost of £6703.13.0dBWAS-1714
9.7.1762fitting at Deptford Dockyard - Deptford at a cost of £4139.2.8dBWAS-1714
14.9.1762Took the Sloop
Galga (6) 1762-1762
Spanish 6 Gun
Privateer Sloop

18.9.1762Took the Privateer
Le Duc de Penthièvre (14) 1762-1762
French 14 Gun
Privateer Unknown
130 leagues to the Westward of Ushant.BG
14.12.1762Took the Privateer
L'Heureux (Unknown) 1762-1762
French Unknown Gun
Privateer Unknown

21.5.1763Sailed for NewfoundlandBWAS-1714
2.1766Recommissioned as flagship for the Leeward IslandsBWAS-1714
31.8.1769

Paid off

BWAS-1714
17.10.1769SurveyedBWAS-1714
11.1769Began great repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich BWAS-1714
5.1773Completed great repair at Woolwich Dockyard - Woolwich at a cost of £10019.6.0dBWAS-1714
14.5.1773Paid offADM 33
2.1776RecommissionedBWAS-1714
2.1776Began fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham BWAS-1714
5.1776Completed fitting at Chatham Dockyard - Chatham at a cost of £4546.9.7dBWAS-1714
24.7.1776Sailed for North AmericaBWAS-1714
5.8.1778Burnt and scuttled at Newport, Rhode Island to avoid capture by the FrenchBWAS-1714

 
Previous comments on this page

Posted by Jon Miller on Tuesday 23rd of June 2026 16:51

London, 25 April 1765: The Newfoundland squadron, consisting of the following of His Majesty’s ships of war, sailed yesterday morning from Portsmouth for their respective stations off St Pierre and Miquelon, and in the Gulph of St Lawrence; Guernsey, Commodore Palliser; Thames, Hon Capt Percival; Niger, Sir Thomas Adams, Bart; Pearl, Capt Saxon; and Lark, Capt Thomson. [Exeter Mercury, 3 May 1765]

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